Girls trampolining and leotard glue AIBU to be shocked

[rookiemere]

So my friends 10 yr old DD has taken up trampolining. she's showing great promise and is competing already. However I was totally shocked when she told me that they aren't allowed to wear pants and therefore have to use leotard glue to keep it in place. They are also not allowed to wear bras. Boys who do the same routines wear tracksuit bottoms.

AIBU to think this is a sexist outmoded practice and actually a bit creepy?

[highinthesky]

I find this no knickers business disturbing.

Times I am sure will change eventually, to accommodate more modest dressers within the sport. That's what has happened with many others.

[RubbishMantra]

It's part of body shaming/appraisal I believe.

Just giving my experience, but I once refused the part of "air hostess", as it was known then, (Cabin crew) in a school play, because it was a singing part, and I cannot sing. My 13 yr self was made to dress in a leotard, be painted green, and prance about on the stage instead. The humiliation's never left me. I wish that 13 y/o me had the strength to say fuck off, I'm not doing this no.

It's really crap that 30yrs on, this same shit is still happening to female children.

[cheesuskriste]

A lot of clubs are now moving away from just leotards for Girls to leotards plus shorts.
Trampoline leotards are deliberately lower and fuller cut (think the knicker line of a pair of Bridget Jones' and you're not far off) to avoid the leo-up-arse when bouncing scenario. Dd says that knickers under a leotard can go 'up your bits' when you are bouncing.

As for seeing the musculature of a leg when jumping- impossible! It's more about how well you are doing your moves- legs and arms tucked in during a jump e.t.c and landing on 2 feet.

Also asked dd about clothing- she says boys and girls can wear trousers in her club if you want but most people wear shorts because a) you can't wear any old joggers you need special trousers with foot loops or they rise up when you are bouncing and b) you get really hot in them anyway. As for t shirts she says you also can but they have a habit of covering your face when doing a somersault, and that there are special vests you can buy that don't

[cheesuskriste]

Just asked her about glue/tape and she said that she won't use it as she doesn't want to glue her clothes to herself. She said that if your leotard fits you properly it shouldn't shift anyway and a full sleeved leotard definitely helps.

[MyVisionsComeFromSoup]

when the DDs were competing in trampolining, it was widely known that gymnasts deliberately bought leotards a couple of sizes to small to that the leg was made to look as long as possible. For tramp that wasn't so much of an issue, especially as the older girls could wear shorts on top of leotards. We had no rules about bras, though most older girls wore a sports bra with no underwiring, and knickers had to not be visible during competitions. We designed the competition uniform with crushed velvet on the bottom half deliberately so that knickers could be worn if wanted and wouldn't show through.

Loose Tshirts are dangerous on a trampoline as they fly up over your face, and in training, if a coach is on the bed with you helping with eg a somersault, they need to be able to grab body to assist with the turn/keep you safe rather than a handful of Tshirt.

Re hair, there was one girl on our circuit who had a waist length plait when bouncing, and from the judges platform, it made it very distracting to see what her actual moves were, as everyone winced each time her plait flew over her head and bashed into her face. So a tidy bun, or hair gelled back means that the judges can see the moves clearly.

[Mischa123]

This is all silly, the girls are happy to wear the leotards and do gymnastics. If they don't then do a different sport, in training they can wear shorts or leggings but they can't for comps. They don't want to anyway. Although the older girls in the lower level comps can wear little shorts (I think of it coincides with periods but mine are not old enough for that worry yet). They are little girls enjoying their sport I don't know what the fuss is about, why are you pushing your views of sexualisation etc of children onto them when they don't give a toss!?

[rookiemere]

Mischa - I had never heard of this practice before and it seems odd that it's designed to show as much flesh as possible it seems , and my friends DD does feel uncomfortable having to use leotard glue.

[ChrisYoungFuckingRocks]

Soooooo - men are allowed to wear belts to support their bollocks, but girls aren't allowed to wear bras to support their boobs stop from getting punched in the face. No, nothing sexist here at all .

[bringmelaughter]

No one wears knickers and bra under a swimming costume and that's not seen as a problem.

[ChrisYoungFuckingRocks]

But Bring, people don't generally bounce about in a swimming pool!

[lyricaldancer]

Soooooo - men are allowed to wear belts to support their bollocks, but girls aren't allowed to wear bras to support their boobs stop from getting punched in the face. No, nothing sexist here

You are allowed to wear underwear, shorts, tights, etc etc for competing. The OP obviously wasn't aware of the official rules. A couple of posters, including me, have already corrected this but some people are missing it.

[specialsubject]

Standard artistic sport sexism. Although it is the same in athletics. Ennis had to run and throw in tiny knickers that kept going up her bum and showed more than anyone wants to see even on someone that good looking. Male athletes seem to be able to perform in shorts that cover up the less attractive part of the human anatomy.

Thank goodness for the few sports where practicality rules .

[MrsCharlesBrandon]

DD1 has been competing in trampolining for years and i've never heard of this. She wears high cut knickers, and a sports bra. As lyrical says, it must be a club thing but official rules do not state that they cannot wear underwear. I would suggest getting a copy and possibly speaking to them if their refusal continues.

There is no possible way that some of DD1's fellow competitors could bounce without a bra!

[GurneyGob]

My DD also used to feel really self conscious about this. The club tolerated trampolining shorts over the leotard for training sessions but they had to have just the leotard for competitions. Boys wear full length white bottoms. I questioned it and was told that judges need to see the leg shapes that are being made and trousers would obscure this - I asked why this was not the case for boys - to be then told it was "traditional". I wrote to spots bodies about it to no avail.

It's creepy. I have very bad scarring on my legs and have been asked to leave swimming pools for wearing longer leg swimsuits. So ridiculous. i wonder how they would treat a Muslim girls squad - would they be allowed to cover up ?

[Goldfishjane]

Gurney "I have very bad scarring on my legs and have been asked to leave swimming pools for wearing longer leg swimsuits"

asked to leave? OMD that's shocking.

[Janey50]

They obviously assume that all girls/women have hair that is long enough to be put into a bun! What a load of crap. What if they have short hair?

[Janey50]

And regarding the comment that underwear is not worn under a swimming costume and it's not seen as a problem,when you wear a swimming costume you are not usually bouncing up and down on a trampoline!

[Janey50]

And to the poster who said would a muslim girls squad be allowed to cover up,have you in all honesty ever seen a muslim girls trampoline squad? I certainly haven't. Muslim girls/women don't get to compete in a lot of sports because of the revealing nature of the clothes that have to be worn. Seems very unfair imo.

[TheGaleanthropist]

Antediluvian

[Trifleorbust]

Part of the sport is the aesthetic - I suppose the shapes achieved and the gracefulness of the sequences are, at professional level, considered to be impeded by VPL.

[Goldfishjane]

trifle "Part of the sport is the aesthetic"

but the boys are allowed to cover their legs. that can't be explained by aesthetics unless you're going for "judges want to see girls' legs".

[lyricaldancer]

They obviously assume that all girls/women have hair that is long enough to be put into a bun! What a load of crap. What if they have short hair?

This is only for people with longer hair. This is sensible advice. The bun seems to be most popular choice, as is most practical. French plaits low, secured etc, also can work. You also don't want pony tails waving around either. Short hair is fine as is, usually, if off face.

Underwear is allowed, just to add again . Plenty of suitable sports and dance underwear around.

[NerrSnerr]

'Ennis had to run and throw in tiny knickers that kept going up her bum and showed more than anyone wants to see even on someone that good looking'

Athletes get to choose their kit, she didn't have to run in knicker shorts it would have been her choice from the kitting out day. They can choose from cropped tops, vests, all in ones, knicker shorts, short cycling shorts, long cycling shorts, baggy running shorts, leggings (jumpers sometimes wear them). There's also nothing stopping them putting a t shirt under their vest like Michael Rimmer does.

The pic below shows Goldie Sayer competing for GB. They don't have to be skimpy.

[honeyroar]

They just can't say that vpl impacts on the shapes and aesthetics of the sport when a different outfit can be worn by the male. There is no arguable logic.

And whoever mentioned Volleyball earlier has a good point too. Why do the women's costumes need to be so miniscule, but not the men's!

[VestalVirgin]

Times I am sure will change eventually, to accommodate more modest dressers within the sport. That's what has happened with many others.

Um, you know that people change things, not time, right?

In order to change this shit, women have to refuse to be part of it.

Insist on the exact same amount of clothes boys are allowed to wear, OP, and if they won't allow it, pull the secret weapon of claiming your DD identifies as boy now.
At 10 she's old enough to understand that it is just taking advantage of the madness that has seized society and that of course she still is a girl.