Personal Uniform Quirks

[chuckymack]

When I played football in middle and high school, my Mom always bought me a padded chinguard and forearm pads. I was pretty much invincible.

[eRay]

My hockey skates always are black, and I always put in black laces. I really don't know why, just like being different I guess.

In basketball I have no uniform quirks.

I'm a runner too, and although there is no "uniform", my running shoes always have neon yellow laces in them, no matter what colors the shoes are. Partly so cars always see me when on the road, partly just because I like having the bright laces.

[DelayedPenalty]

Always used black hockey tape on my sticks, until one game I needed to retake my stick and all my teammates had was white. Re-taped with white, scored 2 goals, never used black tape again!

Also always kept my shin pads and socks down over the tongue of my skates and tucked in the back. Comfort more than anything.

[Perfect Zero]

When I was playing baseball, I always had the high socks with black cleats and black batting gloves (and I always put my gloves in the right pocket while in the field). Now that I've moved on to umpiring, my Dad and I usually go to navy polos at night and red during Saturday games.

[Guest]

I play football and I always make sure everything is symmetrical on me. Not to mention that I do everything the exact same from about two hours before warmups until game time, including how I sit on my stool and how I lay my pads and shoes etc. out in front of me. Also, after week 3 when it cools off a little down here in Alabama, I wear two pairs of socks. White under black to go with black cleats that have white accents and I pull the white socks up so that about an inch of them shows above the black. And idk if it's a quirk but our coach doesn't allow us to wear eye black or anything but black cleats and if it isn't below 40 he'll make us take any coldgear off.

[Billy B]

I always wore two pairs of socks for football games, it just felt more comfortable. I made my sleeves as small as possible too. A lot of people hate how it looks, but it's so much better during a game. I never wore long sleeves in high school either. I played center and lived by the "linemen don't wear long sleeves" custom.

[Equinox]

Well in baseball I always show my socks, for football I didn't do anything out of the ordinary but I did wear a visor, and when I run track and field I always have my jersey (singlet) tucked in and I always wear compression pants. I remember at state and towards to end of my season last year people always looked at me funny because I was wearing compression pants in 85-95 degrees.

[charger77]

Always used black hockey tape on my sticks, until one game I needed to retake my stick and all my teammates had was white. Re-taped with white, scored 2 goals, never used black tape again!

Also always kept my shin pads and socks down over the tongue of my skates and tucked in the back. Comfort more than anything.

Agree on the sock and shin pads.

When I used to play goal, I loved it when players used tape that provided a contrast from the puck... made it easier to see.

[debo0775]

Another one I forgot - I never wore batting gloves, and I never wore molded cleats (for baseball, I had to wait until HS per state regulations). I'll never understand HSlers who wear molded cleats. In the pros, you can have different shoes for different conditions. In HS, you need to be able to adjust your footwear unless you want to buy 3-4 different shoes for every sport.

[jayrock]

I play baseball... my main quirk is I have to wear long sleeves. No matter the temperature. If it's hot, I'll wear them just below the elbow...never above. I also wear super super baggy pants, almost like sweat pants. I usually get a pair of pants that is a size or two too big. I don't wear batting gloves either. Eye black for away games but not home.

[lancealot]

Ok thinking about this some more I have quite a few, seems I have made a habit of wearing compression gear (mainly shorts) all the time, even if it is just for gym class or whatever. Football, I always put my pants socks and undershirt on then put a team tshirt over the top then put my eye black on and walk around for a bit talking to team mates then as everyone is starting to leave the change rooms I will put my sweatbands on then my pads and walk out after everyone else. I also make sure I am always wearing a sweatband on each wrist, I like having my name on things, I am the only person with a customized training jersey, I have cleats with my name on them. I wear as I said before eye black as well as a visor. I try to make sure I am always wearing something purple (football teams colour). In whatever sport I am playing I always wear long socks while competing. I try to get all my equipment from one company, this year I have under armour cleats gloves sweatbands and visor.

[RichO]

I always made sure my uniform showed plenty of sock playing baseball. I had a preference of the lower cut stirrups, but back in the mid 90s when I was in high school you could only find the higher cut ones or ribbons, so it wasn't unusual to see guys take higher cut stirrups and loop them round the foot once to make them lower.

When I was a kid there was this baseball instructional TV show on some Saturday mornings. They had Reggie Jackson on once talking about how to put on the uniform. He said you don't button the top button (that stuck with me- never buttoned the top button because Reggie Jackson) and you make sure everything lines up- the button placket, belt buckle, and the front of the pants. That actually carries over to how I dress in my everyday life.

[hugevolsfan]

I wore my pants baggy when I played baseball in high school.

Not sure if this fits the topic specifically, but when I played hockey I always put my goalie pads on in the same order. Not "it was just muscle memory" the same order, I mean "every piece was put on in a specific order because that was the order it was meant to be put on in, by G-d."

I can't believe you would be that methodical!

[doogie24]

Batting gloves straps undone

[IceCap]

I wore my pants baggy when I played baseball in high school.

Not sure if this fits the topic specifically, but when I played hockey I always put my goalie pads on in the same order. Not "it was just muscle memory" the same order, I mean "every piece was put on in a specific order because that was the order it was meant to be put on in, by G-d."

I can't believe you would be that methodical!

Weird people decide to be goalies, man.

[marble21]

In Football (gridiron) I always wore a beer towel identical to this one tucked into my pants in a Deion Sanders way:

Partially because I could dry my gloves off between plays and also because they were my team's colours and my favourite beer.

[andycumbee19]

1. I have the habit of turning my hockey helmets into looking like football helmets. Example: My normal hockey helmet now looks like the football helmet in my avatar. Numbers, stripes, white cage/shield combo.

2. I don't know anyone anywhere who does their hockey socks like me. I've got long legs being 6'3, and after taping them above the knee with clear to prevent them from falling, I pull the bottom of my socks over the heel of my skates and as far down on top of my foot as I can. Lastly, I use one strip of either white or a non-team color Duck Tape around my shin just below the knee.

Hockey junkie girls have told me they hate the look, but it's how I've always done it. It's Damn comfy!

[CS85]

When I played high school football ("played" here being loosely defined) I would practice with fingerless gloves and wore full gloves on gamedays. I have a thing for fingerless gloves, for some reason.

I only did intramural basketball in school, but wore a huge yellow sweatband on my left wrist as a pathetic homage to Reggie Miller.

When I work out at the gym, I wear sleeveless shirts so that I don't attract the opposite sex.

[Sport]

Always used black hockey tape on my sticks, until one game I needed to retake my stick and all my teammates had was white. Re-taped with white, scored 2 goals, never used black tape again!

Also always kept my shin pads and socks down over the tongue of my skates and tucked in the back. Comfort more than anything.

Agree on the sock and shin pads.

When I used to play goal, I loved it when players used tape that provided a contrast from the puck... made it easier to see.

This is why I'll never use any tape color other than black. People say it doesn't matter, but you just heard it from a goalie.

1. I have the habit of turning my hockey helmets into looking like football helmets. Example: My normal hockey helmet now looks like the football helmet in my avatar. Numbers, stripes, white cage/shield combo.

2. I don't know anyone anywhere who does their hockey socks like me. I've got long legs being 6'3, and after taping them above the knee with clear to prevent them from falling, I pull the bottom of my socks over the heel of my skates and as far down on top of my foot as I can. Lastly, I use one strip of either white or a non-team color Duck Tape around my shin just below the knee.

Hockey junkie girls have told me they hate the look, but it's how I've always done it. It's Damn comfy!

So you wear socks so they look like bellbottoms? That was big when I was a kid in the late 90's but by the time we all got to high school anyone who was still doing that was a grade A dorkus malorkus. No offense.

I've always pulled my shin pads over the tongue of my skates and tucked them in the back, like Rick Nash in this pic

[andycumbee19]

Always used black hockey tape on my sticks, until one game I needed to retake my stick and all my teammates had was white. Re-taped with white, scored 2 goals, never used black tape again!

Also always kept my shin pads and socks down over the tongue of my skates and tucked in the back. Comfort more than anything.

Agree on the sock and shin pads.

When I used to play goal, I loved it when players used tape that provided a contrast from the puck... made it easier to see.

This is why I'll never use any tape color other than black. People say it doesn't matter, but you just heard it from a goalie.

1. I have the habit of turning my hockey helmets into looking like football helmets. Example: My normal hockey helmet now looks like the football helmet in my avatar. Numbers, stripes, white cage/shield combo.

2. I don't know anyone anywhere who does their hockey socks like me. I've got long legs being 6'3, and after taping them above the knee with clear to prevent them from falling, I pull the bottom of my socks over the heel of my skates and as far down on top of my foot as I can. Lastly, I use one strip of either white or a non-team color Duck Tape around my shin just below the knee.

Hockey junkie girls have told me they hate the look, but it's how I've always done it. It's Damn comfy!

So you wear socks so they look like bellbottoms? That was big when I was a kid in the late 90's but by the time we all got to high school anyone who was still doing that was a grade A dorkus malorkus. No offense.

I've always pulled my shin pads over the tongue of my skates and tucked them in the back, like Rick Nash in this pic

Call me a Dorkus Malorkus, then! The way most guys wear their shins & socks (like the Nash photo) looks so uncomfortable! It really all comes down to what you feel most comfortable in. Here's my photo. I love the way it looks & feels.