Hey, I am from Germany, so I am sorry, if this is a dumb question:
I got the impression that jockstraps are totally common in the US for guys to wear when doing sports. That is not the case over here. I ordered some a few weeks ago and I think it is the best underwear for working out or running. I got dumb comments from some buddies (which I don't give a f... about) cause nobody wears them here. So, do you guys grow up with them when you are an athlete?
We wore them in gym classes and for sports but I don't recall anyone wearing them for underwear.
Yeah, the jocks wore them in high school but I never had one myself (we did not wear them in gym class and my balls had an experience that made me wish we did).
You might de interested to know that ballet danseurs wear an undergarment called a dance belt. It serves somewhat of the same purpose as a jockstrap but is worn differently. The male puts the garment on and then lifts and places the penis upward in place with the testicles staying firmly below.
We wore them for team sports and for gym (Phys Ed) classes. I think now there are so many types of athletic compression shorts and other more comfortable and less silly-looking garments that offer support that jockstraps are strictly a personal preference or fetish kind of thing. Jockstraps never did much for protecting the wearer from blows to the nads - flying feet, knees, elbows, volleyballs, baseballs, racketballs etc are still a clear and present danger even to a jock wearer.
An athletic cup worn inside the jock offered the best protection from blows, but they tend to pinch and chafe and require constant adjustment, as any baseball fan can attest. A jockstrap alone was strictly for support so your nuts don't get sore from bouncing and jarring around too much (or hang down to your knees by the time you're 50...) which the compression shorts provide now. Both also help to prevent embarrassing fallout and inintended public exposure, a common risk when combining shorts and vigorous physical activity.
Jock straps are commonly worn by American males involved in athletic activities. I personally wore jock straps in playing football, baseball, and basketball, boxing, and martial arts. I have worn jock straps running and bicycling.
A jock strap provides great support for your penis and testicles, keeping them snug and in place. No bouncing or hanging, jostling, etc. that can really hurt and impair your athletic performance. I can't imagine playing sports with my testicles hanging loose. One could suffer serious damage with those things slinging around getting bruised. They are quite sensitive and tender.
Also, you can wear an athletic cup/catcher's cup to protect your nuts while playing certain sports. Baseball catchers always wear cups for protection. The cup can be worn in other sports where you're in danger of getting hit in the balls. But it can be uncomfortable or feel restricting when running and leaping.
Agree with all, in high school gym, which tend to have uniforms in US. However, beyond that, no. That said, I don't know what guys who need the hard cup (what they were originally designed for) are doing these days.
