In sports, every detail counts. From the right gear to mental strength, athletes do everything they can to outperform their opponent. Surprisingly, hair, often overlooked, plays a huge role in athletic performance.
For swimmers, it is best to have the least amount of hair possible to reduce drag. Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps once shaved his head to improve his swimming speed. Even though hair might not seem to have huge impacts, swimmers are timed up to a hundredth of a second, and can be the reason a person wins.
However, in sports like basketball or soccer, hair is up to how the athlete wants it to be. There are no benefits or downsides to hair length, but players with long hair could have a hard time seeing clearly during intense games and can also affect their ability to react quickly. Hair is a personal preference for most of the time.
In high-contact sports like American football or rugby, hair can be a disadvantage. It can provide opponents with an advantage. Tacklers might grab hair, and even in some cases, pull it out completely. This could happen both on accident and on purpose depending on the athlete. As a result, some athletes choose to keep their hair short or tie it up tightly to prevent this from happening.
“Hair is usually just for looks, but sometimes it can bring disadvantages in contact sports,” said sophomore Star Gu.
Hair can also be used to look a certain way. In sports that include fighting or physical contact, looks are the first thing people judge their opponent by. Hair can also bring confidence, an important element in sports, and players with confidence can perform better. Hair can also make people look tough, and change the way others perceive them.
“Sometimes your haircut can definitely leave an impression on your opponent,” said senior Luca Cutinello. “It’s a lot easier to take a person with an epic haircut seriously on the field.”
In conclusion, hair may seem useless in determining an athlete’s performance, but its impact on aerodynamics, comfort, safety, and looks is real. Whether it’s for speed, performance, or looks, an athlete’s choice of hairstyle can significantly change their sport performance.