Why HS'ers wear baggy shorts and college wear real running shorts (in practice)?
HS'ers - shorts with baggyness...example:
College - shorts with 2-4 inch inseam...example:
Why HS'ers wear baggy shorts and college wear real running shorts (in practice)?
HS'ers - shorts with baggyness...example:
College - shorts with 2-4 inch inseam...example:
I think it is cultural. My boys wear shorts that look like basketball shorts because they say running shorts are "gay." By the time you are in college everyone is pretty serious and couldn't care less about what other people think about their shorts.
NikeXC910 wrote:
I think it is cultural. My boys wear shorts that look like basketball shorts because they say running shorts are "gay." By the time you are in college everyone is pretty serious and couldn't care less about what other people think about their shorts.
they may not care, but they still look gay...i'll never wear 'em
HS kids want to look like real athletes, so they wear the absurd basketball-style "shorts," which look particularly ridiculous on shorter guys, e.g.
http://www.gocaltech.com/sports/mbkb/2009-10/roster
College runners, being (on average) faster, more self-confident, and more intelligent than HSers, understand that they're the real athletes, so they tend to go with clothes that are less heavy and restrictive i.e. more appropriate for their activity.
I propose a compromise: Have the HS kids continue to wear NBA-length shorts, but shorts the length that Jerry West wore. Hey, he's on the NBA logo, so he's the archetype, right?
I don't think you can start wearing real running shorts in high school until you're at least an 18 minute 5k runner.
if you show too much skin,thigh,hamstring,etc and you're not fit and have fat legs, then you really do look gay. If you're a legitimate runner training under 8 min pace, 4inch inseam is appropriate.
There are still a lot of college runners who will wear bball shorts over their running shorts when they are walking down to practice. Then they strip when it's time to run.
I've noticed that, as my athletes become more serious/faster, they want to start wearing "real" running shorts to practice. I do agree with the above post about kids with fat legs not wearing real running shorts. It looks particularly bad when the shorts ride up over their chubby thighs and take on the look of "mandex" briefs.
My boys still mostly practice in knee length (or past the knee) "shorts". It is really comical when they get in the weight room and start doing ab stuff on the floor. They lift their legs for crunches or sit ups, but every 2 seconds, they feel compelled to grab the seam of their shorts and pull them back up to their knees, lest someone see their pasty white thighs.
In general, High schoolers are much more self-conscious than college students. College students and young adults are more self-conscious than older adults. This is a normal part of the maturation process.
Really fit runners can pull off wearing running shorts when running errands to grocery store
last year I was running for a more serious high school xc team, and the best guys wore running shorts. Now that I switched to a less competative team, just about everybody wears basketball shorts. I think it also has to do with people who are less serious not wanting to put the money into some shorts they will only wear for running
Easy... wrote:
In general, High schoolers are much more self-conscious than college students. College students and young adults are more self-conscious than older adults. This is a normal part of the maturation process.
Huh? What are they "self conscious" about and what the heck do shorts have to do with it?
This thread and the showering in shorts thread should be combined.
Simple insecurity. Common in young people, especially men. You don't want other men to see your weiner, which you percieve as small and you don't want people in general to see your thighs wich you percieve as fat or your whiteness because you lack a tan.
The running with baggy shorts could also just be about comfort.
Please re-read the posts above for the obvious answers. HS boys are self conscious that their peers will think they look "uncool" in the traditional running shorts. Just like you don't see guys at the resort pools in Speedos anymore, but all the competitive swimmers wear them. Once one becomes more confident, they could care less what others think and do their own thing...
Insecurity x 2 wrote:
The running with baggy shorts could also just be about comfort.
I personally find short running shorts to be far more comfortable. I'll sometimes wear semi-baggy shorts on my easy days.
I started wearing running shorts to every practice asn every run right after y first race when I got the shorts. I went out to an army store and bought alot of short shorts. People around school thought I looked like an idiot. after a while they got used to it, then everyone else on the team started wearing the in practice.
It has ALL to do with body composition. If you're an 18 min or under 5k runner and your legs are not disgustingly wide, running shorts are "COOL" in high school.
I know if when I am really out of shape I would feel uncomfortable wearing anything short.
I think it's also possible that it's all because I was in high school in the late 1990s/early 2000s when baggy clothing was especially popular. Now Nike and others have shifted to more retro 70s pre lives type clothing with old school colors. As a result the shorter Nike tempo type shorts are popular
CoachB wrote:
They lift their legs for crunches or sit ups, but every 2 seconds, they feel compelled to grab the seam of their shorts and pull them back up to their knees, lest someone see their pasty white thighs.
Haha, yeah, I still see this with some guys in the gym at work, and I can't help but chuckle. I mean, they're just legs. Who cares?!
In college everyone is committed to the sport, is more than likely somewhat talented,a nd knows the proper uniform..... were in High School many are beginners, first timers wanting to participate, and others are athletes staying in shape(ex: Basketball). I am sure if look around..... the more talented or serious runners wearing proper running gear.
bottom line you have mixture of student athletes in High School....and in College you don't....it is more specialized.
My high school was wearing running shorts. My high school was also good (NTN), so I guess the better (or more serious) you are, the more likely you are to wear running shorts.
Hesch. 'nuff said.
Pretty much all my friends and I wore running shorts in high school, but we also took running more seriously than most HS kids. Some people care way too much about what others think.
