What’s A Sport?

Here’s a broad question: What is a sport?

No, no, really think about it. What defines a sport?

It’s not just kicking a ball around; I just punted a balloon across the room and most people would agree that that isn’t a sport. Is anything that gets you to exercise considered a sport? In that case, are things like curling considered sports?

Yeah. It’s a pretty complicated question. But luckily for me, I’ve got time, and so do you. So let’s sit back and crack this question open: What makes a sport a “sport?”

Let’s review what we know about things that are definitely sports. Perhaps soccer. And while we’re talking about that, let’s include basketball and tennis, too. What do they have in common?

Well, they all make you undergo physical exertion. That’s something. And they all use a ball of some sort! Could that be it?

Ah, wait, no. Hockey, running, and ultimate frisbee are all common sports. And yet none of them use a ball at all.

Luckily, we’ve found one common trait! Physical exertion is required for something to be considered a sport. Okay, why don’t we find a second common attribute?

Perhaps it ought to be recognized as a sport by a bunch of important people. In other words, maybe the International Olympic Committee must recognize it as an official sport first. There, that’s settled. But wait a moment: synchronized swimming is an olympic sport, and many would argue that it is not. Speaking of that, chess is recognized similarly, and even more people would argue against that. And that doesn’t require physical exertion. It’s completely mental.

Alright, so we have to start from scratch again. What makes up a sport?

…You know what?

Maybe it’s not anything physical, or it’s anything about a regulation, or some specific people deciding it’s a sport, or being widely recognized. What if someone just has to recognize it as a sport?

Hear me out: You can argue all day with someone about whether or not chess is actually a sport. But even if you don’t think that chess is a sport, chess is as much a sport to that one guy as football is.

So what if no one here considers cheese rolling a sport? I’m sure there’s an entire town of people out there who celebrate such a tradition. Maybe a real “sport” just has to be passionately celebrated by only one person.

Who cares if the IOC says it isn’t? Who cares if some random guy on Reddit is willing to argue about it with you? At the end of the day, sports are about passion, anyway, so do it.

Go be passionate about something. Go define your sport.