I'm sure we've all been asked in PE to take our earrings out. What about that necklace you desperately tried to hide under your shirt? How about the ring you twiddle on your fingers while waiting for the ball to be passed to you? Surely a bit of bling is alright; so why do Physical Education teachers make such a big deal about it?
You may have seen famous athletes like Serena Williams wearing hooped earrings and silver necklaces. Others can be seen wearing studded earrings as they compete in their sport. So if these professional athletes wear jewellery how come we can't?
Firstly, though it looks pretty wearing jewellery while competing in sports it is extremely dangerous. This is because earrings or piercings can end up getting caught on items of clothing or accidentally pulled. Meaning it can cause your earlobe to tear or stretch because of the sudden force. In addition, earrings tend to have pointy backs that, which if hit hard enough, can pierce into your skin and potentially puncture / cause serious harm. Wearing necklaces and bracelets could lead to strangling and injury.
Next, wearing jewellery can distract you when participating in different sports. While you're running, you could hear the jingle jangle of your bracelet or end up having to stop to search for your ring that fell off. This could then lead to later injury when you get hit in the face with a ball because you're trying to reattach your earring. Nevertheless, it can also distract your teammates and opponents as they try not to pull on any jewellery. Though it is funny watching them dart around in an effort to stop being blinded by the light reflecting off your dazzling jewellery.
Another reason, is that it may affect the students' mental health as certain pieces of jewellery may hold sentimental value. Though surely this is their fault? Well yes! But that doesn't mean a student can't get upset over it. Jewellery can very easily get damaged (this can sometimes be fixable). Not only could it break but did you know sweating can actually cause a bad reaction to certain types of melting? It is also possible for the metal to wear down over time (this is unfixable).
Finally, wearing jewellery could not only cause danger to you but to others. In the case of you becoming injured, your jewellery becoming lost, or damaged it can cause you, other students, and sometimes even teachers to get in trouble.
So what do you think? Is it acceptable that we as students have to take our jewellery off when professional athletes don't even use tape to cover their piercings?
Written by Kara Palmer