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Schoolkids love smelling, hate showering (naked, in school, in front of peers)

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Small Town Guy, Jan 3, 2011.

  1. Small Town Guy

    Small Town Guy Well-Known Member

    Sounds like my dad's stories from the early '60s. They all took their physicals at once, all standing naked in a line. The nurse opened up the door and the cheerleaders in the hall for practice had a perfect view to all the boys.
     
  2. Batman

    Batman Well-Known Member

    We showered in junior high, but I think the last time was sixth grade. In high school there were days we barely had enough time to change clothes before heading off to the next class.
    Even when I had gym in seventh period, the last of the day, I never thought of showering. No one else did and you'd look like a freak if you did (and probably have people throwing pencils and shit at you). The only exception was with the swim team. Most of the guys did take showers after practice, but we all wore our suits in there. Since they were Speedos, it didn't seem too weird. You could wash everything but a few inches of your body.
     
  3. Batman

    Batman Well-Known Member

    [​IMG]
    Really, SJ? It's taken this long to post this? I'm very disappointed in all of you.
     
  4. MacDaddy

    MacDaddy Active Member

    Mandatory showering at the middle school I went to ended when I was in seventh grade after a lot of complaints about one of the female gym teachers being, um, especially interested in monitoring the girls showering in the locker room.
     
  5. Rhody31

    Rhody31 Well-Known Member

    In middle school we had to take showers after gym class, but everybody wore bathing suits so it wasn't a big deal.
    High school, the showers didn't work in the gym class locker room; only in the varsity sports locker room, so there were no showers.
    I sweat a ton and our gym classes were over an hour long. To help prevent smelling, I'd usually stop participating in gym 20 minutes before it was over, dry wipe myself down and try to stop sweating. I'd always bring a change of clothes for class so I wouldn't have to wear sweaty/stinky stuff. Slap some deoderant on and I was good.
    I don't see why the kids can't shower after gym with a bathing suit or shorts on. It's not that big of a deal.
     
  6. imjustagirl

    imjustagirl Active Member

    WTF? What in the hell were you people doing in gym class that you actually worked up a sweat?

    I had gym my freshman and first half of my sophomore year, before I moved to Kentucky. We had like square dancing, and gymnastics, and occasionally we'd shoot basketballs around. No actual running, no actual sweating.

    What the fuck were you people doing???
     
  7. KYSportsWriter

    KYSportsWriter Well-Known Member

    We couldn't use the showers when we had PE in middle school because the school system was too cheap to replace them.

    In high school, I didn't take PE until my senior year (it was mandatory to have one semester of health and one of PE, and I put it off until absolutely necessary). It was the first period of the day, and we never did anything to work up much of a sweat (our principal got hurt horseback riding, so our PE teacher/football coach subbed as principal the rest of the year. Sub basically told me I could do whatever I wanted, and he'd pass me).

    The showers in the gym were deemed "off-limits" to everyone not on the boys or girls basketball team, so all I did was wear old clothes for PE and then change and make sure I had deo.
     
  8. Point of Order

    Point of Order Active Member

    One place I played football at had the showers set up where there were 8 shower heads attached to one pole in the shower area pointing out, so that you basically ended up showering facing your teammates in a circle of nakedness. Awkward.

    At the home high school field house the shower heads were in a line along the shower wall, and the shower area was kinda off by itself, which wasn't nearly so awkward. The point is that most of these issues could be addressed by re-designing shower areas for more privacy. Shower stalls, curtains, dedicated shower area away from main walkways, etc.

    Another issue is just the uncertainty of that first time showering. It's just "get nekkid and walk that way." A little grown-up instruction about shower procedure, protocol and acceptable behaviour would probably go a long way, too.

    Interesting story.
     
  9. qtlaw

    qtlaw Well-Known Member

    I really enjoyed gym class because I like sports. I recall playing soccer, basketball, softball, volleyball, dodgeball during junior high and working up a sweat. In HS, it was toned down a bit because the classes were coed, which was a great smash of sports and women in my world.
     
  10. poindexter

    poindexter Well-Known Member

    In California, if you play two years of a sport, you are exempt from PE in high school.
     
  11. old_tony

    old_tony Well-Known Member

    Same here. Loved gym class. Broke up the day perfectly. I went to Catholic school through eighth grade were we didn't even have a gym or showers, but when I got to public school for ninth grade in 1974, there was never a thought of being embarrassed or ashamed to shower. I'd already experienced the locker rooms at the YMCA.

    Plus, in ninth grade, our PE classes always started with a mile run before we came back inside and took part in whatever sports unit we were on. You were good and warmed/sweated up 10 minutes into the class.

    I just can't imagine going to the next class back then feeling scummy and reeking.
     
  12. Mark2010

    Mark2010 Active Member

    Shower after team practice? Sure, at home. Shower after a 35-minute gym class in which we did next to nothing to even break a sweat? No.
     
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