Written by Theodore, reporter in ISFM
Honestly, I don’t think you would have even dared click on this article, just because of the simplicity of the question and the fact that the answer seems so easy. If you think of the sport the kind this blog post talks about, it is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment (this is the exact definition written by Oxford Languages). Seems fairly basic, right? Not with me. I’m about to complicate this a whole lot more. If this is the definition of a sport, then playing video games on a computer would technically mean that it is indeed a sport. Moving a mouse requires a bit of force and pressing keys on a keyboard also is a physical activity. So they are indeed sports. But then why do some argue that they aren’t sports. In a scholastic news article about this subject, they say that in sports, you need to exercise more than just sitting in a gaming chair or on a couch and that it is more similar to a board game than hockey or basketball. But then, what would be a good definition? Well, the first written definition was even worse than the modern definition. It just said that it was something found by people entertaining. So that’s definitely out of the box. The only problem with the new definition is this part: “an activity involving physical exertion”. It is not very specific. A better explanation would have a minimum amount of energy (joules/calories) used to consider as a sport. But some sports have people who don’t move a lot (Goalkeepers in soccer,…) or people who don’t try the game and just wait so they don’t use up as much energy as the minimum amount in the new definition (The one we are trying to make). You might be thinking at this point: Why does this really matter? Well it doesn’t. This is just a random question that serves no useful purpose in everyday life (I mean, you should find it interesting if you have made it that far). So now what? Well if we say that it is something you play outside generally, then that could work. Video games, not a chance. Writing or anything of that kind, out of the picture! But what about pool or ping-pong/table tennis? Then that wouldn’t work since most people play inside. I’m not saying everyone does, but most people do. Okay, maybe just asking people could be the key. So I asked a lot of people about their opinion and here’s what they said: Some said it builds muscles but especially leg muscles, others thought it was a fun activity, and one said that all the players share a common goal. With all of these ideas, I think I can make a good definition. Here: “A sport is an activity that builds muscles after repeated activity where an individual or a team shares a common goal for fun.” This new definition does remove “The video game issue” and goalkeepers in soccer also dive and kick the ball. Plus, the fact that it said that you build muscles over time makes it more precise than the one I tried to make on my own. So I think that a definition similar to this one should be implemented. But even if you play sports but don’t eat healthy, then that won’t work. So in the end, I think that there’s no real or exact definition of a sport. Let’s just appreciate what we already have and goodbye!
Written by Theodore, reporter in ISFM
Leave a Reply