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Headed to the Showers
I've thought about this for years, and, recently, I've tossed it around the bleachers at high school basketball games. It's now gone from the boiling point to the blogging point. What's up with our high school athletes these days?
Since I played high school sports before the creation of Title IX and the increase of girls playing high school sports, I can only address this issue to boys in sports. But what's up with these guys? It has occured to me that boys don't shower after a sporting event.
When I played for the Our Lady of Victory Foxes, it was standard procedure to strip down after the basketball game, throw your uniform in a pile for the benevolent nuns to wash and head to the showers. A bar of soap, a bottle of shampoo and a bottle of Brylcreem ("a little dab will do ya!") were part of our sports bag. The locker room was a frenzy of jokes, snapping towels and naked guys. We would shampoo, lather up, rinse off and, in most cases, head off to meet the girls at the Altamont Dairy Bar.
We even showered before high school. I can recall playing city recreational basketball over at Monty Street School. For many years the Seymour boys, OLVA graduates Bob and Fudd Seymour, were the coaches. Even though we were headed right home, we would shower after our games. It was the final part of the entire experience.
I know my Mom didn't want me going out all sweaty. "You could catch a cold," she would say. We had instructions to shower, dry off good, make sure our hair was dry and then head for home. And, later, Coach Flynn didn't even have to tell us. We just automatically took a shower after the football or basketball game. There was no second thought about it.
When did all this change? I've noticed that while I'm doing my game wrap-up for television, the guys go to the locker room, meet with the coach, and then put their clothes on and go back out into the gym. Isn't something missing here?
They hug their girlfriends, talk with buddies and get kisses on the cheek from Mom. All the while standing there with sweaty hair, and, worse, perspiration-drenched bodies.
When did all this change? And, why? Look at all the expense we taxpayers go to to provide spacious shower rooms in our new schools. For what? In some schools I've seen the shower rooms used as a storage area for desks and equipment.
I'm pretty upset about all this. I just don't get it. Is there something wrong with showering with your teammates? Were we all wrong back in the Sixties? Are today's athletes all right by not showering? I know that I wouldn't want to go to the Altamont for my hot fudge sundae if I hadn't showered after the game. Who wants to sit there with their honey and have sweat dripping off their neck?
I know our beloved high school sport has changed a lot through the years. I mean, knee pads have become antiques. Our basketball trunks have doubled in size, hanging down now below our knees. They've added the three-point shot, and eliminated the three-foot lane all around the court. Heck, we don't even have to raise our hand and admit to the crowd that we were the one who committed the foul!
But, geez, no shower after the game? I'm working up a sweat just writing about it. Enough said! I'm heading to the showers.
Comments
Foxy, I completely agree with you. I graduated in '97 and would not leave the locker room without showering. Whether it was after a practice, game, PE class or even after I decided to ride my bike from Morrisonville to Peru to school during the warmer months, I would shower. I guess these days are garnered around image and rumors, or the fear of each.
Posted by: Mark Golden | March 2, 2008 9:39 AM
My son is a senior high school basketball player and he does not shower after home games. The only time I have seen him shower is when they have early morning practice and have to directly to school afterwards. He has things like "body spray" to help with the BO problem. And yes because his dad built the team some "old style" wooden lockers with benches and storage under the bench, the metal lockers are stored in the showers so there's no using the showers. And yes I think they like to go home and shower then go out for the evening. Times have changed.
Posted by: lmscholfield | February 28, 2008 1:20 PM
I just always felt more comfortable to go home after the event and take a nice hot shower in my own shower. Then go out and have fun.
Posted by: Jeremy LaDue | February 27, 2008 9:48 AM
English Leather...mmmmmmmmmmm good!
Other than that, this blog "stinks!"
Always, miss d
Posted by: miss d | February 25, 2008 8:17 PM
Hey Foxy, I definitely agree showers should be used. It is pretty nasty to go around all smelly. Even in the Army after PT a shower is needed, be it easy or hard. Perhaps they like the musk they produce.
(Foxy's note: Great to hear from former student Dan Kensel. Glad to hear that those US government-tax paid showers aren't going to waste.)
Posted by: Kensel, Daniel | February 25, 2008 4:30 PM
Foxy,
Isn't that Carver amazing? One of the best flat tops belonged to one Raymond Gagnon Jr. as I recall. As he is now he was setting trends 40 years ago. Not many people can transcend 4 decades. Hats off to you, Foxy. As far as those gym bags go I can remember getting one for Christmas when I was 10 years old and guess what I found inside? Besides the gym shorts I got my first pair of knee pads and my first JOCK STRAP. Now if I could only get up the courage to run through the old Elizabeth school yard at night to get to Monty St. basketball , everything would be perfect in my own little world.
Bullet
(Foxy's note: Yah, I was pretty proud of my flat top hair cut in those days... pattered after my hero, Lefty Tessier.)
Posted by: Bullet | February 25, 2008 3:44 PM
Ah...but the visual should be of the 18 yr old, buff Ray Gagnon before he became Foxy.
(Foxy's note: Oh, those were the days, jh!)
Posted by: jh | February 25, 2008 3:29 PM
AHHH JEEEZZ!! thanks for the visual Foxy - I was going to bed. now I have an image of you in my head naked lathering up with the guys. I need to go find a sharp implement to poke out my minds eye.
(Foxy's note: Sorry, LaPoint, just doing my job! But I'll try to go easier on your mind's eye in the future.)
Posted by: LaPoint | February 25, 2008 3:33 AM
You mentioned Brylcreem and someone else English Leather, it seems to me most of you guys were into "Butch Wax" back in the day.. I remember "Bullet" and the boys really spikin' it up before heading to the altamont.
Not sure when the "shower era" ended but I 'm pretty sure it ended for most of the reasons good ole "Rubble " listed!
Hey do ya think if showers came back in style... Cahill's would reopen?...after all if showers come back in favor...there'd be a hell of a run on those gym bags we all use to see lined up across the top shelf at the store in the old North Country shopping center ....Do you remember those bright, silky looking bags? They had your team name and more importantly school colors on them. ...Those bags were the best.. Always thought the "Maroon and Gold" bags of the OLVA Foxes looked the best! Wonder if anyone still has theirs?
Posted by: The Carver | February 24, 2008 5:44 PM
Showers were not optional, after every practice and game you took one. The locker room was a frenzy of activity, with that anticipation of more social gatherings. You mentioned the Altamont, I also remember Arnie's for Pizza.
Then there was the YMCA with its swimming pool in the basement. No COED swimming, and the boys, Oh Yeah the boys, no trunks, totally in the buff and that shower before you could enter the pool.
Posted by: Juan | February 24, 2008 9:58 AM
You forgot the English Leather and Canoe we used after the shower!
(Foxy's note: Yes, John, good point! I was very big on English Leather. I used to watch for those men's cologne sales at Larkin's Pharmacy.)
Posted by: john | February 22, 2008 9:50 PM
Rubble, great list!!
Posted by: Auntyellow | February 22, 2008 1:29 PM
I believe the requirement that athletes shower ended around the same time as the following:
1. Parents demanded that dodgeball be dropped because it was too demeaning to the slow , chubby child with welts all over his body.
2. Parents demanded that grades not be posted on the wall, because some students would feel bad.
3. Parents demanded that showers be halted so that their underdeveloped son would not be humuliated for life if exposed for his shortcomings.
4. Lawyers showed Seinfeld shrinkage episodes at BOE meetings.
5. Roll on deodorant became widely accepted in the mainstream.
6. Movies depicting prison shower scenes hit HBO.
7. Too many physical education teachers spent too much time standing in front of the shower room making sure all students showered.
8. Towels, and therefore lost towels, became 10 dollars a piece.
9. Porky's was first shown on TV.
10. Camera phones
Posted by: rubble | February 22, 2008 9:24 AM