Most problems with a youth team order come down to one thing: the sizes were wrong before production started.

Adult orders are forgiving. A rider is the size they are, and they will be the same size next season. Youth orders are not. Riders grow mid-season, braces change the fit, and a club ordering twenty kits is usually working from a size list that somebody filled in from memory.

This guide covers how we size youth motocross jerseys for custom orders: what we need from you, how to measure properly, how much growth allowance to build in, and how to manage a size list across a full club.

It is written for clubs, academies, race teams and brands ordering custom kit, not for buying a single jersey off a shelf.

Why Age-Based Sizing Fails

Most children’s clothing is sold by age. Motocross gear is not, and there is a good reason for that.

Two riders of the same age can differ by several inches in chest and waist. Once you add riding position, base layers and braces, an age label tells you almost nothing useful.

For a single rider this is an inconvenience. For a club order it is a real cost. If a size list is built from ages, a predictable share of the order will not fit, and the club is left either re-ordering or handing kit to whoever it happens to suit.

Every custom order should be built from measurements. Not ages, not “he’s about a medium”, and not last season’s size.

The Measurements We Need

For a custom youth motocross jersey we work from four measurements. All of them are taken over a base layer, not over bare skin and not over armour.

Chest. Around the fullest part of the chest, under the arms. Keep the tape level all the way round.

Waist. At the natural waist, which sits above the hip bone, not at the belt line. Youth riders often have very little difference between chest and waist, which is why we take both.

Sleeve length. From the centre back of the neck, across the shoulder, down to the wrist bone with the arm slightly bent. A straight arm gives a short reading.

Full height. Useful as a cross-check. If chest and height disagree badly, we come back to you before cutting.

For a matching pants we also need the inside leg and hip. If you are ordering a full set, send all six at the same time our MX jersey and pants set guide covers how the two pieces are sized together.

How to measure properly

Small errors multiply across an order, so a few basics matter:

• Measure over the base layer the rider will actually wear
• Keep the tape snug but not pulled tight
• Arms relaxed at the sides, standing straight
• Have one person measure the whole squad if possible, since two people measure differently
• Write the number down immediately

We supply a printable measurement sheet on request. For a club it is far easier to run one measuring session than to chase twenty riders individually.

Allowing for Braces and Armour

Youth riders wear more protection relative to their body size than adults do. Knee braces, chest protectors and neck braces all take up room inside the gear.

This changes the sizing, and it changes it more for a twelve-year-old than for an adult.

Under the jersey. If the rider wears a chest protector or pressure suit under the jersey rather than over it, the jersey needs additional room through the chest and shoulders. Tell us which way round the rider wears it, because it changes the pattern.

Around the arms. Elbow guards need clearance through the sleeve without leaving the whole sleeve loose enough to balloon at speed.

In the pants. Knee braces are the reason motocross pants are cut wide from knee to waist. On a youth pant that clearance has to be built in deliberately, since there is less body to work with.

When you send your size list, tell us what protection each rider uses. It is faster than us asking later, and it prevents a fitted jersey that will not go over a chest protector.

Growth Allowance: The Youth-Specific Problem

This is the part that does not exist in adult sizing, and it is where most youth orders go wrong.

A young rider can gain a size in a single season. If a jersey fits perfectly the day it arrives, there is a reasonable chance it will not fit by the end of the year.

Our general approach:

Two things worth knowing:

Length matters more than width. Riders usually grow taller before they grow wider. Extra body length and sleeve length buys you more time than a size up all round, and it does not leave the jersey flapping.

Do not size up a full size. An oversized jersey rides up, catches on the bike and looks wrong in team photos. Controlled allowance in the right places works. Simply ordering the next size does not the same failure points we cover in what makes motocross gear fail on track apply just as much to youth kit.

Tell us the rider’s age along with their measurements and we will apply the allowance rather than leaving you to guess.

Standard Sizes or Custom Sizing

Both are available on a custom order. The choice depends on the squad.

Standard youth sizing works when riders fall close to the chart. It is faster and it keeps the order simple. Most club orders use standard sizes for the majority of the squad.

Custom sizing is for riders who do not fit the chart: taller riders in a young age group, riders between two sizes, riders with unusual proportions. Because we are cutting to your order anyway, a handful of custom-sized pieces do not disrupt production.

You can mix both in one order. A club of twenty riders might have sixteen on standard sizes and four cut to measurement. There is no separate minimum for the custom pieces.

Collecting Sizes Across a Club

The measuring is the easy part. Managing the list is where clubs lose time.

Run one session. Measure the whole squad in one go, same person, same tape. It takes an hour and removes most of the error.

Use one sheet. Rider name, age, chest, waist, sleeve, height, protection worn, plus race number and any name to be printed. One row per rider.

Confirm names and numbers at the same time. Since each piece is sublimated individually, names and numbers are locked in with the size list. Changing one afterwards means changing that piece.

Order two or three spares. Common mid-range sizes, no rider name printed. Riders join, gear gets damaged, and a small reorder later costs more per piece than a few spares now.

Keep the sheet for next season. A reorder from an existing list is much faster, and it gives you a record of how much each rider grew.

What to Check on the Sample

Before we run the full order, you approve a sample. For a youth order, check it on an actual rider rather than against a tape measure.

• Put it on the rider, in the base layer and protection they normally use
• Have them sit on a bike in riding position, not stand still
• Check the jersey tail stays down when they lean forward
• Check the sleeve does not pull short when the arms are extended
• Check the collar is not tight over a neck brace

If anything is off, tell us before approval. Adjusting a pattern at sample stage costs nothing. Adjusting it after twenty pieces are cut is a different conversation.

Conclusion

Youth sizing is not adult sizing scaled down. Riders grow between the order and the end of the season, and they wear more protection relative to their size, which means the measurements and the allowance both have to be deliberate.

For a club order the cost of getting it wrong is not one jersey. It is a proportion of the whole run, and the time it takes to put it right.

At Pamoo Industries we manufacture custom youth motocross jerseys from 20 pieces per style, with standard and custom sizing in the same order, a free mockup in 24 hours and a sample before anything goes into production.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I size a youth motocross jersey?

Take chest, waist, sleeve length and height over the rider’s normal base layer, then match those to the size chart rather than to the rider’s age. For custom orders, send the measurements and we will size it.

Should youth motocross jerseys be loose or fitted?

Neither extreme. The jersey needs room for airflow and protection underneath, but a jersey that is too loose rides up and catches on the bike. It should be close enough to stay in place when the rider leans forward.

How much growth room should I add?

For riders between 8 and 12, add room in body and sleeve length rather than going up a full size. For riders under 8, size to fit now and plan to reorder.

Can one order include both youth and adult sizes?

Yes. A single production run can cover every size from small youth through to adult, at no extra cost and with no separate minimum.

Can some riders be custom-sized within a standard order?

Yes. Standard and custom-sized pieces can be mixed in the same order.

What is the minimum order for youth team kit?

20 pieces per style. Sizes within that can vary freely.

Do I need to send measurements for every rider?

Yes, if you want the order to fit. We can work from a size list alone, but the fit risk moves to you.

Can we reorder the same sizes next season?

Yes. We keep your size list, pattern and artwork on file, so a reorder is a matter of updating the riders who have grown.