How many times have you been told to wash your uniform and not to share water bottles? Despite being told over and over again, many athletes still do not listen to this advice.

According to Stacey Kofman, Paly’s athletic trainer, sharing water bottles can be dangerous.

"The cold, flu, and many other sicknesses people carry can be transferred on and in the water bottle," said Kofman.

While the experts know this to be true, many athletes disregard the facts.

"Although I know I could get sick, I still share water bottles because there is such a low chance of catching something," freshman soccer player Jeff Er said.

Sharing water bottles is not the only thing that is not hygienic. Wearing sweaty clothes or pads, not showering and not cleaning equipment can also lead to a non-hygienic athlete, according to Kofman.

Kofman prescribed some steps to help athletes and others stay clean and hygienic. First, athletes should take a shower after every practice and game. Second, they should clean their equipment such as shin guards and gloves after use. Athletes should wipe down any extra padding worn during play as well. Lastly, washing dirty uniforms, practice jerseys, and other clothing, preferably in hot water, is essential for good hygiene.

When it comes to specific sports, football is the most unhygienic activity, according to Kofman. Football ranks the highest in the dirtiness contest due to all the extra padding and all the sweat combined with the fact that few football players wipe down their sweaty pads after use.

"Most of the players on the JV football team never take their pants home to wash. You see them walking around with pants that have sweat, dirt, mud and everything else on the field," Kofman said.

The next most unhygienic sport is wrestling.

"With wrestling and all the sweat comes ringworms," Kofman said. "It is contagious and easily spread when one wrestler is in contact with another. Luckily I haven’t seen too many cases of it."

While boys’ sports are typically the most unsanitary, Kofman says most athletes are aware of their personal hygiene.

"At Paly most athletes are good about their hygiene," Kofman said. "Of those athletes, the majority will be girls. Girls are more aware of their hygiene and take action."