I'm a board member for our swim club.
Last nite there was mention of a complaint from a senior high school swimmer who was uncomfortable with using a locker room with the adult master swimmers. We practice at the same time a few days out of the week.
This became an bigger issue last nite because we have a desire to run USA swimming at the same time as a few masters sessions in the evening and our coach voiced concern about everyone using the locker room at the same time and kids being uncomfortable.
Does your club run practices at the same time?
Have you run into issues like this?
How did you handle/manage locker room time?
Parents
Former Member
Okay, but seriously, I have been in hundreds of locker rooms that had a variety of "rules" and "policies". Initially as a naive child and then as an aware teen and now as a jaded adult and eventually as a decrepit old man...the change of perspectives is interesting.
What are the best practices? It is open to debate but here you go:
1. Children should be accompanied by a responsible adult. This puts the responsibility on the parent and partially protects regular people who just happen to be using the shower.
2. An employee should sweep through once an hour. Besides picking up a bit, this coaxes some of the people who like to literally hang out while engaging in extended chitchat that they should either start their workout or leave for the day.
3. All visitors/guests must be signed in with the desk and remain in the company of their member/host. The Free Friday policy of some gyms brings in a lot of homeless people, so they are literally hiding in the locker room which really drives up the ick factor.
4. A sign should be posted encouraging people to report unattended children, videotaping activies, and/or sexual contact to the attendent. This outlines what behavior is truly out of bounds and encourages people to report the real problems.
Personally I grew up with spartan concrete facilities that had no a/c or heating, so you literally wanted to change and shower and be done with it. As a result, I have the habit of changing and showering without any trace of modesty, not rushing but also not spending extra time.
Now locker rooms are so comfortable and plush, with televisions and magazine racks and even microwaves, that I can see how people get more comfortable spending an extra 20 or 30 minutes to socialize. It is like the gyms want people to hang out in there.
Reply
Former Member
Okay, but seriously, I have been in hundreds of locker rooms that had a variety of "rules" and "policies". Initially as a naive child and then as an aware teen and now as a jaded adult and eventually as a decrepit old man...the change of perspectives is interesting.
What are the best practices? It is open to debate but here you go:
1. Children should be accompanied by a responsible adult. This puts the responsibility on the parent and partially protects regular people who just happen to be using the shower.
2. An employee should sweep through once an hour. Besides picking up a bit, this coaxes some of the people who like to literally hang out while engaging in extended chitchat that they should either start their workout or leave for the day.
3. All visitors/guests must be signed in with the desk and remain in the company of their member/host. The Free Friday policy of some gyms brings in a lot of homeless people, so they are literally hiding in the locker room which really drives up the ick factor.
4. A sign should be posted encouraging people to report unattended children, videotaping activies, and/or sexual contact to the attendent. This outlines what behavior is truly out of bounds and encourages people to report the real problems.
Personally I grew up with spartan concrete facilities that had no a/c or heating, so you literally wanted to change and shower and be done with it. As a result, I have the habit of changing and showering without any trace of modesty, not rushing but also not spending extra time.
Now locker rooms are so comfortable and plush, with televisions and magazine racks and even microwaves, that I can see how people get more comfortable spending an extra 20 or 30 minutes to socialize. It is like the gyms want people to hang out in there.
