Locker Room

I had to descend down a long concrete stairwell, perhaps enough to cover two stories, to a football locker room. The locker room was in the dungeon of the school, and I recall it sitting even below the boiler room. It was here that we received our football equipment for seventh grade, with the coach's office and equipment storage room sharing an adjoining room. Being in the bowels of a school, the rooms lacked any natural light, and were lit with a few florescent shop type lights. The room seemed much older than the school, which was built during the baby boom era. This was the locker room for the Sacred Hearts football team. I don't think the smell of sweat that permeated the equipment from budding hormones of adolescent boys ever left the equipment or the room. The showers were located up the stairs, down a hall, and were across from the cafeteria below the gym, which was much older. The locker room, like the cafeteria had been remodeled which was evident by the green and beige tile. This small locker room served the winter sport basketball team. 

My first locker room is a distinct contrast from the Division1 locker room of the Wisconsin Badgers. A recent article in "On Wisconsin", the UW alumni magazine which my wife Toni receives, had her thick red hair shaking in disbelief. My first locker room, was generally concrete block walls and concrete floors. There may have been a few mats, but I recall the metal tipped cleats clinking on the concrete floor. There was no tap dancing. Wood benches without backs were scattered around the room. Team meetings seldom took place in the locker room, but rather were out on the practice field, which was about a 1/4 mile walk from the locker room. I would have had only about a 300' walk from my house to the practice field, as our yard, bordered most of the south side of the Sacred Hearts athletic field. The boiler, which looked like it could have been the guts of Maryann the steam engine, lumbered and cranked depending upon the days temperature. The color of the room was institutional concrete grey. No paint, no decoration, just a simple space dedicated to kids looking to play a certain sport that allowed them to keep testosterone in check. The Badger locker room is red, which is the main color for the Badgers.

Photo of part of UW Football Locker Room
Source: "On Wisconsin", fall 2024

The UW football team locker room has red appointed stuffed seating that is three feet wide that folds to reveal ventilated storage. The article does not say if they are leather or vinyl covered. Below each seat is a back lighted logo of the motion "W" that is on the helmet. Just another thing to change if they change the logo design. I guess it lets you know what team you play on after too many hits to the head. If they can recognize the logo. Above the personal space is an illuminated display (again back lit) that features the athletes picture and name and some other stuff. Overdoing Badger red, the carpet is red as well as some of the lighting, which the article describes as low-lit, and says" "The low-lit room glows Badger red." Blood red is probably an appropriate color for a football locker room, particularly for a team who has an artificial surface. The red colored rug burns, and blood from cuts, will fit right in. Low light levels may be the only similarity the Sacred Hearts locker space had to the current Badger locker room.

A trophy case is present by the UW locker room, which is placed to add extra incentive, particularly since one trophy currently sits in Iowa. By the trophy case is shared space, which makes you think you are at a spa. there are lounge chairs, televisions, pool table, sleep pods, four foot deep recovery pools, and a saltwater float tank. There is also a nutrition room.  Add the barber and it is no wonder some players spend several hours there after practice. They have their own spa. A four square court is present, but hardly now used since Covid, as the writer said it is hard to compete with a cellphone. It is one big man cave. My wife understood the need for the deep recovery pool, and possibly the saltwater pool, but thought all else was above board. I wonder if the nutrition room serves lotus drinks?  My brother-in-law, Rick, had a couple lotus drinks at the BJ (that is for Boulder Junction) coffee shop when we were with them in Boulder Junction for a week in Sept. When ordering his first lotus drink he told the clerk he was turning in his man-card. Receiving coffee the next day, she told him his coffee had the blood of 2,000 men. She did not say to him, a Norwegian, if it was the blood of 2,000 Viking warriors.

Going out on a limb, I wonder if the UW serves new age (such as lotus) drinks in the nutrition room. Does this account for the lack of productivity on the field. A loss to Alabama was not unexpected, but by 42-10, could I say the team collectively lost its man-card? The Badgers have this week off to tend to their wounds before facing USC, in a revamped Big-Ten. Badger fans are still awaiting the arrival of the promised "Air Raid" offense. What the O-Coordinator and the head coach seem to lack is the understanding that the UW has really been a run oriented team, so to go to the promised "air raid" offense requires a culture change. 

My brother Steve who coached HS football for many years said with the pass four things can happen, and three of which are not good (sack, interception, incompletion). Passing offenses offer big gain, and that is why they are so popular. Rules have been changed to benefit the passing game, so statistics that compare stats from the 1960's or 1970's (and even 1990's and later) to 2020's is playing with numbers. it is like comparing rushing yards of a 16, now 17 game season to when the seasons had 14 or less games. 

Football is big business and D1 programs compete for talent, and each team searches for its edge. Years ago, "60 Minutes" had a segment on then Alabama coach Nick Saban. Not once, not once, was there a mention of academics or academic standards at the University. The edifice complex has spread to fields, as Bama's is Nick Saban field, and Camp Randall's is Barry Alavarez field. What significant figurer in football will get the restrooms named for them? Luke Fickell Restrooms. Chris McIntosh trash enclosure. I still await a name referred to as Tax Payer Field. To me, this all shows how far college football has floated from its academic roots, and even its early roots. 

When my Dad played in the first Cotton Bowl they traveled by train, and no practice facility was provided, but they found a pasture to practice in. I have to think I would be more at home in that basement concrete locker room when I was at Sacred Hearts. I do not need much frills. Football was, and is, a tough game, and the Sacred Hearts locker room reflected the game's grit. The game has changed markedly since 1971, and in more ways than reflected in the Badger locker room. So, Badger players, get yourself a lotus drink, and sit down on your padded seat to enjoy the televisions.