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New shoes for tryouts?

morrginme's picture

SD15 tells us last night she needs new shoes today for volleyball tryouts on Monday. I looked at the prices and I don't see any under $50. We didn't wear special shoes for volleyball when I was in high school. I realize things change but we can't keep buying her everything she thinks she needs for every perceived special moment of her teenage life. DD8 has one pair of flip flops that fit her and no tennis shoes. She's outgrown the two she had and the other pair are too big and handed down in already poor condition. SD15 has two pairs of Romeos and probably 3 to 4 basketball shoes, Converse, Vans, etc. Now she wants volleyball shoes for tryouts. Her dad argued with her a bit about it last night. Then this morning he told me he didn't think you buy special shoes for tryouts, you buy special shoes after you make the team. I agreed. When he was getting in car to leave for work he tries to hand me the card saying it's for her shoes. I wanted to shove that card.......well I told him "no" I didn't need it. With reluctance he put the card back in his pocket.

I'm sure many kids do get special shoes for tryouts. Their home probably has a bigger budget than ours. We don't plan on living this way forever and we sure as heck won't be able to change our standard of living by giving in to every want and whim someone in the family has for something new they think they need.

fourbrats's picture

for middle DD to just try out for high school sports last year they were required to have the specific sports shoes for each try-out. Honestly I was relived when she changed her mind about going out for sports lol. There was even a notice that if the student didn't have the right shoes they would be denied access to try-outs. I think it's ridiculous but it seems like high school is just a never ending series of fees and random money being handed out. 

fourbrats's picture

My girls seem to go to a school that just enjoys laying out a list of stuff parents need to buy or pay for. It is going to cost me almost $700 within the first month of school for ASB fees, class fees, textbook and tech fees, plus supplies for middle DD's technical program. Oh and the choir dress! The ridiculously expensive slab of cheap black fabric that is required of all girls in choir lol. It actually costs me more to send my younger two to a public high school than it did for a year of tuition for my oldest DD's private Catholic school. 

ndc's picture

It is definitely not the same for all schools.  At my high school, if you were trying out for soccer, you needed soccer cleats, but if you were trying out for cross country or cheerleading or volleyball (and I'm sure some other sports), you didn't need sport specific shoes just to try out; a basic pair of sneakers would be enough for tryouts.  Once you made the team, you were expected to have particular shoes.

SteppedOut's picture

Yeah, I feel you, but can one up you.

FormerSS decided the night before middle school football tryouts he wanted to try out. So formerMIL broke her neck and formerSO's bank making sure he had all of the TOP of the line stuff he WANTED (not needed) for tryouts. Including $160 cleets. I would like to point out this child was not AT ALL sports inclined and formerSO had been asking him for about a month if he was going to, to which he would say he didnt know or just blank stare back at him. I would also like to mention my babyBS didn't have a crib yet. But hey. Lets spend almost $300 on stuff for TRY OUTS in middle school. 

At least your DH didn't allow the madness. And this is why he is stil your DH. FormerSO? Well, you can see how he his former. 

morrginme's picture

That is crazy ridiculous. Where are these people's heads? Anyone who has a baby and says they need a crib should get a crib. I'm angry at them too. 

SteppedOut's picture

My formerSO couldn't say no to his kids, even if he planned to. And his mother, formerMIL omg she was weirdly obsessed with his kids like she wanted to become their mother (literally wanted to take them and make them her own). She would just go buy things that she thought they "needed" and make him "pay her back". Hundreds of dollars a WEEK.

morrginme's picture

Today she's freaking out crying because she needs these specific items for volleyball and they must be Nike. 

I searched the school athletic pages and even saw they have an online athletics store through Nike. I saw that a volleyball camp was going on until tryouts and there was a parent meeting two days ago. It said to contact this one woman with any questions including questions about the online store. I think she is an athletic assistant or something. I sent her an email asking about what gear is required and such. She replied saying nothing needs to be Nike, court shoes are required, and athletic apparel worn to tryouts including knee pads. She also said the girls wear all kinds of shorts of different colors to practice and only need black ones if they make the team and the online store will reopen again.

Looking at SD's list she gave her dad today of what she has to have today I see Nike knee pads, Nike shorts with white swoosh. I look in her room and find about 7 pairs of athletic shorts. 5 are Nike spandex with two of those being black with the white swoosh. I also found my bikini I had been looking for.

I talk to her dad about it and he says he will talk to her about what she really needs. He calls her and she flus off the handle and furious that I contacted the coach. She tells her dad "I told you what I need!"

We are coming back from store now. We got her Nike knee pads and Nike volleyball shorts. I dont want to give her the shorts yet. She didnt need them unless she makes the team and i hate to give her what she wants after that tantrum.