Figure 1.--One of the boys on this German soccer (football) tean wears a turtle neck shirt and tights for warmth. This photograph was probably taken in the early 1980s.
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Figure 1.--One of the boys on this German soccer (football) tean wears a turtle neck shirt and tights for warmth. This photograph was probably taken in the early 1980s. |
Tights are currently worn by even older German boys for sport. Unlike America where boys play basketball indoors during the winter, German boys play soccer (football) year round. The soccer uniform is of course short pants. Indeed for many years soccer shorts were cut quite short. Playing soccer outdoors in short pants during the winter can be very cold--even with all the action. Thus tights were the ideal garment to wear with short pants for outdoor wear. They can also help avoid injuries such as skin scrapes. For these reasons, tights are commonly worn for soccer during the winter. This appears to be an individual matter. Boys can choose to wear the ubiform with or without tights. If they decide to wear tights they do not change any thing else about the uniform. For example, if the uniforms calls for kneesocks, the boys will wear knee socks over their tights. In recent years a lot of indoor sports facilities have been built in Germany. One would think that this would make it less common for boys to wear tights for sport, but many boys still do. Tights help to protect the skin when taking a spill on a hard indoor surface.
Tights are currently worn by even older German boys for sport. Unlike America where boys play basketball indoors during the winter, German boys play soccer (football) year round. Tights may be wrn for other sports, but soccer is by far the dominate sport in Germany. HBC does not know of other sports where tights are worn.
The soccer uniform is of course short pants. Indeed for many years soccer shorts were cut quite short. Playing soccer outdoors in short pants during the winter can be very cold--even with all the action. In the 1990s soccer shorts became longer adnd baggier. They were some wgat warmer than the short style worn in the 1960s-80s, but still tights probably fely\t good on a cold day and were not restrictive.
Thus tights were the ideal garment to wear with short pants for outdoor wear. They can also help avoid injuries such as skin scrapes. For these reasons, tights are commonly worn for soccer during the winter.
wearing tights appears to be an individual matter. Boys can choose to wear the ubiform with or without tights.
Black tights appear to be the most common color for tights worn for sport. A variety of other colors are worn, depending on the color of the uniforms. Black by far, however, appears to be the most common color.
If boys decide to wear tights they do not change any thing else about the uniform. For example, if the uniforms calls for kneesocks, the boys will wear knee socks over their tights.
Figure 2.--These German boys are playing indoor soccer. Note the boy in front wearing black tights. |
In recent years a lot of indoor sports facilities have been built in Germany. One would think that this would make it less common for boys to wear tights for sport, but many boys still do. Tights help to protect the skin when taking a spill on a hard indoor surface.
Without tights, a boy could skin or scrape his knee and keg badly. With tights such injures are less likely.
HBC is unsure as to just how popular tights are for sport in Germany. The practice appears quite wide spread. Interestingly, although younger boys are the most likely to wear tights, many of thse boys are too young tomparticipate in competitive sport. Many of the boys wearing tights forvsport are ages that the boys would not like wearing tights to, for edxample, school or church. The boys wearing tights for sport appear to be a minority, however, quite a number of boys do appear tonwear them.
HBC knows that tights are worn for sport in Germany. We do not know if this is also common in other countries. HBC has not noted this parctice in any other countries, but this may just reflect the limited information available/
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