An activity that involves an individual or a team that compete against one another for entertainment is known as a sport according to “Oxford Dictionaries”. Sports give people a chance to perfect their skills to become the best they can be. The word sport is extremely ambiguous meaning that there is no clear definition. People have debated over the years about what activities should become sports, for example cheerleading and pole dancing. If we are debating whether something should be considered a sport, I think we should make the following requirements. A sport must take some physical exertion or ability, and it must take physical skill. If you answer no to either of those requirements, it is not a sport according to Kelly Scaletta and her report on what should and should not be a sport.
In 2014 according to Scott Roxborough, 3.5 billion people tuned in to watch nations collide for the world cup. At this point in time, the earth’s population reached 7.2 billion according to the “2014 World Population Data Sheet.”, and half of them watched the world cup. There’s no better feeling than watching your nations best players suit up and play against other nations best players. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, no other sport even comes close. Soccer takes hand eye coordination, strength, endurance, and so much more. Professional soccer players are the best on this planet when it comes to touching a soccer ball. There is immense competition due to such a high number of people playing the sport. Not just anyone can lace up their boots and play professionally. If you want to become a world class athlete, you have to dedicate your entire life to master your craft, this is why soccer is a sport. Does it take physical exertion or ability? Yes. Does it take skill? Yes. Soccer is without a doubt a sport.
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Imagine winning millions of dollars by getting a pair of pocket aces on the flop in Texas holdem. Poker is a card game that has high risks and high rewards if your lucky. Not everyone is good at poker, and there are professional players, but they know how to play the game from a different perspective than the average person. Professional poker players know how to calculate percentages based upon the hand they were dealt, and what happens on the flop. They know when to holdem and when to walk away. Poker is not a sport in my opinion because of how much luck and chancer is involved. Poker games are held on some ESPN channels during the large million-dollar tournaments, but that does not change my opinion. My opinion on what a sport is has completely changed as of recently, but poker is still not one. There is no physical exertion, no physical skill, but there is competition. The most skill a poker player has to use is hiding their poker face.
Ever since I was a young kid, I can always remember myself playing some form of videogame from the Gameboy color to the PlayStation 4, I had it all growing up. I was always an average player who was always good at the games I played, but I wasn’t the best. E-Sports are people who took gaming to the next level by dedicating their time and effort. In E-sport competitions you have individuals who are on teams of up to 50 players. These teams go up against one another in a multiplayer game like rocket league or league of legends to win money, and to be called the best players on earth at that game. Sound familiar? Any player who plays a sport wants to be the best there is at that sport. For example, LeBron James is the best basketball player on the planet at this day in age. Fresh out of high school he dedicated his life to the game and is now considered one of the best to ever play the game. Although E-sports are a lot less glamorous than LeBron and the NBA, it still takes a crazy amount of skills to be a professional gamer. E-sports gamers need to have great reaction time, knowledge of the game, phenomenal hand eye coordination, and the ability to make split decisions on the spot. These are all the same skills that LeBron would use during a basketball game. Colleges have started creating E-sports programs at their schools. In the next 5-10 years E-sports are going to be huge. Does it take physical exertion? Yes. Does it take physical skill? In a sense yes, not anyone can be gifted with fast hand skill or eye coordination.
As previously stated in the intro, a sport is an activity that involves an individual or a team that compete against one another for entertainment. Pole dancing is a competition between a group of men or women where they use physical skill and their abilities. Pole dancing seems to be one of the most underrated sports that we have, and I think it is due largely to the history of the pole. When most people think of a pole dancer, they think of strippers. This couldn’t be any farther away from stripping and dancing. There are now large competitions held throughout the world to see who is the best at pole dancing. Being a dancer requires you to have strength, and stamina along with knowledge of how the body works. The average person cannot walk up to a pole and hold themselves there, but a professional dancer can with ease. Is there physical exertion? Yes. Is there competition between teams or individuals? Yes. Pole dancing is just as much a sport as golf. Pole dancing is an extremely underrated sport that deserves to be recognized as a sport and not as a thing that strippers do for money.
The beauty of sports is that you don’t need to be the best on this planet to play it, but it definitely helps. Anyone person can pick up a basketball and shoot it. All professionals were once kids who had to dedicate their own time growing up to their game. They haven’t always been the best. Sports represent the American dream by allowing equal opportunity for any person who has the highest aspirations and goals to be achieved. Professionals worked their entire life, sacrificed their own time and their families time to become something that not everyone can be. Sports teach us more than how to shoot a ball, they show you how to lead, communicate, how to lose, how to win, and how to become a better man in the end regardless of what happens. Being an athlete is something everyone should be proud of. Sports are a foundation for the leaders of tomorrow.
Citations
- “2014 World Population Data Sheet.” Population Reference Bureau, www.prb.org/2014-world-population-data-sheet/.
- Roxborough, Scott. “Soccer World Cup 2018: Global Audience to Hit 3.4 Billion, FIFA Revenue to Reach $6 Billion.” The Hollywood Reporter, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 June 2018, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/soccer-world-cup-2018-global-audience-hit-34-billion-fifa-revenue-reach-6-billion-1120071.
- Scaletta, Kelly. “Settling the Debates: Is It a Sport or Not a Sport?” Bleacher Report, Bleacher Report, 3 Oct. 2017, bleacherreport.com/articles/848465-settling-the-debates-is-it-a-sport-or-not-a-sport#slide1.
- Sport | Definition of Sport in English by Oxford Dictionaries.” Oxford Dictionaries | English, Oxford Dictionaries, 2019, en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/sport.
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