Smaller PE Class, and less strict on uniform enforcement, but exercise looks familiar
A novel issue, but one which created a lot of discussion among the Physical Education teaching corps was whether cups should be a required part of the school PE uniform. Starting about the 1950's, about the time lawyers were starting to pursue liability cases for PE class related injuries. many school districts initiated some risk reduction measures such as removing climbing ropes, eliminated pyramid gymnastics and requiring jock cups and even mouth pieces for boys PE programs. In the era when I taught, most PE instructors used common sense and required or suggested that cups be worn when contact sports were scheduled, but I was aware teachers or schools where cups were required in ALL PE classes, regardless of activity. It seemed that the ex-military PE instructors were more inclined to follow department uniform requirements, but the new PE teachers, still in their probationary year were the most strict. While the cup requirement was mostly intended for high sch...
I went to a British secondary school in the 1980's with a strict and quite disciplined P.E approach, first and foremost was with the kit required, or lack of. Boys were not permitted a top to wear in the gym, ever, at any age from 11 to 16. No trainers either, bare feet. Just shorts on.
ReplyDeleteThis was even taken outside quite frequently, nearly always over summer we went out for athletics in bare chests too, and ran the school cross country this way even in less warm conditions. Many boys actually disliked mandatory bare chests like that.
The communal shower remained a fixture at the end of any lesson for 5 years or so, twice weekly, up to 35 boys in one go, together and naked. You could not refuse to do it.
For non sporting, shyer and self conscious boys it was quite an ordeal but we all came through it and out the other end, and there was remarkably little body shaming even in the showers when faced with each others private parts.