Gymnastics is a perfectionist sport, down to the hundredths of points. Along with competing perfectly, the leotards worn must also be perfect. They are made to serve a functional purpose as well as be pretty and accentuate the gymnasts’ routines. Besides perfection, leotards serve as a point for presentation.
Former LSU gymnastics head coach D-D Bureaux told the LSU Reveille, “There’s a tremendous amount of pride in wearing your school colors. In gymnastics, the uniform and the pomp and circumstance of the beauty of the leotard plays a part in feeling good about how you look, and it’s important.”
Gymnastics teams generally have multiple different leotards that they compete in, and Alabama gymnastics is no exception.
Bigger schools, like Alabama or LSU, will customize and design their own leotards instead of buying from a catalog, according to the Reveille.
For the 2024 season, thus far, the Crimson Tide gymnastics team has donned 10 different competition leotards. Along with competition leotards, gymnasts also have different sets of practice leotards.
There are several leotards that the Alabama gymnasts don for their meets: the Sweetheart, the Quadrafoil, the Bryant, the Legends, the Rockettes, the Blake Lively and the Goddess. Along with those eight leotards, Alabama gymnastics debuted three brand new leotards: the Show-Stopper leotard and the unnamed leotards from the Power of Pink meet and the SEC championships.
For this season, the Goddess leotard was worn at the senior night quad meet against Minnesota, Illinois and Talladega. Freshman Chloe LaCoursiere said this is her favorite leotard because of the memories from that night in Coleman Coliseum.
“It was the first time I competed beam in Coleman and that was a huge moment for me, but it was also senior night!” LaCoursiere said. “But talking to Lu[isa Blanco] after the meet, sitting on the competition floor under the script A and her reminding me that I am enough and hearing her take in Coleman one last time is something I will never forget.”
Graduate student Makarri Doggette has worn her fair share of leotards in her five years competing for the Crimson Tide, but the Show-Stopper leotard wins her vote for “favorite” for its symbolism.
“My favorite memory in the Show-Stopper leotard was competing in our ‘Be the Change’ competition while debuting this beautiful black leotard,” Doggette said. “It stood for so much more than a pretty leotard. It stood for our cause, our purpose, and enhanced the beauty of how much our sport can allow us to be the change we want to see in the world.”
Along with Doggette, senior Cameron Machado said the Show-Stopper is her favorite.
”My favorite memory in this leo was hitting my bar routine and then having my team running up to me afterwards,” Machado said. “That moment meant everything to me!”
Each leotard is unique in its own way, but still has the script A spirit. Some are crimson, some feature houndstooth, some have the script A on it, and some even say “Bama” down the sleeves. Each leotard bears something uniquely related to the Alabama Crimson Tide .
“It’s just one of the little things that matter because the girls care about what the leotards look like. I believe and D-D believes it, too — that when you look good or when you feel good, you compete well. So if you love the leotard and you’re like, ‘Oh my god, I get to put this one,’ you already have a heightened sense of excitement going into the meet,” LSU floor choreographer Ashleigh Clare-Kearney told the Reveille.
