Swimming naked in Buffalo public schools

[peter832]

Were you serious about the "swim faster" comment? Somehow, I think you were... and that is amazing isn't it. What a strange reason -- certainly, we weren't in competition to be olympic athletes in grade school, in basic swim class.

And yes, I experienced this 5th grade... before puberty, which has its own bizarre-ness to it for kids, being ashamed of being undeveloped. But to do it during puberty would carry with it another entire set of issues, seems to me, equally, if not more uncomfortable.

Part of my question is: it sounds like hundreds (thousands?) of boys had this experience. Were most OK with it, and it didn't impact them? Or did the majority feel it was uncomfortable? Did it impact their lives in some way? It would be interesting to know.

I'm not expecting to find some kids of conspiracy from NAMBLA, but was there a culture of, at least, turning a blind eye to this in Buffalo? Or did most people feel it really was OK, or even, appropriate or healthy for the students... that somehow they would develop a more healthy attitude toward nakedness and sexuality? If not, how did this continue for so long -- unless people either thought it was OK, or ignored it?

[HipKat]

Is anybody else amazed by this? I thought initially that it would have been some archaic practice from the past, but to think it continued into the 80s is really a surprise to me. What would be the rationale for this -- I can buy the "it doesn't matter" "builds character" type of attitude from the 50 into the 60, and early 70s, but with awareness of sexual abuse, and lawsuits, it really surprises me this continued into the 80s. It also surprises me that it was done up until freshman year in high school. I know certainly that the grade school kids wouldn't complain, but the students didn't complain about it as they got older? That is a surprise to me.

Freshman??
Dude, in 1982, when the girls walked in on us, I was senior!!!

[HipKat]

Maybe the school districts were just too cheap to buy suits?

Seriously though, my brother in law took a trip to Greece and apparently in many foreign countries being naked around other people is SOP (to borrow a phrase from Linda) and they don't seem too freaked by it... However, in America we have more conservative values... Quite franky, I for one like the old conservative values and hope the we can hold onto them for as long as possible... But anyways...

I think middle and high school is the worst time to be naked around other kids and adults, of the same or opposite sex. It's adolescence, when bodies are changing and the kids are self conscious to begin with.

I too remember feeling weird and grossed out changing in the locker room when I was younger and going through puberty. It really makes things even tougher on kids, and puberty is tough enough. Some girls in high school used to also deliberately prance around in their skimpy underwear almost as if they were showing off... It was kinda sick, kind too Penthouse Forum-y.

But today we now are aware of how vulnerable kids are, in all areas.

Put the suits on!

Note: Yes, I was known to walk by the gym to sneak peeks at the boys swimming team, but they had their swimming trunks and suits on! If they were naked, that'd be too much for anyone.

There's a difference between the swim teams and swin class in P.E.

[peter832]

Hipkat...

A senior? Wow. I suppose by then, everyone was used to it? What was your sense? Did most people hate it, or did it not matter? You had much more awareness of what was going on than I did in 5th grade. Did you think the teachers were OK? Were they cool/healthy about it, or creepy? I remember feeling pretty creeped out by one of the teachers in grade school, which is significant, I think, since I don't remember much from grade school at all.

[Achbek1]

Okay, I've held back saying this but I can't resist...

I gotta make the joke...

But.. It might be too trashy...

I was gonna make a joke about a certain kinda hair clogging up the drain pipes!

That alone is reason enough for suits.

Ewwww!

[HipKat]

I went to school in Williamsville, where most guys were all about showing each other up to be the biggest, fastest, etc. I hated it, and avoided swimming at all costs.
By then, you could "voluntarily" wear a suit, but you'd get picked on for it by everyone, including the a-hole gym teacher.
I was in a class full of bullies.
As a matter of fact, my class was so lame, we've never had a class reuinion, in 25 years!

[peter832]

The "optional" suit detail is certainly interesting. Of course, it seems to me that this is another shaming aspect of the experience...if students weren't comfortable (which I still think was probably many in the class), and it would seem to me that also it fosters the attitude of macho-ness -- "nothing bothers me" and "you are a whimp if it does".

Actually... if you were serious, that the TEACHER made fun of students for wearing a suit if they were uncomfortable, that is undoubtedly abuse. And only those who would claim that this is not the case, would believe in the doctrine that making fun of people "makes them stronger... more manly." In my opinion, that's surely not true, and just creates a whole new generation of men who can't feel anything.

But then again, maybe all the other guys didn't sweat it at all. That's my question.

[Dr Funky]

so thats why all the priests stopped teaching gym classes after the 70's ended...........

[Trolls_r_us]

this actually happened?

AND it was common?

Did nobody used to own swimsuits?

[peter832]

One of the reasons that I started this thread to find out how many schools did this and how long.

It appears that Amherst, Williamsville, Kenmore-Tonawanda Schools all did this from Elementary through at least middle school -- one person said it was "optional" in high school. But that students were ashamed to wear a suit, because they would be teased. It also appears that they did this up until the early 80s.

If anyone has anymore information on this it would be helpful to know schools and dates where this was the practice, and any thoughts on it -- whether or not you felt that it was uncomfortable, or OK for you.

I would really like to find out anyone who knows why they stopped doing it. Was it merely change of teacher, or was it an event, or parent or student complaint that stopped it.

When I did it at Windermere elementary in the early 70s, it wasn't optional, everyone went without a suit, it didn't matter if you had one at home!

[CSense]

Went to a private school that had no pool. Sorry, I wasn't psychologically scared.

[peter832]

I just read that in YMCAs around the country (according to one article from Seattle) the boys and men did not wear suits until the 70s -- and this in a mixed age class. In my experience in Buffalo in the early 70s, the teachers did wear suits. This is a private organization though, not a public school, and I wasn't aware of this, because I never went to the Y when I was a kid.

Again this raises some interesting questions for Buffalo. If the YMCA changed their policy in the 70s, why did Buffalo schools continue until the 80s? It would seem that a public school might be ahead of the curve of change and not behind it for this type of social issue.

[CSense]

Never at the Y's either, we'll not until I was a jr. camp counselor but never got near a pool.

[Deerhunter]

I was in Jamaica and saw naked people on the beach, in the towns, walking along side the road. Both native and tourists. Look at the National Geographic, are all those people scarred for life ? It does seem like a gay practice(kids swimming naked together), but it is all over, hasn't happen in 20 yrs.

[CSense]

I was in Jamaica and saw naked people on the beach, in the towns, walking along side the road. Both native and tourists. Look at the National Geographic, are all those people scarred for life ? It does seem like a gay practice(kids swimming naked together), but it is all over, hasn't happen in 20 yrs.

Where in Jamaica? What kind of tourists? Who's your travel agent? Dude, you holding out?