
Future sports (what is sport?) - qqn
https://spmx.ca/futureproof
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JohnFen
For my whole life, I've been asking sports people to define "sport" (as
opposed to a "game"). Nobody has ever been able to provide a good definition
-- this appears to be a "you know it when you see it" thing (and I apparently
lack the ability to know it when I see it!)

~~~
qqn
Same. I've asked several workers in the field over the years and have found it
to be based on two things: first, on several generally overlapping
characteristics, all ranked more on spectra than as binary requirements, and
second, on local culture.

An example of the first is that shooting is a little bit physical, so it often
checks off the "physically strenuous" box (if barely, but still more so than
chess). An example of the second is ex-Soviet Bloc states focusing on
strenuousness and competition with others, Scandinavians on health, well-
being, and more so competition with oneself, and North Americans on trying to
nail down just how physical the activity is, and if an audience is present.
These are just off-the-cuff conversations over about 2-3 years of work in
sport but still interesting to think about. Some have been recorded on
[https://spmx.ca/tag/sport-psych](https://spmx.ca/tag/sport-psych).

