Why Does Cheerleading Cost So Much?

Warning-this might turn into a bona fide RANT. I'm angry and trying very hard not to use too many CAPS while typing, but it's a struggle.

My daughter D is starting her first year as a Clemens cheerleader. We had a meeting before tryouts and learned that the total cost will be about $1500 for the year. There were some rumours among the parents that it is more, but some other parents whose daughters have already participated a year or two said that that number sounded about right.

OK. $1500 is a TON of money and I'm a bit incredulous that we have to spend so much, but I allowed her to tryout anyway. However,I don't think there is any other school activity where the parents have to pay for EVERYTHING. Football, soccer, choir, band, as far as I know the school provides uniforms for all of these activities. Why not cheerleading?

And here is the thing that I'm particularly fuming about. (I'm so mad, I think I'm going to cry again.) The cheerleaders are REQUIRED to purchase their own letter jackets as FRESHMEN!!!!! AND it costs $300! The team (or the team director, I should say) has dictated what should go on the jacket, and the upgrades come out to $230. The jacket is $70 and the added patches and crap will be an extra TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY DOLLARS. (Sorry, screaming again.)

What I want to know is, what happened to EARNING one first? And why do we have to pay for it? No one else does.

I seem to be the only parent that has a problem with this. I'm used to paying through the nose for private gym cheerleading, but this is a public school and we are paying MORE.

The saddest part of all is that I am now hesitating to put my youngest in Cheerleading because of the cost. I think she would love it, she already wants to do it, but this is insane.

Why has this been allowed, and what can I do about it?

Edited to add: I emailed the cheer coach today with my concerns, and found out that the jacket is not required. So now I am deciding whether to cancel the order or not-I have 48 more hours to decide. What to do, what to do...