Are our female athlete’s uniforms too risqué?

By Jeff Brodeur
brodeurj@mytjnow.com

Members of the Winthrop volleyball team claim that the use of spandex shorts makes it easier to maneuver on the court. Photo by Sarah Auvil • auvils@mytjnow.comFor Winthrop students who have never attended a women’s volleyball or tennis match, the first experience may be a bit of an eye opener. Not because the volleyball team has won five in a row and closing in on the top spot in the conference. Not because the tennis team will open the 2012 season as the defending Big South Champions. The real shocker may lie in the attire that these girls are performing in.

The Lady Eagles, along with every other women’s college volleyball program in the country, don a short sleeve or sleeveless jersey and pair it with short spandex shorts.

To many fans, this may seem like a cunning way of putting Winthrop’s female athletes on display. This is a valid assumption considering that, to many, the uniforms look as if they were designed for attention rather than performance.

“Those shorts are literally skin tight; I don’t know how they move in them,” said sophomore Lauren Brandt. “It almost seems unnecessary.”

The controversy surrounding high school and college volleyball shorts is nothing new. However, contrary to what many believe, shorter and tighter actually yields better performance on the court. The adoption of spandex short makes it increasing easier for our female athletes to dive and roll.

“I think it helps because it would be difficult to play volleyball in long basketball shorts in my opinion, said junior volleyball player Carolyn Weed. “In spandex you can move easier and don’t have to worry about it riding up if worn properly.”

In regards to the tennis squad, they can be seen sporting a tank top paired with a skirt that floats above the player’s knees.

Unlike volleyball, the use of skirts doesn’t seem to provide any noticeable advantages on the court. It doesn’t make it any easier to maneuver and they aren’t any more comfortable to compete in. If they were, why does the team choose to practice in shorts instead of skirts? Additionally, in the professional tennis scene, the World Tennis Association dress code has no mention of skirts as a requirement.

So why does Winthrop continue to require the team to wear these uniforms?

All signs point to tradition.

Skirts have been the staple for women’s college tennis uniforms ever since the NCAA began sponsoring national championships in women’s sports in 1981.

 There has been speculation that professional tennis players continue to wear skirts as a way to boost their popularity, rally fan support and increase the value of their endorsements. On the college level, however, tradition is the only feasible explanation.

Lastly, it only makes sense to include cheerleaders and dancers when discussing the topic of risqué uniforms. Unlike the two previously mentioned sports, Winthrop’s Spirit Squad keeps fans on their feet by sporting a wide range of uniforms.

While cheerleading outfits have been stereotyped as being sexy or provocative, freshman dancer Sydney Jacobs suggests they are much more than that.

“They show off our flexibility and lines that go along with dancing and cheering,” she said. “Our uniforms were built specifically for dancers so they do not hinder our range of motion like other uniforms would.”

Despite all of the eye-popping uniforms that our female athletes are wearing nowadays, there was never any indication that they felt like they were being put on display to the public, nor did they ever feel uncomfortable or self conscious about themselves.

Instead, they supported their attire and felt that it was actually a good way to show just how much hard work they’ve put in to their respective sports.

“They show off how hard we have been working to get healthy and in shape just like all the other athletes,” said Jacobs. “I wouldn’t change anything about them because they are great.”

Weed agreed, saying, “We work hard every week and our athletic bodies are proof of that.”