If I told you that the picture to the left was the Rutgers University Volleyball team would you believe me? Often we associate and identify people based on the clothes that they wear. Members of the team assured me that there is more to them than the uniform. If you see them on campus wearing their team outfits you would associate them as the volleyball team but each person has a unique style that makes them an individual. One member stated "Style is what you make it, fashion consists of trends that we put together based on what is in at the time". She goes on to mention that even though she is apart of a team and they are required to wear uniforms it is sometimes possible to put a twist on the uniform. I went to a volleyball game yesterday to support my roommate and while watching the game I could not help but to notice the many differences on a team. Some girls wear their hair pulled back while others wear their hair with a braid and a ponytail, some wear headbands. While hair and accesories help to make out who is who, the way they perform on the team helps to distiguinsh each player. You begin to associate them not just as number 15 but you put a name to the uniform; Victoria known for
hitting the ball over the net and scoring points everytime she is in the game, while wearing pink wrist bands. In addition, even when off the court these girl have style which make them an individual. When not in season the girls are able to wear the clothes that best fit their personalities. They shop at stores like H&M, Forever21, Hollister and American Eagle. Therefore there is something to a team beyond the uniform. Each individual person helps to make up a team and though they are one on the court they are very much different off the court. It is often hard to get away of associations when being apart of a team but it is up to the individual to add a twist to the uniform. For the team the uniform represents business. They are in a winning state of mind. They look foward to Monday's when they do not have practice and can wear their "regular clothes".
hitting the ball over the net and scoring points everytime she is in the game, while wearing pink wrist bands. In addition, even when off the court these girl have style which make them an individual. When not in season the girls are able to wear the clothes that best fit their personalities. They shop at stores like H&M, Forever21, Hollister and American Eagle. Therefore there is something to a team beyond the uniform. Each individual person helps to make up a team and though they are one on the court they are very much different off the court. It is often hard to get away of associations when being apart of a team but it is up to the individual to add a twist to the uniform. For the team the uniform represents business. They are in a winning state of mind. They look foward to Monday's when they do not have practice and can wear their "regular clothes". 
The only thing that might give it away is if one notices how much they are all bending down - I take it volleyball players tend to be taller than average...?
ReplyDeleteThis couldn't be more true! Everyone knows who the athletes on campus are because of the sweats and team-issued gear they are usually wearing. And people are usually shocked when we wear "normal people" clothes, and almost always ask if we were off from practice that day. I personally like to wear "normal" clothes because I am more than just a volleyball player and I don't wanted to be solely associated with team because of my sweats. Even in my "normal" clothes people can usually tell I'm an athlete, but what I wear shows more than just my team identity.
ReplyDeleteHEYYY GIRLLL ! i love this ! it is true, pretty much 6 out of 7 days a week I am in something that is team issued, whether it is because I am running from practice or just too damn tired to get dressed ! but it is also true that everyone on our team has a certain style, and even when we are in our volleyball gear you can tell ! thanks for coming to the game ! : )
ReplyDeleteI never really thought about it before reading this, but it is so true about everyone taking our uniforms and making it their own. While we all have the same clothes, not one of us looks the exact same, which tells a lot about our styles and who we are in general. Little quirks, like makeup and hairstyles, give athletes a unique identity among a united team.
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