Cheer Uniforms vs Spirit Wear: What Bear Grips Makes

Cheer gym owners and parents often ask whether Bear Grips Pro Shops makes cheer uniforms. The honest answer is: no, not the competition uniforms. Bear Grips does not make sequined, rhinestoned, or cut-and-sew cheer competition apparel. Bear Grips does make practice wear, gym merch, team spirit shirts, parent apparel, banquet keepsakes, and competition weekend travel gear. This guide clarifies exactly what Bear Grips covers so gyms can pair it correctly with a competition uniform vendor.

What Bear Grips Does Not Make

Bear Grips does NOT make:

• Sequined competition uniforms. Sequins are specialty hand-applied construction.
• Rhinestoned competition uniforms. Rhinestones are specialty bedazzled construction.
• Cut-and-sew custom uniforms. Custom cuts and panel construction are specialty manufacturing.
• Cheer bows. Specialty ribbon and hardware product not in the apparel catalog.
• Pom poms. Specialty product not in the apparel catalog.
• Cheer shoes. Footwear is not in the apparel catalog.
• Custom warm-ups with full sublimation. Custom-printed all-over sublimation warm-up jackets are not in the catalog.

What Bear Grips Does Make for Cheer

Bear Grips DOES make:

• Practice wear. Tees, tanks, leggings, shorts, sports bras. See cheer practice wear.
• Gym merch. Gym-branded everyday apparel. See cheer gym merch.
• Team spirit shirts. Team-identity tees, crewnecks, and hoodies. See cheer team shirts.
• Cheer mom and dad shirts. Personalized parent apparel. See cheer mom shirts.
• Coach apparel. Coach polos, hoodies, quarter-zips. See cheer coach apparel.
• Competition weekend travel apparel. Travel-day hoodies, sweatpants, joggers, and tees. See cheer competition shirts.
• Tryout-week apparel. Numbered tryout tees, evaluator polos.
• Banquet keepsakes. End-of-season banquet shirts. See cheer banquet shirts.
• Worlds and Summit-bound apparel. Championship-qualification team apparel. See cheer worlds shirts.
• Embroidered cheer gym hats. See cheer hats.
• Youth team apparel. Youth-sized cheer apparel for mini, tiny, and youth divisions.

Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.

How to Pair Bear Grips With a Competition Uniform Vendor

Most cheer gyms run a hybrid apparel program:

1. Competition uniform vendor. Varsity, Rebel, GTM, Champion Teamwear, or similar for the sequined or rhinestoned competition uniform.
2. Bear Grips Pro Shops for everything else. Practice wear, gym merch, team spirit shirts, parent apparel, banquet keepsakes, competition weekend travel.

This split lets the gym use the established competition uniform vendor for the specialty product while running a no-minimum, gym-owned apparel program on Bear Grips for the higher-volume everyday apparel categories.

Why the Scope Difference Matters

Cheer competition uniforms are specialty cut-and-sew apparel with hand-applied embellishment. The construction process is fundamentally different from print-on-demand apparel:

• Specialty manufacturing. Sequin and rhinestone application is done by hand or on specialty machines that require dedicated production lines.
• Long lead times. Competition uniforms typically take 8-12+ weeks from design to delivery.
• Custom fit and cut. Each athlete's uniform is often custom-sized for the competition fit.
• Premium pricing. Competition uniforms typically run $200-$500+ per athlete depending on embellishment and customization.

Bear Grips' on-demand model with one-week turnaround works for print and embroidered apparel but not for specialty cut-and-sew construction. The two categories serve different roles in the cheer gym apparel program.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Bear Grips make sequined cheer competition uniforms?

No. Bear Grips does not make sequined, rhinestoned, or cut-and-sew cheer competition uniforms. Those are specialty manufacturing categories. Bear Grips covers print and embroidered apparel: practice wear, gym merch, team spirit, parent apparel, banquet keepsakes.

Does Bear Grips make cheer bows or pom poms?

No. Bows and pom poms are specialty products outside the apparel catalog. Bear Grips covers print and embroidered apparel including tees, hoodies, leggings, tanks, shorts, and embroidered hats.

Can my cheer gym use Bear Grips for everything except competition uniforms?

Yes. Most cheer gyms use a competition uniform vendor (Varsity, Rebel, GTM, or similar) for the sequined competition uniform and Bear Grips for everything else (practice wear, gym merch, team spirit shirts, parent apparel, competition weekend travel, banquet keepsakes).

What are the lead times for Bear Grips cheer apparel?

About one week per individual order for the print and embroidered apparel that Bear Grips makes. Competition uniforms (which Bear Grips does not make) typically run 8-12+ weeks lead time from the uniform vendor.