Gymnastics isn't a sport.....NEVER!!

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SuperGirlmlm

Gymnast
My brother thinks that gymnastics isn't a sport, how could he?Obviously, he never comes to my practices/meets. People that think that just irritate me. It's like saying that what you do for 30 hours a week, and is so mentally and physically demanding isn't a sport!!
Does this bug you to? Or am I just overreacting?
Also, How can I convince him gymnastics IS a sport, and the hardest sport?
 
Seriously, how does "equestrian" rank as #1 while gymnastics is just a "judged activity"?
 
Dh's take on this is "if you can't bet on it, it's not a sport.". Personally I don't care whether you classify it as a sport or not. It has one of the most demanding training regimens to make it to the top - akin to boxing and hockey.

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^^Not saying I agree at all with this list, and I don't think equestrian should be #1, but I don't want anyone to get the impression that equestrian isn't a sport. Real horseback riding is extremely difficult...not only do you have to control your own actions, but you also have to control your horse's actions so that the two of you are perfectly in sync. Easy enough for me to know how to go over a jump, but I have to be able to translate that to my horse without words. And if you think riding is easy, please go take a lesson and see how sore you are the next day.

Sorry to be slightly off topic, but I have to defend my greatest love :]
 
^^^Completely right. I used to be a rider for a while. It is sooooo much harder than it looks. Wasn't as bad for me, since I was strong from gymnastics, but you should have seen my friend who I took lessons with trying to walk around afterwards. I still don't think it should be ranked higher than gym, though.
 
I don't know a thing about equestrian, and I would never suggest that it wasn't a sport (and I expect that it rivals gymnastics in terms of cost... at least you don't have to feed a balance beam!) but when he started out by calling gymnastics, diving, etc, NOT a sport, I figured that the things he would deem "real" sports would be things that involve a ball and/or physical contact of some sort... maybe with some bleeding thrown in for good measure. Didn't expect equestrian to top his list!
 
Umm...maybe I'm just pointing out the obvious, but if it's in the Olympics, it sorta has to be a sport right? Isn't that what the Olympics are? A sporting event? So it seems pretty, well, slow, for an article not to consider it a sport. And you can bet on gymnastics, not that I would, but you can bet on pretty much anything. I can bet you ten dollars my kid doesn't want to go to bed tonight, and I will win...but it is a sport to get her in there. ;-)
 
This is such fun....I'd like to see nominations for the most "non- sport" of sports, but first a disclaimer......No "non-sport" enthusiasts are to be harmed or exploited during this dicussion. I do not condone nor tolerate the harmful exploitation of any sport, no matter how "non-sportish", in my humble opinion, it may be.

I, with the most humble of intentions, would like to nominate shooting as a "non-sport". Please understand I do so with a heavy heart, and sadness. I was so looking forward to the day when the land animal shooting discipline makes it's way to prime time coverage, where we could then be mesmerized by Al, Tim, and Elfi as they bungle their way through another broadcast.
 
As a former competitive equestrian, I also have to say that equestrian is a difficult sport. The coordination and communication with your horse is incredible and something like cross country is very physically demanding. I can also say that riding competitions in some specialties are very subjective and prone to politics as much if not more than gymnastics. There were classes I didn't win simply because the judge didn't like the color of my horse (no kidding, really).

Olympic equestrian jumping (both stadium and cross country) is based on time and faults and is very cut and dry. Dressage though is a judged sport and open to subjectivity. So, I guess it depends on what part you look at. Three day eventing is the pinacle of all equestrian sports and in that you do all three and it is very difficult to be great at all three, much like being an all around gymanst.

But, I will also say that gymmastics, by far kicks any of those sports butt as far as difficult. My daughter physically works way harder at 8 years old than I ever did riding horses. The fact that he says "how hard can it be to win a gymnastics medal?" shows that this guy has absolutely no idea what he is talking about and should be ignored from now on.

I'd like to see him try to do a ROBHS on the floor, let alone three in a row on a 4 inch beam 4 feet off the ground. Or how about those release moves on bars or or or...... Just ridiculous.

If you search google for hardest sport in the world, gymnastics is always there and always in the top ten.

And now I stomp off in a huff. stomp stomp stomp :D
 
MaryA, my comment was not directed at you in any way :] I was just clarifying for future people reading this thread :p

I agree that the list is completely ridiculous and the guy obviously has no clue what he is talking about. I also agree, from personal experience, that gymnastics is way harder than any type of horseback riding (although cross country is the only discipline I haven't done, so I can't speak for that or for eventing).
 
I just realized: Isn't equestrian a judged activity too???

Depends what event, Dressage is judged but show jumping and cross country are time based (forgive me if i'm wrong). Equestrian is an incredibly difficult sport as well, and although I am more of a leisure rider I understand the difficulties in controlling another animal. It is challenging but I have to agree that gymnastics should at least be on the list somewhere.
 
This is a huge debate topic at my house. My husband calls gymnastics a hobby. He says that anything you do that doesn't earn money is a hobby. So in his mind gymnastics is right in line with knitting. I tried the whole well what about high school basketball, baseball, football and he told me those too are hobbies. I think he is insane.
 
My brother also says gymnastics is a hobby - (I think he says it tongue in cheek though!) I co-run a club pretty much all day every day - he tells me to go and get a proper job!
Perhaps people think of gymnastics more as an art?
There aren't many people who would call ballet a sport - but the physical demands on dancers are equal to those of rugby players.

As much as I believe gymnastics is a sport I can also see why some people get confused - it is very subjective - Ok, there are specific deductions for incorrect technique and penalties for falls etc, but with floor and beam at least, the judges have to decide whether there was enough artistry and then they can take marks off for something which like I said is subjective. What one judge likes, another might hate.
However that is why there are a number of judges and the scores averaged!

Perhaps we should round up everyone who doubts gymnastics 'sport' status and put them through level 4 - they might begin to appreciate how difficult it is then!
 
I don't know a thing about equestrian, and I would never suggest that it wasn't a sport (and I expect that it rivals gymnastics in terms of cost... at least you don't have to feed a balance beam!) but when he started out by calling gymnastics, diving, etc, NOT a sport, I figured that the things he would deem "real" sports would be things that involve a ball and/or physical contact of some sort... maybe with some bleeding thrown in for good measure. Didn't expect equestrian to top his list!

I've got daughters in both sports (gymnast and equestrian) training at fairly intense levels. In our experience, Gymnastics is a much more physically demanding sport and requires a better natural athlete. Riding is very difficult and yes the best riders are good athletes, but the true athlete in the equestrian world is the horse. But, they are very different and just about impossible to compare.

As far as cost goes there is really nothing I've seen that compares to horse riding. My gymnast is home schooled and training around 30 hours a week. We easily spend more in a month on horse riding than we do in a year for gymnastics, including meets, special training camps and travel.
 
I have been mostly lurking, but have to chime in here..... I always tell my dd that gymnastics is not a sport! It is a lifestyle. There are few other sports where you compete in your "superbowl" on sunday and then head right back to training on Monday. There is no real season. There is competition season, but training is year round. Sports mostly involve a ball and have a start and stop. My other dd plays many of them each year. Gymnastics is a cult like, time consuming, lifestyle combining 4 different events, complete fitness and year round dedication. Its not just a sport. lol
 
That's actually the article he read. Also, I know how to ride a horse, I've never jumped, but I've ridden, and gymnastics is way harder in my opinion.
 

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