Close Quarters in the Women’s Soccer Locker Room
Photo by Centenary College Marketing & Communication
I mainly associate locker rooms with my middle school gym classes. Three different classes of girls would rush into the locker room that always smelled like sweat. Space was limited, and everyone was hurrying to change into their gym uniforms on time. But it was also a very sociable environment. Friends chatted across the cramped room, and there was a camaraderie between people whose lockers were in close proximities.
I conducted several interviews with members of the women’s soccer team, and from what I can tell, their locker room situation seems to be similar to mine except instead of rushing off for class, players are rushing off to practice or a game on Mayo Field.
One of the things that was said over and over again was that there was a lack of space in the locker room. Veronica Dougherty, a senior on the team, thinks that “with the size of the teams that we’ve had in the past” the amount of space each player had in the locker room was enough, “but now since we’re starting to recruit more girls onto the team there’s really not enough space.” Some players even must share lockers with others because there isn’t enough for everyone to have their own locker.
On the subject of sharing, the women’s soccer team shares their locker room with softball. Kat Martinez, another senior player, said, “The majority of the girls on the soccer team, and I’m sure on the softball team thinks it as well, have said that we wish we didn’t have to share one locker room.”
This sentiment was probably felt the strongest last year. “Softball and soccer were going on at the same time, and we both shared the same locker room so there were times when two people were to a locker and it just got really packed in there with them,” said Alexa Hinojosa, a sophomore player. “Trying to get game-ready during that time was not fun at all.”
Fortunately, this school year is more normal. The soccer team got the locker room this semester, and next semester softball will get it. However, Hinojosa said that both teams are still practicing whether or not they’re in season.
In addition to improving the amount of space, players would also like the shower situation to be improved. Although the team has showers, the showers don’t work and players are told not to use them.
Despite the lack of space and working showers, players said that Centenary’s women’s soccer locker room is by far not the worst locker room they’ve ever been in. Many of the people that I interviewed have been playing for over half of their lives and thus have seen a lot of locker rooms over the years.
When compared to other locker rooms, the women’s soccer locker room seems to be in the middle when it comes to space. Hinojosa talked about when the team visits other universities: “We’ve definitely been in schools where their locker rooms are even smaller than ours and our whole team can’t even fit.” But “there are times where we all get our own two lockers.”
Photo by Centenary College Marketing & Communication
However, when it’s just compared to other Centenary locker rooms, Martinez said many people have observed “that both the basketball locker rooms are about three times as big and a lot nicer compared to the other locker rooms (men’s/women’s soccer and volleyball).”
Even though the lack of space in the room can be frustrating at times, there are some things that players like about their locker room. Many like the decorations in the room. In addition, one player revealed one of the benefits of having a smaller space: “Even though the space can be tight I like how close it makes us.”