COLUMN: The age-old debate: What constitutes a ‘sport?’
It’s a debate that can be traced back to the 1300s when the word originated.
What constitutes a “sport” exactly?
Few argue soccer, football and basketball are not sports, but debates rage over the likes of cheerleading and NASCAR.
First, let’s take a look at the roots of the word.
The term came from the word “desport,” which means to divert or amuse oneself, but what few realize today is that the word was used as a verb or adjective, not as a noun as we want use it in this day and age.
We still use the verb and adjective forms, but the debate rages because there is no solid evidence to support the use as a noun. We sport our teams’ colors, we wear sports clothes, but we can’t agree on what a sport is.
It doesn’t help that the terms sport, game and competition can and are used pretty interchangeably.
The most common attributes in defining what is or isn’t a sport are threefold. There must be an element of competition, and a certain level of physical or athletic skill is required.
So here’s a few criteria to consider when determining the legitimacy of a “sport.”
An element of competition
1. Is it worthy of its own national association? Let’s face it, there are a handful of clear sports based on the presence of a country-wide league. Football has the NFL, Basketball has the NBA, baseball has MLB, hockey has the NHL and soccer has the MLS.
2. Is there some form of a scoring system? This is pretty critical if there’s going to be any form of competition. Without scoring, you have no winners and loser, ergo no competition.
3. Is defense a relevant and significant factor? Some argue that some events are nothing more than a skills exhibition because athletes cannot prevent their opponents from winning. All they can do is obtain the highest score they can and hope it’s better than the competition.
There is one caveat to this attribute of a sport. “Sports” can be played recreationally or competitively.
A physical element
1. The biggest factor here is how much skill is involved. Does it take a significant amount of ability to perform the tasks involved? The more skill or athleticism it takes, the more likely it is that you’re playing a sport.
2. Another defining factor is that sports require a lot of physical preparation and training. It ties in to skill level, but consistency is established by repetition, which takes time and energy. Some are born with a plethora of natural talent, others work at it, but even those born with natural talent have to work to maintain and excel.
A mental element
1. Perhaps more difficult at times than the physical requirements is the mental focus level of athletes. A true sport will require strong mental focus and discipline.
2. On top of physical preparation, mental preparation also helps determine the validity of a sport. Just look at some of the best athletes out there. Often their pre-game routines involve mental exercises like breathing rhythms or listening to music to get them in game mode.
If it’s something that you can excel at without much effort – physically or mentally – odds are it fails the “sports” test.
If all three elements are present, it’ll be hard to disprove it as a sport. Not all attributes of each element have to be there, but if there is some form of competition, a level of physical skill or athleticism and a mental aspect to the game, your odds are good.
But because of the root definition of amusement or diversion, the debate will rage on.
– Curtis Lundstrom is a proud husband and father and aspiring sports journalist and referee. A junior in print journalism, his life ambition is to bowl a perfect 300. Send any comments to curtislundstrom@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter: @CurtSport07.