Is FIRST a Sport

[Cody Carey]

FIRST is not to be compared with NASCAR, motocross, or any other vehicle related sport. When you drive a robot, you are not ON the robot, moving at 35+ Mph and having to think about the fact that if you make one mistake, you could very well lose your life.

The reason that saying FIRSTis a sport belittles Athletes is because it says "Yeah, we do the physical activity that you do AND are smarter than you" We don't participate in the same level physical activity at all.

[Andrew Blair]

Generally speaking, sports require long preparation, quick action, and immense physical exertion. FIRST is all these things, except physical. The only workout I get from FIRST is standing all day on an empty stomach, and maybe blood loss.

However, I prefer FIRST, which I call a competition, in most respects, to my other major "sport", soccer. There is no need to say FIRST is a sport because you turn a wrench, because its fine as it is, without the title of "sport". Besides, there are other advantages: with the title of "sport", you have to take showers with other guys...

[Alex Minot]

THis is an issue which i have brought up with my school administration. While i personally believe FIRST is a sport, my school apparently does not . Here is a copy of the letter i sent to my principal on this topic and also on varsity letters.

[Eric Scheuing]

Yeah, it's a sport. Don't know if the schools count it, but you know, that saves us fees...

[WernerNYK]

There is the front cover of the Mass Academy tri-fold brochure that reads: "Where ROBOTICS is a varsity sport"

[Michael Corsetto]

I strongly believe that robotics is a sport. It has developed into my sport. I personally am a very athletic person and I had plans of playing soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring. But when I started high school I discovered robotics, and needless to say I was hooked.

So I still played soccer in the fall, but abandoned playing basketball or baseball because it conflicted with robotics, and I'm not even playing soccer this fall because I want to focus on robotics.

Ok so anyway, I think that robotics is definetly a sport, just not so much a physical sport as a it is mental one. There are some minor fun physical aspect to the game which do take skill, but a majority of the skill come from the head.

So anyways, our school has spirit week next week, and monday is sports day. So I'll be wearing my team shirt and labcoat, with some saftey goggles on my head and a couple of poof balls in my hands.

Mike C.

[Cody Carey]

( NOTE: these are my opinions... and I'd rather not get bad rep for them )



I believe that first is a club, it is a game, it is a competition, and it is a learning experience, but it is not a sport. Go into a sport store... Will you find and ounce of extruded aluminum, or maybe a speed controller... no, you won't. Also, I don't know about you, but I'm winded after a running a city block, my mile time was 7:40, and I can't do more that 8 pull-ups anymore. I am not an athlete, and I am not in a sport.

More than once, I have had to lift the robot, but I lift it for maybe 5 seconds at a time, and maybe once every 5 minutes (at a hectic time). Weight lifters do this for hours on end, and with far heavier weights than 120 lbs, especially since the 120 lbs is usually shared between 3 or more people. I have also had to make a "mad dash" to get to my driver station on time... but as anyone who has done this while pulling a robot through a crowd can attest to, my maximum speed was 5 miles an hour, hardly a brisk pace. Once again, I am not an athlete, and I am not in a sport.



Another thing. If my friends all of the sudden make a “fantasy walking league”, does that make walking a sport?



I have a feeling that a lot of us here in FIRST only want to consider this a sport so that we can check the little box on a survey that says “I Participate in a high-school athletics program." And pat ourselves on the back for being "just as good" as the football, or basketball players. I won't hold myself to those standards, because I don’t play in a sport, and I am not an athlete. Truth is... We, being children of FIRST, have a much better chance of succeeding in life while doing what we want to be doing than a football player does. Tell me a sport that 3 teams have to band together to win... show me a sport that the athletes are as friendly with their opponents as they are their allies.



And one last point... is this webpage... It gives a brief history of sports.

http://fermi.univr.it/cla/webclass/Facchinetti/motorie/02-03/origin_of_sports.htm

I am convinced that FIRST is wholly different from a sport... Convince me otherwise


P.S. If you do have a problem with this post, please take it up with my inbox and not my rep box

[FightMeImIrish]

First of all, GB330033 is completely correct. He presented logical arguments, and instead of logical replies intended to provoke thought and productive conversation, most of the responses are complete nonsense.

The main problem here is that many people are acting like FIRST not falling into the catagory of "Sport" somehow invalidates it.

The FIRST robotics competition is awesome. It often changes those that participate in it for the better. It is an excellent opportunity to learn things about science and technology that you would not have the chance to learn about otherwise. In my opinion, it has more to offer than most "Sports".

However, all of these benefits and everything else that is great about FIRST, Does not change Reality or the definitions of words.

That being said, a "Mental Sport" is called a game. It is Difficult, Strategic, Fun, and it requires Intelligence and Mental Acuity. BUT, That doesn't make it a Sport. And anyone who thinks that lifting a toolbox makes them an Athlete, has NO understanding of how hard a real athlete works EVERY DAY. Again, that is not meant to belittle anyone, that same athlete would have no understanding of what goes into the building of a robot.

I believe it is, but outsiders that do not understand all of the aspects of FIRST do not...they just see us as a bunch of tech geeks (we are but we're proud of it.

and first is much more than a techie gathering

[LightWaves1636]

A new form of sport is how I precieve it. The sweat, the pressure, the practice! the sport of Engineering.

[Master Dictator]

I see it as a Team but not a Sport.

[Daniel_LaFleur]

Heres my opinion.

FIRST is a sport And here are my reasons. FIRST is a non traditional type sport the same as NASCAR is, where the vehicle is the 'athlete'.

Now, before you say that a person needs to be the athlete (as dictionary.com says) Take a look at Thoroughbred horseracing or greyhound racing. Both are sports but the 'athlete' as not a person but an animal. In todays day-and-age machines replace the animal, but the sport remains.

I guess it depends on your personal definition of sport (not just Dictionary.com's definition). My definition is an activity that requires skill and strategy to win a competition under a specified set of rules. FIRST satisfies my definition.

[pwilczynski]

Originally Posted by Daniel_LaFleur

I guess it depends on your personal definition of sport. My definition is an activity that requires skill and strategy to win a competition under a specified set of rules. FIRST satisfies my definition.

I agree with Daniel that it depends on each person's personal definition. However, I also think that
A) this is a great chance to try and get to the bottom of this whole FIRST thing
and B) Just a fun little argument with a little gracious professionalism sprinkled on top

However, to counter your point about an "activity that requires skill and strategy to win a competition under a specified set of rules," I will provide the Dictionary.com definition of a 'game.'

An active interest or pursuit, especially one involving competitive engagement or adherence to rules

I think that you will agree that this places FIRST into the catagory of game/compitition. I also think that FIRST would agree itself, as it has never called itself a sport (except as a 'sport for the mind'), but has on numerous occasions called itself a competition (FIRST Robotics Competition) or a game (FIRST Game Design Comittee).

Originally Posted by looneylin

it involves the strategy of a sport and the physical exertion. so sure, why not?

I think that this statement undermines what makes FIRST different from a sport, the fact that one does not use the same type of physical exertion as sports. FIRST exertion is fatigue due to loss of sleep, of frusteration due to a broken robot, or lifting a couple of pounds of corregated aluminum. These are totally different types of exertion from the exertions required to play sports (i.e. running quickly, lifting very heavy weights (not including robots, which are normally lifter by more than one person), or jumping).

Originally Posted by Martinez

More food for thought. Would you consider those robo puppies playing soccer to be a sport? I sure do.

Perhaps a sport for the robots, as I have said FIRST is, but you couldn't argue that the people involved were using any extraordinary amount of physical activity, much like those in FIRST.


As always, my two cents

[Matt Attallah]

If you where apart of the 2003 Nats - you rember going up and down thoes ramps.

I rember it quite well - and I consider it a sport...

[indimay15]

Originally Posted by Daniel_LaFleur

Heres my opinion.

FIRST is a sport And here are my reasons. FIRST is a non traditional type sport the same as NASCAR is, where the vehicle is the 'athlete'.

Now, before you say that a person needs to be the athlete (as dictionary.com says) Take a look at Thoroughbred horseracing or greyhound racing. Both are sports but the 'athlete' as not a person but an animal. In todays day-and-age machines replace the animal, but the sport remains.

I guess it depends on your personal definition of sport (not just Dictionary.com's definition). My definition is an activity that requires skill and strategy to win a competition under a specified set of rules. FIRST satisfies my definition.

I just want to say that jockeys in Thoroughbred horse racing are athletes. If you disagree, you try standing up in the saddle of a horse going 45mph and see how you take it. lol "And though they be but little, they are fierce!" haha