Why I despise organized sports (and some people who participate)

[undercover]

In theory, sports are great! They encourage camaraderie, foster relationships, teach valuable real world skills, etc.

In practice, it doesn't work like that. It's just a contest to prove who is better than who in an insignificant way. It's a place for insecure people to showboat their very particular skill(s) in a niche area that only helps very few people in the real world (ie. professionals).

I typically don't like any organized sport, but I like video games so I've been playing some competitive video games for about a week. And wow, the amount of negativity, rudeness, and general lack of respect for other human beings is insane. The true nature of people comes out in competitive situations ESPECIALLY when you can't see the other person's face. It's just insane - the level of disrespect and vulgar used. I much prefer general everyday society, which generally masks the shitty side of most humans.

I do like games, be it real life or online. I just don't like "sports". But I have found that I can't even play casually with people without them getting upset. I've found there are very few people who take anything positive out of losing and I just can't stand to be around people like this. I'm not saying EVERYONE is like this - just that the majority of people I come into contact with.

Anyone else feel the same?

[G-dog]

I played sports in high school, in college in the fun leagues, and then after in adult rec sports leagues. Never that great in any of the sports, but got to be okay in the one I stuck with.

High school was fairly miserable, I already was not one of the popular kids, and my mediocre athletic skills didn't help. But I stuck it out all for years for the exercise and possible increased skills. I lettered all four years (small school - I think everyone lettered in something if they went out).

College rec leagues were fun. Adult rec leagues were very variable - if you can get a compatible team together - it can be great fun. But all it takes to ruin that is one overly competitive or otherwise high drama person on your team, or a league with that type of environment, and it can quickly become a drag! A drag you typically pay to access...

I no longer play - the last experience was bad and I didn't bother to try again.

[BlueMR2]

Through high school I was big into organized sports.  However, as I became older I observed that overall, organized sports bring out more bad than good in people.  I'm now VERY strongly against organized sports.

[DagobertDuck]

The cycling and speed skating clubs I'm in are great clubs with great people.

[GuitarStv]

You are complaining about sports, but the only experience you've related is with video games - which are at best tangentially related at best.  What's up with that?

I've been involved with various competitive sports for decades now.  Boxing, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Tae Kwon Do, Aikido.  The competitive aspect of these sports is largely focused on determining how well you've learned the techniques you've been taught, and the pressure/intensity of going head to head with a fully resisting person helps you to gauge this better than any other way.  (For example, in BJJ when you start winning tournaments regularly you get promoted to the next belt level . . . and then get crushed for a few years while you adjust to the higher skill of the opponents.)  There's always someone more skilled, faster, and stronger . . . and it's always possible for a lucky punch or well timed throw to knock you out.  Maybe because of this, in hundreds of tournaments that I've participated in it has been extremely rare for me to see any showboating . . . and the norm is respect for the other people you're competing against.

Camraderie, respect, mental and physical fortitude, and valuable real world skills are all integral parts of the sports I've participated in.

[MayDay]

-I strongly avoid violent sports, and sports that cause head injuries (football, rugby, hockey, soccer headers).
-I strongly oppose youth sports being super competitive and so frequent as to cause injury.
-I am just not a competitive person so I don't "get" why other people care so much to the point they permanently damage their bodies and/or spend obscene amounts of money to get better.
-I also refuse to be the mom-taxi for my kids, so that seriously limits what sports they get to do. 

[Katsplaying]

Played volleyball & basketball in school & loved it. Practiced martial arts for 6 years in a very traditional dojo and loved it.

Coached soccer for Spawn's peewee league and hated the parents so much I bailed on kid sport coaching. Watched as other parents harangued and badgered subsequent coaches in t-ball & fast-pitch and wanted to gag them.

Started playing World of Warcraft in the WotLK days (about 6 yrs ago) and loved raiding with my team, until I didn't any more. My raid team was awesome and fun always, even when we died a million times trying to kill a boss. Tried battlegrounds & PvP and hated it. Random dungeons & raids or pick-up groups? Hate 'em. Too much raging when someone fumbles or fails, too much misogynistic/homophobic/racist/hateful bullshit over all.

There's a whole raft of studies coming out about how people interact under various conditions and why. Gamers in particular are prone to being hateful when they perceive themselves to be beta against other players but they're more respectful if they know the better player is another male, extra awful if they suspect or know she's female.

Just use the ignore/block and have fun.

[YK-Phil]

I am a bit of a loner. I neither understand nor have any interest in competition, in sports or in life. Almost every time I watched organized sports at the professional or amateur level and even with kids, I felt it drew the ugliest forms of behaviour, rarely from the players themselves, but mostly from supporters and parents. I prefer to challenge myself, not others. That's me, other people are different.