Sexuality Question, confusion under shower

Hi Tony,

I know you don't see "communal showers" much anymore but when I was growing up that's all that there was.  Yes, we had to shower after sports, baseball in my case, too.

The first time it can be a bit weird seeing your friends naked.  Try not to look below the waste.  It's OK to get an erection, don't make a big deal of it and hopefully it will go away soon.  You won't be alone in the awkwardness.

Remember, erections are NORMAL.  If you get one and anyone comments on it just ask them why they were checking you out - throw it back at them - nicely.

It's just a shower.  You don't have to make it a long one.  Just get in, get wet, and get out.  You don't need a 15 minute shower like at home.

Good luck.

When I was 9 I took swim lessons at the Y, and us kids had to shower in a large communal shower with naked men also using the showers. It was very arrousing, as it was the first time I had seen naked adults and I enjoyed looking at their penises and balls, which I had no idea would be so big and hairy. I kept my swimsuit on in the shower but I was very aware that my penis was hard and standing straight up. Some boys my age took off their suits and went naked in the shower and locker room, and I really wanted to also, but I was too afraid of getting in trouble for having a boner.

That is a common problem with boys I played football for several years and plenty of kids and Pop Warner would get erections what I did was I just thought of a math equation or something like that I just try not to look I mean they're all the same little bigger little smaller but they're all the same don't stress about it so much.If you were naked with girls I will bet you get an erection also,its the age your at everything is exciting!

Humans are a "visual" animal, and we males, particularly, respond to the sight of others (including our own gender) often with sexual thoughts or feelings, even unconsciously. It happens to human beings -- you are perfectly normal! The other boys MAY look at you just as you look at them, that's not a threat or judgment of you, so try to just ignore it. It's natural, and it DOESN'T mean you are interested in having sex with them. It DOESN'T mean that you are automatically "gay". But we often judge ourselves and try to find our place in the scheme of things (including things sexual)  by comparing ourselves to others. This happens in most areas of life, doesn't it? So comparisons iin the shower don't necessarily mean any more than that. Certainly, if you are uncomfortable revealing yourself to others by getting naked in front of them, you should not be forced to do so. This may require some creative avoidance or situational adjustments, or even adult intervention on your behalf. There is no shame in that.

As to your own curiosity, as you may feel it, you have been gifted with a healthy human awareness of things sexual / sensual, and that is a good thing! Don't ever be ashamed of your feelings, or let others pressure you to deny them. Obviously, society requires boundaries and certain public conduct, but quietly acknowledge and revel in your emerging sexuality. Think calmly and rationally, and explore your responses to what you see of the other boys in the shower.

Don't be afraid, and good luck!

This is one of those that make me wish I knew how long ago it happened. It would give me a handle on the writer's perspective. It could have been 70 years ago, in a more innocent era. Looking back after a long life of experiences, including sexual experiences, would give you a different perspective than you'd have as a 10 year old remembering what happened last year.
As far as a 9 year old "getting in trouble" goes; He won't get any trouble from the men. If he had taken his swim suit off and just taken a shower, erection and all, any man who noticed would have chalked-it-up to a little boy reacting to the novelty of seeing full grown men for the first time. They'd know they would look like jerks if they gave the little a hard time. By the 3rd or 4th time, if not the second, I'd be no more erections. It would take something new to get him hard.
His fellow 9-year-olds could be another matter. They could be saying. "If I can do this without getting hard, why can't you?!" And may of them don't have the maturity to say, "If it is a problem, it's his problem. I'll keep my thoughts to myself." I would still rather see him take the suit off and be and be thought and remembered as "one of the boys" rather than "the scardy-cat who is afraid to take off his suit like the rest of his friends". There is a certain comradery that comes from guys all being naked to shower, to swim, or to do something else non-sexual together.

A very wise and reasoned answer -- nicely done !