The Park athletic locker rooms are spaces where student athletes can access extra lockers, locks, bathrooms, showers and a safe area to change. The rooms are necessary for student athletes because sports often require an outfit change and more equipment than can fit in a regular hallway locker. Although the locker rooms offer many positive amenities to student athletes, there are unfortunately several disadvantages we’ve noticed that compromise the locker rooms’ convenience and purpose, such as locker room security, cleanliness, space, possible hazards and general access.
One of the main inconveniences that we have noticed in the athletic locker rooms is their security. Locks are available upon request by the athlete (for a fee that’s refunded at the end of the year) in the athletic office; however, many students don’t use or are unaware of this feature. This can lead to insecure lockers and stolen belongings. Many students end up leaving their sports bags, equipment and garbage in the aisles, which can lead to messy surroundings and even theft. Personally, I have had my jacket stolen from the locker room, which was upsetting and costly. This can deter students from using the locker rooms with worries of items being stolen, as well as crowded surroundings due to items not being placed in lockers.
Another issue that might steer away some students from using the rooms is that there are often not nearly enough bathroom stalls available for athletes who need to use the restroom, or don’t feel comfortable changing in public. In the women’s locker room, there are only five stalls in the bathroom and nearly one hundred female athletes in the room at a time. We’ve experienced that this unequal ratio causes long lines to use the stalls and can result in athletes being late to their practices or games. In a crunch, students can change in the showers, but the shower curtains do not close fully, which can make some athletes uncomfortable. This also poses a problem for athletes who play sports that require a shower after practice, such as swimming.
On the topic of showers and swimming, after athletes shower or swimmers come into the locker room, the floor tends to get very wet, which can be a hazard for other athletes. If another athlete drops or sets down their clothes or bags, all their items will get wet. Not only is this an inconvenience, but if athletic clothes get wet, it could affect the athlete’s performance and timeliness if they try to get a change of clothes or end up just playing through it. This has happened to me before and it was disruptive to my practice as my parents had to drop off a change of clothes for me, which caused me to miss part of my practice while I grabbed my clothes and changed. Wet floors can also pose a possible safety hazard.
The doors are locked during the school day, which can help prevent theft, but as a result, it makes it hard to retrieve bags if athletes need to leave early, either for an athletic event or unplanned reasons. In order to retrieve bags, student athletes must find someone who works in the athletic office, possibly resulting in students receiving tardies, being late to sports practice and interrupting the athletic directors.
The athletic locker rooms are accessible to all student athletes and offer many positive amenities to these students. Although there are several disadvantages to the locker rooms, it is still the main choice for many athletes to keep their bags and get prepared for practices and games.
