Elementary school cheer programs typically run grades K through 5 or 1 through 6, with rosters of 10-25 cheerleaders depending on the school. Most elementary programs perform at school assemblies, family nights, school spirit events, and occasionally at upper-school games or community events.
The apparel lineup most elementary programs build:
Most elementary programs skip the more complex apparel categories (skirts, dance briefs, performance-specific apparel) because the performance context is school-events-only rather than competition.
Elementary cheerleaders span a wide age range (5-11) and a wide size range within each age. Five-year-old kindergartners and ten-year-old fifth graders both wear youth apparel, but the size differential is substantial.
Youth sizing summary for elementary cheer:
| Grade | Typical Size Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten (5-6) | Youth XS to S | Smaller frames, runs small |
| Grade 1-2 (6-8) | Youth S to M | Standard youth fit |
| Grade 3-4 (8-10) | Youth M to L | Growth-window sizing |
| Grade 5 (10-11) | Youth L to XL | Some kids cross to Adult S |
The Youth Airlume Cotton Athletic Tee and the Youth Hoodie cover XS-XL in youth sizing. Older or larger elementary cheerleaders sometimes need Adult S or Adult M, in which case the adult equivalent garment works in the same design.
For squad apparel where every cheerleader needs to look coordinated in the same garment, mixing youth and adult sizing in the same squad design is normal and visually consistent in photos.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.Elementary cheer parents are stretched. They want their kid suited up, but they do not want to coordinate with a coach's spreadsheet, drop off cash, or wait three weeks for a bulk order.
The print-on-demand workflow fits elementary parent reality perfectly:
No money collection, no chase texts, no parent forgetting to drop off cash, no coach managing 20 different sizes in a single bulk box that has to be sorted and distributed at practice. The friction the squad coach historically owned shifts entirely to the platform.
Some elementary cheer programs treat apparel as a cost-recovery line (squad ordering at base cost, no markup). Others use it as a squad fundraising line that helps cover end-of-season events, competition entry fees for older squads, or coach gifts.
| Item | Base Cost | Squad Markup | Parent-Facing Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Youth squad tee | $19.88 | $8 | $27.88 |
| Youth squad shorts | $26.88 | $8 | $34.88 |
| Youth squad hoodie | $36.88 | $10 | $46.88 |
| Performance day set (tee + shorts) | $46.76 | $15 | $61.76 |
For a 20-cheerleader squad with each family ordering the full set: 20 families x $15 markup x 4 items = $1,200 in squad revenue across the season, with zero inventory or upfront cost. The markup goes to year-end party, transportation costs for any away events, or squad celebration dinners.
Most elementary schools have brand guidelines that apply to cheer apparel: school colors, school mascot or wordmark, and any approved usage of school branding. The coach typically coordinates with school administration before launching squad apparel to make sure designs are approved.
Common approval considerations:
For programs where the school athletic director or principal wants more direct oversight, the coach can share design mockups for approval before launching the shop. Once the squad apparel design is locked in, it can run for multiple seasons with year-specific accents (a sleeve year stamp, a hem season designation) keeping the core design consistent.
No minimum, youth sizing, parents order directly. Apparel ships to each family with free shipping. Set up in under an hour.
Start FreeElementary cheer squads typically need a squad practice tee, squad practice shorts, a squad hoodie or sweatshirt for cold-weather games, and optional coach apparel. Some programs also order a performance-day set used for school assemblies and family nights.
Print-on-demand platforms like Bear Grips Pro Shops let elementary cheer programs order squad apparel with no minimum order. The coach sets up a squad shop with designs in youth sizing, parents order through the shop link, and apparel ships directly to each family.
Elementary cheerleaders typically wear youth sizing XS through XL across grades K-5. Some larger fifth graders cross into Adult S or M. The same design can be ordered in both youth and adult sizes within the same squad without inconsistency in the visual look.
Base costs for the standard squad set run roughly $80-120 per cheerleader for tee, shorts, and hoodie. Squads typically add a small markup to cover end-of-season events, putting parent-facing prices at $100-150 for the full set.
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