WTF my school’s new athletic director won’t let runners go shirtless!

Do you race shirtless? Do you complain to the state athletic association because they make you race in a shirt? Quit complaining and run. I had the same rule when I was a HS coach even though it wasn't a school rule. In your heat and humidity running in the afternoon is going to be pretty miserable with or without a shirt. You do not have to wear a heavy cotton t-shirt that will get heavier as you sweat. You can wear a lightweight singlet as others have suggested. Get used to running with a shirt on because you have to race with one.

Flounder wrote:

If training with the shirt on is more difficult then it will make you stronger. So man up and run fully clothed. Stop complaining about crap that doesn’t matter. Maybe your mommie listened to that but it’s time for you to let em drop and to grow a pair.

Hunger strike.

My thoughts on your "question"

- stop posting this on social media, if you are now.

- this is a great opportunity to learn how to engage with folks in charge, who are doing things that you don't like. Workbis full of apparently arbitrary rules like this.

- I'd recommend that you pick your battles. If this is really important to you, then make a case. Other posters said stuff like compare to other athletic events - eg swimming, or cheer. Maybe you could find out why the AD changed the rule.

- but beware : there's an Asian adage, paraphrased: "the nail that sticks up gets hammered down". Be sure that you want to put your college running career - assuming that you want one - at risk for wearing a shirt. The college coaches talk to the HS coaches. The college coaches don't want anyone whining on their team.

Be sure to watch the original Footloose for inspiration on when you speak at the school board meeting.

Sure, might as well wrap yourself in black trash bags and put on a backpack full of rocks just for the challenge right?

Same as the army against rebels, maybe ditch those sweet M16's and start throwing clubs and rocks at the enemy, that will make the win more impressive as well. That's what champions do.

Ghost1 wrote:

Kenyans rarely run shirtless, even though Mo Farah often does.

Kenyans usually overdress rather than the other way.

You know, it is all about adaptation, as there is running apparel these days, including singlets, so light, that they are barely noticeable.

The lightest singlets I find are those soccer practice singlets which players wear over their regular shirts. They weigh less than 100 grams, and very breathable.

Seems there is no way around this.

Ghost in China

Note -had the same complaints for running shirtless in China, which was assimilated to nudity!

Is ever 95 degrees in Kenya? Didn't think so.

Here's a group of D1 runners at BYU doing a workout.............shirtless! It was about 85 degrees on the day this was filmed.

http://www.milesplit.com/videos/231904/workout-wednesday-alternating-400s-with-byu-men

Star wrote:

That's a pretty common rule.

Wear a singlet.

Is it?

My training partner drops his shirt frequently. We were finishing a hard workout at Fox Land HS, Bedford NY, and a very large butch looking lady watching a nearby ball game (my guess she was AD or a coach) yelled at my friend to put his shirt on..."come on we are trying to watch a ball game...there are kids here!"

I really do not know what kids had to do with it. We are older in our 50's. Kids at this school are constantly shirtless on the turf field playing soccer and the track actually has a very specific sign with very detailed rules for the track, such as "no liquids other than water on the track" or "no idling cars"and there is no rule about being shirtless alongside the other petty rules.

My view is this would only come from a non-runner that has never soaked a shirt in a workout. I think most people in America do not find shirtless offensive, consider swimming, and it should not be a problem. My arm chair psychologist evaluation is that the big lady had body image issues, just like some guys like to show their abs.

No AD in the entire USA cares about cross country . It’s a sad fact . When I got hired to coach at my local high school they hadn’t fielded a complete team in 15-20 years . The AD was a woman gym teacher - who didn’t coach any teams - who was 5” 1’ and 300 pounds . By my third season the kids were getting good . Then the local newspaper ran a picture during preseason of 3 kids running without shirts . AD went crazy . I told the kids to wear your shirts till out of sight of school . Then the AD’s mom told her she saw a runner without a shirt . Pretty soon, kids started telling me some car was following them every day , about 200 yards behind . Next day , I decide to also folllow them 300 yards behind on my bike . Lo and behold, it was the AD tailing them to see if they took their shirts off.

The team ended up finishing 2nd in the league and 4 in regionals . The AD gave me an unsatisfactory on my performance review due to “ failure to enforce rules” and I wasn’t hired back .

Sounds like it's more about YOU, specifically, being shirtless than about guys in general being shirtless.

Finisher wrote:

Star wrote:

That's a pretty common rule.

Wear a singlet.

Is it?

My training partner drops his shirt frequently. We were finishing a hard workout at Fox Land HS, Bedford NY, and a very large butch looking lady watching a nearby ball game (my guess she was AD or a coach) yelled at my friend to put his shirt on..."come on we are trying to watch a ball game...there are kids here!"

I really do not know what kids had to do with it. We are older in our 50's

Say no more ... put a shirt on!

And not trying to be mean ... I’m 54 myself. No matter how good you think you look, it’s time to put a shirt on.

Wording is very important here. Is the rule that you "can't go shirtless," or that you must wear a shirt? Because, if you've got a shirt with you, even if you're not wearing it, you're not "shirtless."

Yeah I bet college coaches will go bananas when they find out you ran with your shirt off . No one in college does that nonsense.

Perhaps you and your teammates should threaten to identify as nudists if he will not allow you to go shirtless. He could see shirtlessness as a compromise.

College coaches won’t give a f about this if you’re fast enough. No college distance coach is going to keep you off the team because you’re complaining about wearing a shirt.

That's ridiculous. No it's not. If I don't want to wear a shirt, I'm not wearing a shirt. Even if I'm flabby, ugly, hairy, or allegedly repulsive in any way. C'mon man, why are people so uptight about showing some skin or being comfortable or just letting other people be themselves and do what they want? I'm in my late 40s, and I run without a shirt often. And I honestly don't care one bit what other people think. Stop being judgemental and mind your own business.

Cover it ... please wrote:

Finisher wrote:

I really do not know what kids had to do with it. We are older in our 50's

Say no more ... put a shirt on!

And not trying to be mean ... I’m 54 myself. No matter how good you think you look, it’s time to put a shirt on.

Typical religious nuts. Welcome to the US of A and the 19th century where most of them think we belong.

Thank him for us

- Horrified women everywhere

Cover it ... please wrote:

Finisher wrote:

Is it?

My training partner drops his shirt frequently. We were finishing a hard workout at Fox Land HS, Bedford NY, and a very large butch looking lady watching a nearby ball game (my guess she was AD or a coach) yelled at my friend to put his shirt on..."come on we are trying to watch a ball game...there are kids here!"

I really do not know what kids had to do with it. We are older in our 50's

Say no more ... put a shirt on!

And not trying to be mean ... I’m 54 myself. No matter how good you think you look, it’s time to put a shirt on.

Pics?