Sorry My Butt Doesn't Fit Into Regulation Swimsuits

At the conclusion of the girls’ fall swimming and diving season, we reflect upon the ills surrounding girls’ swimming, particularly dress codes. In 2019, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFSH) published a five page-memo contextualizing the updates made to the sport’s dress code as well as examples of “appropriate” and “inappropriate” coverage for female and male participants respectively.

In order to foster a “safe” environment for its members and the swimming and diving community at large, NFSH claims that their expectation is that “suits be worn in the way in which they were designed,” but of course, these suits being designed by men, they are both impractical and uncomfortable for the competitive nature of the sport. Many have complained of the suits being “too loose” or “diaper-like,” causing drag in the water. The justification for all athletes to adhere to the guidelines is to “show respect for [themselves], and [their] desire to present [themselves] in the best possible light,” a line of highly objective reasoning, which should not be determined by an outside voice, but the athlete themself. Frankly, as swimmers ourselves, we believe we are presenting ourselves in a perfectly fine light as our attire should not determine how we feel -- God forbid our bathing suits reach to the grand heights of our hips! The association goes on to provide a diagram of where the suit should fall on both the male body and female body (diagram attached). The association’s assertions feels both outdated and harmful to the feminist cause.

We reached out to members of the girls’ varsity swimming and diving team to hear their thoughts on the matter. First year Mila Piaktov pointed out the seemingly absurd nature of the dress code by exclaiming, “Who is looking [at] and being bothered by someone’s butt being shown?” Piatkov ends her feelings on the issue by recognizing that the biggest trouble with the NFSH coverage rules is the fact that “how much skin you show is your choice.” There is no reason nor justification for others, especially men, to be telling teenage girls how they should present themselves. Senior captain Abby Krivopal showed equivalent indignation when she brought to light a personal experience of hers: “I had an uncomfortable experience in middle school where an older male coach commented on the coverage of my suit, so I was disappointed to see that there was an actual rule in place that meant such an action was not only justified but supported. It is disgusting that there are people out there who have the authority to regulate how the team suits, that we don’t even get to choose, fits me.”

The NFSH goes as far as to direct that “athletes should be instructed to fix their suit before exiting the pool.” Senior diver Peyton Whirley recounts a first hand experience of this rule. “A girl got out for a dive and her suit was revealing. Apparently the way she wore her suit wasn’t in regulation, so her dive was scratched.” Competitions and meets are stressful enough for athletes without the added stress of being scratched or disqualified if a suit is not adjusted immediately.

As members of the swimming and diving team we believe there are great gender disparities in women’s sports, particularly of a sport like swimming and diving where the uniforms are innately revealing. The senior captain of the boys’ swimming and diving team, Nick Yee, commented, “When I first heard about the girls' dress code, I had thought it was some sort of joke. To be able to disqualify a swimmer based on what they wear seemed like a big stretch for me… In my four years, there has never been a time where my coach has mentioned wearing suits any differently. On the other hand, I have heard that the girls have to be told regularly to change the way that their suits are worn. It doesn’t make a ton of sense to me why the way a swimmer's swimsuit is worn can affect the outcome of a race.” Clearly, the gender disparities are strong. Yee finished by saying, “I hope that this rule can be changed or even gotten rid of. I do not see why the swim committee came together to create a rule that a swimmer has little to no control over. In my opinion, there is no real reason to keep the dress code.” His urge for reform aligns perfectly with our request. We ask the NFSH to either provide a justification for the dress code, one which is not degrading nor discriminatory, or to completely eliminate it within reasonable constraints. For centuries, society, encouraged by men, has fostered oppressive and demeaning notions toward women. It is vital that we question and combat such inequality, particularly when it is normalized at the adolescent level, in order to strengthen and empower the next generation of women pioneers.