What Defines An Athlete?
In order to make a valid argument about which sport has the Worlds Greatest Athletes, we should first gain a better understanding of what defines an athlete… right?! (Look at your ceiling, then your lap, and repeat)…
Thanks for nodding!
Ok, now that you agree, lets get down to business. According to dictionary.com, an athlete is defined as, “A person possessing the natural or acquired traits, such as strength, agility, and endurance, that are necessary for physical exercise or sports, especially those performed in competitive contexts.” So really, by definition, Everybody and their dog qualifies to be an athlete…
This could be problematic.
But don’t worry, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Dictionary.com, also defines an athlete as, “A person trained to compete in sports.” Now isn’
t that much better! Well, ok, its not that much better but lets compromise and use this definition anyways. (By the way, what exactly defines a sport?)
So, yes while we may argue that basketball, football, baseball, soccer, tennis, etc., have the best athletes, in order to be just and fair, we must compare and defend them against athletes competing in NASCAR, golf, billiards, table tennis, fishing, and competitive hot-dog eating, etc. (Any underwater basket weaving champions out there?)
Alrighty then, in conclusion, an athlete is not strictly defined by their strength, agility, and endurance but rather, by their years, months, or days of training that enabled them to compete in a given sport. Make sure to keep this in mind when defending your choice of the Worlds Greatest Athletes.
(Somewhere neighborhood pizza eating champions, like me, smile!:)
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