Girls rule, boys drool. Boys stink, girls…well, not too fast there, clever elementary school kids. Rhymes on the playground are harmless, but the smell emanating from the team rooms and locker rooms are a different story.

Girls love to blame the boys – saying their football pads and cleats fumes are unbearable, well maybe take a whiff of your own cleats or knee pads. Not much different. This occasionally repulsive smell should reassure you that you worked hard, and whatever you are supposed to be doing, you are doing it right.

Women, the lotion you put on your legs and the sweet smelling deodorant you use should not be the overwhelming smell after you play a game. If you take a walk by your bag full of sweaty gear and roses or strawberries even cross your mind, something went wrong. I’m not saying smelling good is a bad thing, by all means, every morning a shower and some deodorant will go a long way. This is the first step to making friends. However, these lovely scents do not belong in a gym or a stadium.

Now we know all athletes smell, some more than others, but boys and girls are both at fault. Why do the boys get blamed? The answer occurred to me while siting in the training room with a bag of ice on my head.

An underclassmen football player was sitting across the training room getting his ankle taped by Stacy, the trainer. She noticed that the young boy still had blood stains on his tight football pants. She asked the last time he washed his pants,and after a little bit of babbling, she got her response – it had been weeks.

I’ll admit, sometimes I forget my dirty jersey in my bag until game day when it’s too late for a quick rinse. Emergency Febreze in the bag is crucial for a mistake like this, but Febreze can’t mask the smell of a whole weeks worth of workouts.

Although some more than others, we all smell. Dealing with it the right way is something that Paly’s athletes need a little reminder about. Invest in a seasons worth of Febreze, and get on a daily washing schedule (maybe consult mom about that one). For the smellier sports (soccer, football, etc.) or just smellier people, check out the “Febreze Sport Extreme Odor Eliminator”. I recommend a quick trip to amazon.com – a pack of 8 for only $47.31.