According to RHS cross country coach Daniel Pereira, a new rule requiring athletes to be out of our school locker rooms by 3:05 after school this year was instituted in response to recent locker room misconduct taking place on other campuses nearby. The hopes are that this new rule will prevent similar infractions from occurring at our own school as well.

What this means for students and athletes is that the days of accessing the locker rooms at their own convenience are over, and full supervision is now required any time a student enters these facilities.

As a result, many athletes in particular have been left with a bit more hurry scurry in their pre-practice routines, knowing that once the doors close, they may well not open again until tomorrow – not even for the grabbing of personal attire after practice.

“We have to go into [the locker rooms], change, grab all our stuff, and keep it with us during game day because we can’t get back in afterwards” said RHS junior and varsity volleyball player Macy York.

Because their Coach, Dave Muscarella, is a man, locker room supervision is off the table for obvious reasons, leaving only the few minutes after school to change, and then no time afterwards even for the girls to get back in and grab their stuff.

And as it turns out, other teams face a similar dilemma.

In the case of junior Pearl Burton, a varsity cross country runner at RHS, she and many of her other teammates have found alternative ways to avoid the frenzy in the locker rooms, even hiding their sports attire elsewhere to avoid having it locked for the day in the locker rooms.

“Most of the time I just change in the bathroom because I’ll run out of time [in the locker room]” she said. “Since we don’t have a girl coach, I think the urgency applies a lot more to us.”

Despite the inconveniences, however, Coach Daniel Pereira is in support of these new changes, as they will foster a much safer changing environment for all.

“I know any change is tough, but I really think it is going to alleviate a lot of the messing around that goes on in there, and the theft that goes on in there.” he said.

Ultimately, while rules do pose as a burden for many, they do play their role in keeping us safe, and there is no exception in the case of this new policy geared towards providing a positive locker room experience for all.