# Competitive Sport... do you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 15, 2004, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/competitive-sport-do-you/250444 "2004-06-15T08:27:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kymodoce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8797f3/32.png) [@Kymodoce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kymodoce)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/competitive-sport-do-you/250444/1 "2004-06-15T08:27:05Z")
What competitive sport do you compete in… and how old are you? I am interested in what sports different age groups compete, and can still be competitive. If I could limit this to sports which require considerable physical activity please… so, no darts, 10-pin bowling, golf, lawn bowls, beer-drinking etc. I am also interested to know how many people compete successfully at local or national level in these sports, and at what ages. You don’t have to be brilliantly successful, but you must be doing more than just making up the numbers. I myself am 43 and race a single handed sailboat (dinghy), competing at club, local and occasionally (and not too successfully) national level. How about you lot? Thanks in advance for any input. I hereby declare my first IMHO thread … open. ---
**Author:** ![Sisyphus\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sisyphus\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sisyphus_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/competitive-sport-do-you/250444/2 "2004-06-15T09:49:11Z")
My main endeavour in competitive sport is basketball. I love the game, it is physical at the same time as it’s cerebral. After that, I play Rugby, Rugby League, Golf, Tennis and I swim a bit (once beat Thorpie in an inner tube race). ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/competitive-sport-do-you/250444/3 "2004-06-15T13:23:14Z")
> [@Kymodoce](#): > > What competitive sport do you compete in… and how old are you? I am interested in what sports different age groups compete, and can still be competitive. > > If I could limit this to sports which require considerable physical activity please… so, no darts, 10-pin bowling, golf, lawn bowls, beer-drinking etc. I am also interested to know how many people compete successfully at local or national level in these sports, and at what ages. You don’t have to be brilliantly successful, but you must be doing more than just making up the numbers. > > I myself am 43 and race a single handed sailboat (dinghy), competing at club, local and occasionally (and not too successfully) national level. > > How about you lot? > > Thanks in advance for any input. I hereby declare my first IMHO thread … open. You want to rule out darts, 10-pin bowling, lawn bowling and then tell us you compete in sailboat? 😃 Well, up until a couple years ago, I still liked playing soccer, and then I destroyed my last knee. I still have competitive jones and satisfy them with poker and chess. ---
**Author:** ![EnginNerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ea924/32.png) [@EnginNerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EnginNerd)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/competitive-sport-do-you/250444/4 "2004-06-15T13:27:56Z")
I’m 24 and just started playing ice hockey recently. I also downhill ski a lot in the winter. I’m not sure if it’s really competitive with anyone except trying to do better than myself. I started running a lot recently too. Once I get better at it I hope to enter some easy races (mostly up-mountain trail running! :eek: ). So far I’m just competing against my own record times. ---
**Author:** ![Kymodoce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8797f3/32.png) [@Kymodoce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kymodoce)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/competitive-sport-do-you/250444/5 "2004-06-15T14:00:51Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > You want to rule out darts, 10-pin bowling, lawn bowling and then tell us you compete in sailboat? 😃 > > Well, up until a couple years ago, I still liked playing soccer, and then I destroyed my last knee. I still have competitive jones and satisfy them with poker and chess. lol, you’ve never raced a single handed dinghy, have you? 😃 Does this look like darts? [http://okdia.org/okdia\_old/pics/euro\_03/bartbeat10.jpg](http://okdia.org/okdia_old/pics/euro_03/bartbeat10.jpg) Anyone else compete at anything? ---
**Author:** ![Balle\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/13edae/32.png) [@Balle\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balle_M)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/competitive-sport-do-you/250444/6 "2004-06-15T14:23:34Z")
> [@Kymodoce](#): > > lol, you’ve never raced a single handed dinghy, have you? 😃 Does this look like darts? Nah…with lawn darts you at least have to stand up. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/competitive-sport-do-you/250444/7 "2004-06-15T14:27:12Z")
no doubt its more strenuous than darts, but if you want to lay out an order that goes something like running golf dinghy racing darts a lot of people are going to put their “dividing line” in different places there. I did play some competitive ping-pong last week. I used to play in a club. I was good for an american but pretty bad for a chinese man. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/competitive-sport-do-you/250444/8 "2004-06-15T14:42:29Z")
I’m a heavy fighter in the [SCA.](http://www.pennsic.net/cgi-bin/pennsic/photos03.cgi?cat=brand) I’m 43 and a diabetic. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/competitive-sport-do-you/250444/9 "2004-06-15T15:04:36Z")
37, and I’ve been racing bicycles competitively for about 13 years, mostly road (cat 2) but some mountain biking too. To put a number to it, my personal best for a 40 Km time trial is 54’02", which is not great for a cat 2 racer, but still a pretty damn hard effort. > [@Trunk](#): > > no doubt its more strenuous than darts, but if you want to lay out an order that goes something like > > running > golf > dinghy racing > darts > > a lot of people are going to put their “dividing line” in different places there. Golf? No way. I’ll give you that it’s not bad exercise if you walk the course and carry your own clubs, but it’s at a leisurely pace. I always thought golf should be a timed sport, with some sort of formula giving weight to number of minutes vs. number of strokes. And don’t get me started about professional golf. I thought it was hypocritical for them to make a case about Casey Martin using a cart, saying it was an unfair advantage over those who had to walk. Didn’t they notice that no one carries their own clubs? Get rid of the caddies, and then you can kick Casey out of his cart. Getting a little off topic, the most surprising sport I ever watched was badminton at the Atlanta olympics. That was a hell of a lot of fun. If people watched it, they would be hooked. ---
**Author:** ![Kymodoce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8797f3/32.png) [@Kymodoce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kymodoce)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/competitive-sport-do-you/250444/10 "2004-06-15T15:11:20Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > no doubt its more strenuous than darts, but if you want to lay out an order that goes something like > > running > golf > dinghy racing > darts > > a lot of people are going to put their “dividing line” in different places there. > > I did play some competitive ping-pong last week. I used to play in a club. I was good for an american but pretty bad for a chinese man. Yeah, i agree… there are a lot of misconceptions around. I think there are some things it’s hard to imagine. I think, I hope, I can sort of imagine what running, golf and darts at a competitive level are like… because I have run, putted and thrown, as have most people. I am not sure how anyone who has not sailed small boats can really imagine that though. It’s sports with a large physical aspect to them that I was thinking of though… running is fine, but have you seen darts players? 😃 Anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/competitive-sport-do-you/250444/11 "2004-06-15T15:18:53Z")
I’m involved with the equestrian sport of 3-day Eventing. A brief overview for the ignorant: [http://www.rk3de.com/eventing.cfm?id=13](http://www.rk3de.com/eventing.cfm?id=13) I compete at a local/regional level (in competitions sanctioned by our statewide organization), my coach is nationally ranked. I also play on an Ultimate Frisbee team, that’s basically just recreational though. I don’t see myself wandering into the competitive leagues any time soon. I’m 29. David O’Connor, America’s Olympic Gold Medalist in this sport from the Sydney Olympics, was 38 at the time and is still going just as strong as ever. Hey look, a cool piccy. [http://www.oconnoreventteam.com/davidolympic/pages/09IND.htm](http://www.oconnoreventteam.com/davidolympic/pages/09IND.htm) ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/competitive-sport-do-you/250444/12 "2004-06-15T15:27:26Z")
Softball in a rec league, here. I’m sure I’m not the only one on here who does this. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/competitive-sport-do-you/250444/13 "2004-06-15T15:36:36Z")
Eventually, I’m going to compete as a powerlifter, but I have a ways to go before I won’t embarass myself. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/competitive-sport-do-you/250444/14 "2004-06-15T15:48:17Z")
> [@Hello Again](#): > > I’m involved with the equestrian sport of 3-day Eventing. A brief overview for the ignorant: > [http://www.rk3de.com/eventing.cfm?id=13](http://www.rk3de.com/eventing.cfm?id=13) > > I compete at a local/regional level (in competitions sanctioned by our statewide organization), my coach is nationally ranked. From that site > [@](#): > > The Competition > DRESSAGE on the first day of the competition tests the gaits, suppleness and obedience of the horse through a series of prescribed movements. > > The CROSS-COUNTRY test on the second day proves the speed, stamina, courage, boldness and jumping ability of the horse and the rider’s knowledge of pace and use of the horse across country. > JUMPING in an arena on the third day of competition provides the final test of the horse’s athletic ability, conditioning and training. This sounds about as strenuous as darts. . .well, unless you’re the horse. ---
**Author:** ![RumMunkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@RumMunkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RumMunkey)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/competitive-sport-do-you/250444/15 "2004-06-15T16:05:29Z")
> [@](#): > > Eventually, I’m going to compete as a powerlifter, but I have a ways to go before I won’t embarass myself. Ditto for me and Golf… and I’m 28, btw. Well, not compete, but play with anybody besides my Father. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/competitive-sport-do-you/250444/16 "2004-06-15T16:20:06Z")
Rowing! It’s what I do and it’s a great sport. _Definitely_ an extremely physical one as well. You can learn at any age. I actually started when I was in college and rowed for the University of Texas. But I was an older college attendee and over thirty. (I was older than the coaches, one of whom was my younger brother) Now I row for the Austin Rowing Club and am on the Competetive Women’s Team. We travel to races all the time. (in fact, we’re going to a race in Oklahoma City this weekend) I’m 37 and the members of the crew range from 22 to 54. (BTW, if there are any lurkers out there in Austin who wanna learn how to row, come on down to the [ARC](http://www.austinrowing.org/), we’ve got classes running all summer and I’ll even be teaching a few.) At the end of August, we’re going to Us Rowing Master’s Nationals (in Oakridge, Tenn this year). This is a nationwide regatta with rowers of all age-groups. The masters races have a handicap by age and you get people who are still competing up into their 80’s. As far a successes go…I’ve won medaled at regional races with the occasional gold. This is the first year I’ve attended the National regatta so I don’t know how we’ll do yet. It’ll be tough because you get former Olympians going to this race. But we’ll do our best (and I’ll keep trying to lose these eight pounds so I can make weight). BTW, **Trunk** , you’re wrong if you think riding isn’t strenuous. Have you ever been on a horse? I was taken riding and jumping lessons for a while last year. Now, I’m in excellent shape and pretty strong and it kicked my ass. It takes a fair amount of muscle and skill to correctly ride and jump a horse. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/competitive-sport-do-you/250444/17 "2004-06-15T17:22:48Z")
Softball as well. Being on a team that celebrated breaking a 23 game losing streak by immediately starting a 19 game losing streak, I don’t know if we’re what you’d call competetive. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/competitive-sport-do-you/250444/18 "2004-06-15T17:39:27Z")
Screw you! I’m a dart player! I’ll not have you discriminate against me! They made “Bridge” an olympic sport, fer-crimmany-sake! 😃 Multi-time area champion, in both singles and team play, by the way. I’ll be competing in go-karts in the fall. But you probably don’t consider that “strenuous” enough. 😉 Not good enough for ya? How about Desert Racing, Hare Scrambles and Grand Prix Racing? (Off-road motorcycles! Kinda like motocross on a 40 mile loop! Makes sailing seem positively wussy!) Actually, I don’t do this anymore. But I did a while ago, and took some trophys in Nationals. I’ve been thinking about getting back into it, as an excuse to buy a new bike. The nice thing is that old farts can race in the Veteren, Senior or Super-Senior class and still do well. I’ll ski circles around you too, but haven’t done it competitivly since college. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/competitive-sport-do-you/250444/19 "2004-06-15T17:41:45Z")
A 40 year old rec league softball player here. I’d say I’m still competitive - I play shortstop and batted .800 last season. I also hit more home runs last season than in the prior 5 seasons combined (it’s gotta be the bat!). I would play other competitive sports but my “free” time is pretty much spent coaching my kids’ teams in baseball, softball and basketball. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/competitive-sport-do-you/250444/20 "2004-06-15T17:46:24Z")
Co-ed slo-pitch. Don’t laugh - I tell you, there are some people in my league who can play some goddamn softball. My team, the Free Agents (the name was my idea) have qualified for provincials two years running. We still need a decent shortstop though. We’re loaded with pitchers but have nobody to play the 6. We’re going to get murdered at provincials without better infield defense. God, I’m worrying already. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/competitive-sport-do-you/250444.md?page=2)