MARCH 2023
OPINION
Ranking Natick's Varsity Uniforms
Anthony-Bilis Gruson, Assistant Head of Graphic Design & Illustration
Every athlete knows that the only thing more important than winning is knowing how to look good while doing it. Every sport at Natick High School has their own uniform and accessories, some better looking than others. This article will examine the uniforms of every varsity sports team to decide, officially, which team at NHS really is the drippiest.
FALL SPORTS
Need New Uniforms: Girls Swim and Dive
It might be harsh to put Swim and Dive at the bottom of the fall sports tier list because they are definitely one of those sports that has a disadvantage when it comes to uniforms, simply due to the nature of the activity. I admit that it is not the easiest task to make skin-tight one-piece swimsuits look fashionable, but, at the moment, all of the swimmers just wear the same basic red swimsuit and a Natick Swim cap. The swimsuits are plain red, without even a Natick symbol, so if someone were to lose their swim cap, we wouldn’t even know they are swimming for Natick! Unsolicited advice: Put a giant N on the swimsuit, at least, and maybe a redhawk on the swimcap, and Girls Swim and Dive could start to climb this tier list.
Could Do Better: Boys Soccer
As a member of this varsity sport, I was able to get an up-close look at the uniforms for Boys Soccer. While it is not the worst I've ever seen, it really could be a whole lot better. For some reason, the boys team has Adidas uniforms while the girls rep Nike, already a disadvantage for the boys. The boys’ uniforms are literally just the basic template that maybe 450 other teams around the country also use, just changed to add the Natick badge on the chest. For the 2022-23 season, they took off the words, “Natick RedHawks,” which I personally think is a loss, and the shorts fit weird and are once again the most basic red soccer shorts out there. The red socks are not even the same color as the shorts and jersey, and the white jersey is cool until it gets stained the first game in. The jerseys are honestly average but in a town where we are blessed with colors to use like red, white, and blue, we could make the Boys Soccer uniforms so much better.
Could Do Better: Golf
Golf was a sport that I had not really considered before writing this article when it came to uniforms. Most of the golfing I watch, which is very little, is just independent golfers wearing sponsorship brands or athletic brands, so I was interested to see what a Boys Golf team uniform looked like. However, I have to say I am pretty disappointed. Golf uniforms are funny to begin with as wearing dress pants and a polo for a sport just seems wrong. I like how the uniform goes: blue pants, red polo, white hat, as, once again, incorporating all the Natick colors is a plus. What I don’t like is how the polo looks more pink than red and has stripes that are not at all fashionable. Overall, golf is not bad, but there are clear areas where we could improve.
Fine: Boys/Girls Track and Field
I have decided to put gender groups together in this ranking because the uniforms for the girls and the boys are very similar, and therefore get the same ranking. Track and Field is another difficult sport to create uniforms for, as the goal really just seems to wear as little uniform as humanly possible. However, as far as track uniforms go, I think the Natick ones are pretty nice. I like the red shirt-blue shorts combo, as well as the white Natick lettering, incorporating all three Natick colors. I think that within the limitations of a track uniform, Natick’s are not bad at all, but I just can’t rank a tank top and spandex higher than “fine.”
Fine: Girls Soccer
Many of my opinions of the Boys Soccer uniforms carry over to Girls Soccer, as, once again, while the girls uniforms are not bad, there is just so much more potential that is not being used. The girls' unis are even simpler than the boys with just the Natick Redhawks lettering in the front, and no badge at all. I like the simplicity, but a soccer jersey should always have a badge, and, without it, the jersey looks too much like a practice uniform. However, the girls get a tier above the boys due to their Nike logo and their state championship.
Fine: Girls Volleyball
Volleyball is another sport that is just fine, as the uniform is definitely nice, but lacks anything special that sets it apart. The front and back are just like many other Natick uniforms, all red with the white Natick lettering. I do like how the number is front and center on the jersey, and I like the blue shorts, as one of my dislikes of the soccer uniforms is how they are either all red or all white, making you look like a tomato or a marshmallow. Volleyball is also cool because they have that one person who wears a different color, and Natick’s colors work well for this, with five people wearing red and one wearing white.
Fine: Cheer
It is difficult for me to rank cheer uniforms because I am not super educated in the subject and don’t have a whole lot to compare the Natick team to. However, as far as cheer uniforms go, I think the Natick ones are just fine. They are exactly what I would expect: white and red, with a big N. I like the red designs on the arms and back, but I also have to say they look like the most uncomfortable uniforms out of every sport, so Fall Cheer falls into the “fine” category.
Fine: Field Hockey
Another difficult sport to judge is Field Hockey. The Field Hockey uniforms are essentially the same as girls’ lacrosse with a tank top and a skirt, but the unfortunate part are the giant shin pads the sport forces you to wear. It is really difficult for anyone to look good wearing enormous shin pads, especially with the turf shoes field hockey players are also required to wear. Looking past these factors, the actual field hockey uniform is just fine. Nothing too special: Field Hockey wears one all white uniform with red lettering, and one all red uniform with white lettering. Using more blue could improve this uniform, in my view, or varying up the colors instead of having all red or all white could improve it as well. The Natick logo on the skirt is a nice detail but overall this field hockey uniform is just “fine.”
Honestly nice: Football
It kind of hurt to put Football at the top of the Fall Sports tier list, but it had to be done. When making this ranking, I discovered that many of the aspects that come into making a nice uniform are outside factors, like the rules of the sport, or the equipment required. Football benefits from this since, in my opinion, it is really the helmets and the accessories that push them to the top. Their actual uniforms are similar to the other major team sports, with a full red uniform and a full white one. The pants are not great, no football pants are, but the jerseys are quite nice. However, the ability to have helmets just makes the whole uniform look so much cooler, and Natick does theirs well with the white base and then the red cage and red Natick logo. Also, the arm and leg sleeves, shiesty masks, and hand warmers that football players are allowed to wear are what makes the Natick football uniforms, honestly nice.
WINTER SPORTS
Could Do Better: Boys’ Swim and Dive
Luckily for us, no Winter Sports are so bad that they need new uniforms, so we start in the “Could Do Better" category with Boys Swim and Dive. Now you might be wondering why the Boys team falls into a category higher than the girls, when their uniforms are both just swimsuits and swim caps. While I think male swimmers' swimsuits look even worse than the female swimmers, their post-race jacket things that look like Emperor Palpatine's robe are really nice, and that pushes them over the girls, who, to my knowledge, do not have them.
Could Do Better: Gymnastics
Gymnastics is very similar to Boys Swim and Dive in that they are saved by the outside merchandise. Gymnastics athletes also just wear basic, all red, non branded leotards, and nothing else. When looking at gymnastics photos, you can’t even tell which school the athlete is from by just looking at the uniform. I looked at some professional gymnastics uniforms and all those teams add at least a logo or name, so I am not sure what is happening there. As I mentioned before though, the outside merch saves gymnastics as these white zip ups are very clean.
Fine: Boys Volleyball
Boys Volleyball is similar to Girls Volleyball, with nice uniforms, but nothing too special. Volleyball has under-armor uniforms which is not ideal, but I do like how the logo is on the top in the middle, above the Natick writing. I also like how the collar is blue and how the tank top is cut differently from the Basketball jersey, giving the Volleyball uniforms their own look. I wouldn’t mind if the shorts were a different color like the girls Volleyball team, although I appreciate the logo on the shorts. The lack of having to wear long socks, as in soccer, also helps the overall look, but in the end it’s a pretty basic uniform, so I would say Boys Volleyball is just “fine.”
Honestly Nice: Boys/Girls Basketball
First into the “Honestly nice" category for Winter sports is both Girls and Boys Basketball. Both teams have basically the exact same uniforms, so they will get grouped together for this ranking. My opinion on Basketball uniforms is similar to the Volleyball ones, as they are nice but nothing crazy. Natick’s colors go a long way and as far as basketball uniforms go, I think Natick is on the nicer end. I like how for both Home and Away, all three Natick colors are used, especially for the Home with the white base, red lettering, and blue outline. Similar to Football though, what pushes Basketball into “honestly nice” are the accessories. The arm and leg sleeves, the headbands, and the basketball sneakers make the uniform look better, not to mention the full Nike tracksuit they wear before, after, and in between games. Because of the already nice uniforms added with these outside factors, Basketball uniforms in Natick are “Honestly Nice.”
Honestly Nice: Wrestling
It feels weird to put Wrestling in such a high category when the uniform is a one-piece, tight-fitting, male leotard. However, wrestling cannot be penalized for the equipment the sport uses, so we simply have to rank it against the skin-tight leotards of other towns. When we do that, I actually think the Natick wrestling uniforms are “Honestly Nice.” First of all, the wrestling team being the best in the state helps make the uniforms look better, but even without that they are a good looking uniform. They remind me of the Olympic wrestling uniforms and they have the feel of a professional team. Once again all three colors are used really well with the red base, blue Natick lettering, and white outline. What I really like, though, are all the added logos. They have a Massachusetts logo on one leg, the Natick logo on the other, then an American flag on one side of the chest, and the Rudis logo, the brand of the maker of the uniform, on the other. These logos make it look professional and no other Natick team has them like Wrestling, so it may be surprising but Wrestling leotards are “Honestly nice.”
Honestly Nice: Winter Cheer
Who knew that Natick Cheer has different uniforms for different seasons? Not me! Who knew Natick Cheer even had multiple seasons? Not me! Turns out they do, and I have to say, Cheer actually improves with their winter uniform, bumping them up a whole category. The winter uniform pops out much more than the fall ones, and they just have a cleaner look. I think there are more sparkles on the winter one which makes it stand out more, and I really like the combination of blue and red. Overall, when ranking these against your average Cheer uniforms, I would say they are “Honestly nice.”
Would Wear this Anywhere: Hockey
The first team to make an appearance in the top tier of this ranking: Hockey. Once again blessed as a sport with lots of equipment and accessories, these factors definitely help Hockey look really good. Hockey is one of the only teams that boast an alternate uniform along with their home and away. Not only do they get three uniforms, but their alternate is an all black uniform with red lettering that is probably the nicest Natick uniform the school has to offer. Their home and away jerseys use all three colors well and have nice details, like the different colored lines on the leg pads, or how the Redhawk is a different color to the N, or the writing of Natick Redhawks in the N logo, or the numbers on both the sleeves. There are just so many details that make Hockey’s uniforms look so good. Because of this, they belong to the “Would Wear this Anywhere” category.
Would Wear this Anywhere: Ski team
As nice as Hockey’s uniforms are, they have stiff competition in the winter sports ranking with the Ski Team. Once again, a team with lots of equipment, the Ski Team ranks highly because of their combination of on and off mountain drip. Ski uniforms are really nice to begin with as everyone wearing ski goggles honestly just looks cool. The big advantage the Ski Team gets is in having their own logo, which is specifically designed for them. I am not sure any other team in Natick has this, which is major bragging rights. This logo appears on the blue pants that the team wears which looks really nice as the skiers fly down the mountain. They also get a nice blue sweater type thing with the Natick logo and Natick lettering, making the full uniform look clean. Where the Ski Team really excels, however, is in their off-mountain wear. All of the Ski Team merch is made by Patagonia, which is very expensive, yes, but also insanely nice clothing that you can wear literally anywhere. No other team’s merchandise comes close to the Ski Team’s and, therefore, their uniforms are definitely top tier.
SPRING SPORTS
Could Do Better: Ultimate Frisbee
Ultimate Frisbee is one of those sports that gets a little bit forgotten about in the Natick High School sports circle. Ultimate games tend not to be the most-well attended, with some Natick highschoolers not even knowing the team exists. However, Natick’s Ultimate Frisbee team is coming off two straight State Championship game appearances, winning the whole thing just last year, so I think it is time to start putting some respect on Frisbee’s name and this starts with the uniforms.
Ultimate uniforms really just consist of a jersey, so it shouldn’t be that hard to create a nice one. Right now, Natick’s Ultimate jersey looks like a bowling shirt, and overall looks really outdated and amateurish. The numbers are on the bottom of the shirt which I don’t understand, although the Redhawk on the front is lowkey nice. Overall, with just one jersey to focus on, there is no way we could not do better than the current bowling shirt for the State Champion Ultimate Frisbee team.
Fine: Girls Tennis Team
Another Natick High team that seems to go under the radar is the Tennis Team. Tennis is another sport with a limited uniform, as most tennis players just wear a skirt and a tank top. The Natick uniform at the moment is fine, very simple with just a red skirt and a white tank top with a little N in the corner. I like simplicity, especially in tennis, and the red skirt goes well with the white tank top. However, the tank top looks like a $3 Walmart tank top that someone just ironed a Natick logo onto, so I think it could definitely be improved. I think adding Natick lettering instead of just a logo could make the tank top pop out more, as it would offer the chance to add blue and use all three Natick colors. Overall, for a tennis uniform, Natick’s is just fine, but of course there is room for improvement.
Honestly Nice: Girls Lacrosse
Sharing the “Honestly Nice” category for Spring sports are the Boys and Girls Lacrosse teams. Starting off with Girls Lacrosse, despite losing the brand battle to the Boys team with their Under Armor uniforms compared to the boys' Nike, the girls jerseys are still very nice. The girls' uniforms use all three Natick colors for both their Home and Away unis, making both look really clean.
Just having two uniforms that keep the same color scheme looks better in my opinion than two different style jerseys. I appreciate the Natick logo on the bottom of the skirt, and I like the red bar on the side of the jersey that continues down to the side of the skirt. Overall, although it is not too different from other Natick teams, Girls Lacrosse reps some honestly nice jerseys, and if it wasn’t for the ugly goggles they are forced to wear, they might have even ranked higher.
Honestly nice: Boys Lacrosse
As mentioned above, Boys Lacrosse shares this category with the Girls. Despite playing the same sport, just like the soccer teams, the two lacrosse teams rep different uniforms, although both are better than soccer. The boys team takes the advantage over the girls with their Nike uniforms that look really clean with the red Nike swoosh on both the jersey and the shorts. The boys’ uniforms, however, use red and white for both Home and Away. Failing to use all three Natick colors is a mistake, and it is something in favor of the girls' uniforms. The Away uniform for the boys is not as great as the girls’ , although I like the red jersey with the white lettering, but it is a super simple jersey that looks like a practice uniform. The area that really helps Lacrosse, just like it helped Football and Hockey, is the helmets. White helmets with a red cage and the personalized number of each player makes the whole uniform look better, and it gives Boys Lacrosse a place in the “Honestly nice” category.
Would wear this Anywhere: Baseball/softball
Sharing the highest ranking in the Spring Sports is baseball and softball. Massively helped by the classic style of baseball uniforms, it was always going to be hard to mess up a Natick baseball uni. Baseball is another team blessed to have three jerseys, which automatically gives them an advantage. All three uniforms are nice, with each Natick color getting its own jersey. What really stands out to me, however, is the Home uniform. Natick cleverly changed their font only for baseball and softball, making the Natick lettering look more like the lettering a traditional baseball jersey would have.
I also really like how the number appears under the writing, and the red line that goes all the way down from the top of the jersey to the bottom of the pants looks very clean. Baseball’s uniforms have it just over softball for me, due to the baseball hat. Softball wears visors which I just don’t think can compare to the classic baseball cap. As someone who used to play baseball, I was always the most excited to get my cap customized to my team.
White baseball caps always look the best and Natick’s is just that, with the red N popping out nicely and the blue brim as a really nice detail since it is the only blue on the entire Home uniform. The blue and red uniforms are also nice, and it really is bragging rights to say you have three separate uniforms. Although they may not be the craziest uniforms on this list, I cannot imagine too many better high school baseball and softball uniforms than the one Natick has to offer, and therefore I would put this under "Wear it Anywhere.”
So what do we take away from this Natick Varsity Sports uniform ranking? I think the biggest takeaways are how many sports are offered at Natick, and how many different uniforms are offered as well. In terms of style, I notice teams with more equipment find it easier to make better looking uniforms, and sports with helmets can be at a big advantage as well. According to my rankings, Winter Sports, on average, have the best looking uniforms, with hockey, skiing, and baseball being my top three overall. Feel free to reach out if you have any conflicting opinions, but please remember these rankings are subjective and only my personal take. Thank you for reading.
Check out the whole combined tier list here:
