Modesty for female athletes

Due to covid, the gym my girls use has been closed. Since we want them to remain fit and flexible, we've put a small balance beam (low to the ground) in our back yard and tumbling pads in our den. We've arranged for the coach (a guy) to come each week to help train them. Since we're at home, there's no need for them to wear their leotards, so they do it naked. Have any of you done the same?

Covid has certainly been crazy for the gymnastics world! I am not a gymnast, but a close friend of mine is. She told me that she had been doing gymnastics in a tank top and shorts for a while, since she was not in a public gym, and didn't need to wear proper clothing, but after trying out doing it one time without the tanktop (she had on a sports bra) she realized it was far more comfortable that way. After this, the shorts quickly went away too, and she did it in her underwear until her gym reopend.

Normally, she would not tell me anything so private. However, when she got back to the gym and talked to some of her other friends, she realized that they had all been doing gymnastics in various states of undress too! As a matter of fact, two of the gymnasts at her gym had been doing it completely in the nude. So, for the past few weeks, it's been a running joke in their (and by extention my) circle of friends that they ought to change the gym to clothing optional, although no one took it seriously. Imagine their suprise when they found that their coaches agreed to do a clothing optional day! (With the exception of masks, of course)

This is scheduled for next week. I am personally waiting to hear what happens then, and whether or not we might really have nude gymnastics.

My daughter has kept up to her gymnastics practice at home and done them all nude. It will be interesting to see if the two girls carry on doing gymnastics nude and if this encourages others to do so.

Well, I am not much of a gymnast, but after hearing what happened yesterday at the gym, I would be tempted to join myself!

My friend, let's call her A, since I'm lazy about coming up with names and I don't want to violate her privacy, was a little nervous, and arrived at the gym wearing her regular street clothes. She saw that most of the other girls were also arriving clothed, although one girl (Not someone I personally know, but let's call her N.) was completely naked. As they walked in, N. was encouraging the others to strip down, since it was much more comfortable, and more practical. At her encouragement, a few of the other gymnasts disrobed once they entered the gym, although many of the rest were a little hesitant to get naked, due to fairly strong social stigmas.

Once the practice got started, it was clear that wearing street clothes was not a good idea, and a serious disadvantage. Those who were already nude had no trouble at all doing the exercises. A. decided to go ahead and undress, but only down to her underwear. Most of the other gymnasts did the same, until the head coach walked in.

Until then, the coaches were all still clothed, since they usually did not join in the student's warm ups. However, the head coach, S, was completely nude as well! That was the tipping point needed for a lot of the students, and most of them continued the rest of the practice nude.

While a few of the more shy students kept their panties and/or sports bras on, it was overwhelmingly a success. A. told me it was one of the best gymnastics practices they've ever had! As a matter of fact, they're considering holding one of these "clothing optional" days again, or even moving the entire gym to clothing optional. I personally would like them to do a competition like that just to see what the judges say, but I think that might not be allowed :(

Wow, that sounds great! So did A. remove her underwear to continue nude when the head coach was completely nude as well?

I take it the coaches are all female? While I think sex/gender should not matter when it comes to casual, non-sexual nudity, in an age of "me too" I understand full well that nude male adults in the presence of teens in a somewhat vulnerable position are problematic. In the Netherlands, where I am from, there has been a major problem with accusations by female top gymnasts of some male coaches abusing their position and displaying unacceptable behaviour towards them.

I could understand that clothing optional training may not be practical (and some athletes might feel pressured to undress (entirely or in part)), but as a compromise they could consider doing a clothing optional training once a month or so and see how that goes.

By the way, was the clothing optional training advanced? On Monday my time you wrote it was planned only for next week.