Boys' Uniforms: Sports and Atletics--Wrestling Tights


Figure 1.--This boy wears black tights with his individual or chanpionship wrestling singlet. A minority of American boys wear tights for wrestling, but it is a permissible choice.

Some boys wear tights as part of their wrestling gear. The tights commonly worn are the footless tights. They are worn under the singlet. The action in a wrestling match can be fast and furious. This makes for a lot of body heat. One would think that these tights would be rather hot. Some boys, however prefer them, perhaps because they offer some protection from mat burn and skin injuries. Boys wearing tights under their singlet are a small minority. HBC has noted European boys, especially German boys, more commonly wering tights for sports and gymnastics than American boys. The tights worn by boys for wrestling are mostlty lycra tights, commonly black tights. HBC has not noted boys wearing other colors.

Chrononolgy

We are not positive about the chronology of tights used in scholastic wresting. Modern children's tights appeared in the United States during the 1950s. I assume that is when wresters began using them fior scholastic sports. I am not sure about thus. Perhaps readers swill know more. We see tights being worn in the 1970s for wresting. See for example John G. Roberts Jr. We see more wresters wearing singlet tight uniforms without tights by the 19890s. As we see here, however, tights have not disappeared.

Type

The tights commonly worn are the footless tights. They are worn under the singlet.

Utility

The action in a wrestling match can be fast and furious. This makes for a lot of body heat. One would think that these tights would be rather hot. Some boys, however prefer them, perhaps because they offer some protection from mat burn and skin injuries. A HBC reader reprts, "Although tights add to the heat in a warm gym, they are very good to prevent burns on the skin from the matt and do not bunch as much as knee pads. They are also less bulky than knee pads as such they offer some benefits to the wrestler."

Popularity

Boys wearing tights under their singlet are a small minority of competitors. It does appear to be coming somewhat nore common as almost no American boys wore tights as recently as the 1980s.

National Trends

HBC has noted European boys, especially German boys, more commonly wering tights for sports and gymnastics than American boys.

Material

The tights worn by boys for wrestling are mostlty lycra tights. The popularity of lycra garments for running and byclining may be making tights more acceptable to boys for wrestling and other sports like gymnastics.


Figure 2.--Although it is difficult to tell, this boy wears a black team singlet with black tights. He has, for some reason, rolled up one of the legs of his tights.

Colors

The tights chosen by the boys for wrestling are almost uniformally black. HBC has not noted boys wearing other colors. HBC is not sure why black is the dominate color.






HBC





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Created: April 10, 2001
Last updated: 7:20 AM 11/4/2005