SIF Assentoft, a sports club near Randers in Denmark, is offering children free slushies for showering after training. The reward is part of an effort to bring young athletes back into the changing rooms after sport.
The club runs two “shower weeks” a year, encouraging children to wash after training and matches. Those who take part receive a slushie, according to TV 2, which reported on the initiative on 23 October.
Club chairman Henning Jeppesen said many children now arrive already dressed for sport, having been dropped off by their parents, and leave the same way. They never enter the changing rooms.
Why the shower matters beyond hygiene
For Jeppesen, the issue is not only hygiene. He wants younger members to experience the informal conversations and friendships that develop after a match, sometimes described in Danish sport as the “third half”.
As he explained to TV 2:
“There is something before, and there is something after. And what comes after is taking a shower.”
Parent Mia Mikkelsen, whose son plays handball at the club, told the broadcaster that children can enjoy spending time together in the changing room, and that such friendships can help motivate them to keep playing sport. She said busy family schedules are a common reason other parents give for skipping the shower.
Anna Heide, a children’s sports adviser at DGI East Jutland, welcomed the use of small rewards. She argued that clubs need creative ways to rebuild a culture of showering together rather than assume the tradition will continue on its own.
The approach is not unique. In 2023, DGI described how a girls’ football team at Vallensbæk IF used shampoo, music and occasional snacks to make post-training showers more appealing.
Showering after school sport brings different concerns
The debate also extends to schools. A September 2026 report highlighted by Danish School Sports (Dansk Skoleidræt) found that seven in ten physical education teachers surveyed reported at least some difficulty getting pupils to shower after lessons. Among teachers of older pupils, 51 per cent described the problems as substantial. These are teachers’ assessments, not figures for the proportion of pupils who shower.
Interviews with younger pupils in the same research pointed to embarrassment about their bodies, limited privacy, insufficient time and problems with shower facilities. NordiskPost previously reported on concerns about communal showers at a school in Aarhus.
Danish School Sports says participation in physical education should come first and showering must not become a barrier to lessons. It recommends that schools develop safe and inclusive arrangements in dialogue with pupils, parents and teachers.
At SIF Assentoft, Jeppesen says the first shower week encouraged more children to shower and that some continued doing so afterwards. The club does not expect everyone to take part, but hopes the incentives can help make the changing room a regular part of team life again.
