Why spandex in volleyball

Reilly Becker , Sports Writer October 30, Contrary to popular belief, these shorts were not chosen for any reason but for the comfort and convenience of the player.

Dating back to the beginning of volleyball, women did wear longer shorts. Over the years, the shorts got shorter and shorter, and tighter and tighter, as volleyball has became more popular and more competitive. Tight fitting spandex allows a player to move freely without worrying about their shorts falling off, catching on the net, or exposing anything. Longer, baggier shorts get in the way of movement and require more adjustment than is convenient although it is true that other sports do in fact require just as much movement.

Women choose to wear spandex while playing volleyball because that is what they are most comfortable in. Although I cannot speak for all, most women do not choose spandex as a fashion statement or to show off any of their assets. Accordingly, spandex has become a well known symbol for volleyball, but not for the reasons I just mentioned. Spandex is also popular because of its tight, revealing fit, which unfortunately tends to turn the attention away from the talent and onto the players as sex objects with the spandex as the way to flaunt their figures.

The response this decision received from fans was a little unnerving. Simply, the women playing volleyball just wanted to be comfortable. Just as they like to be comfortable in their spandex when they are playing in suitable weather.

People like this who have turned women players in spandex into sex objects or the stigma that spandex are worn as a fashion statement or to show off often leads many people to have issues with women wearing spandex simply to play volleyball. There are many reasons why men do not wear tight, short spandex. Why do volleyball players wear compression shorts? National Academy of Sports Medicine. Volleyball players typically wear compression or spandex shorts to reduce friction between their body and the floor.

This allows the players to slide across the floor with ease to dig a ball and reduce floor burn that is caused by friction between the two surfaces.

Continue Learning about Volleyball Will failure to stretch lead to injury when playing volleyball? If not more comfortable than underwear.

On the international stage, where every advantage matters, some team would definitely switch to shirts that enhance their gameplay more if there were any that existed on the market. On another note, a lot of the volleyball players enjoy wearing the spandex shorts. They think they are fashionable, look good and allow you to convey your personality with patterns and colours.

Such market giants as Nike have firmly planted themselves in the market with their new line of Nike Pro spandex shorts. Well, because of the tight design of spandex and male physiology, spandex actually provides significantly less to men.