Hardest, most demanding sport in the world?

[~Master~ Button Mash 2,307]

I have never played sports (hope to change that) so I might be ignorant, but IMO the most demanding sport in the world is wingsuit BASE jumping, both physically and mentally.

Extreme sports count, right? Just go watch any episode of "Ultimate Rush" and tell me that's not demanding...

 

Now, out of more "traditional" sports, I'd say Aussie Rules Football is the most demanding... Edited March 4, 2013 by AtomicBassCannon

[An Old Head 4,816]

Water polo. That sport is overlooked a lot because it's not played very much - but in terms of physical demand, it's the most difficult sport to play by far. Typically, during an 8-minute period of play, you can expect to swim 3 kilometres. Games can have four periods. So not only do you have to be insanely quick at swimming, you need the stamina and the lower body strength to keep yourself swimming with your feet so that you can use your arms to catch the ball and defend other players.

 

It's worth reading up on. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_polo

[Aaramus 449]

Normally I'd go with Kickboxing as both the training and the fights themselves require a lot of fitness, skill and endurance. Now I've done 5 round matches within my club and it's very hard to keep your concentration and try and pace yourself in those situations.
 
That said I've starting getting back into Rugby and I find that to be a lot more demanding mainly due to more running and the team plays plus you just get slammed to the ground so often!. I'm not going to call the guys who play American Football wimps because they are quite the opposite but Rugby players are a lot harder. The Six Nations have been on the last few weeks and watching it just shows how the pro guys managed to take tackles that would seriously injure anyone else.
 
I'm going to go with rugby with Kickboxing/Boxing close behind.
 
I also feel this backs up my argument

 

Edited March 3, 2013 by Aaramus

[Titan Rising 2,156]

Whoa whoa whoa, them's fightin' words.

 

As a football player myself, I'd be lying if I said I didn't take offense to this.

What exactly makes it a wimpy sport to you? The fact that we wear pads? Buddy, the padding we wear is so that we don't break something every game, and it happens alot more than us as players would like to imagine.

 

As to hockey. Hockey is a physically demanding sport as well, however, it lacks that ultra concentration and knowledge necessary to succeed in football. Like OP said, it requires a knowledge and understanding of 100's of your own plays, 100's of the other teams, you position, field position, wind speed and direction, footwork, and so much more that it'll make your head spin.

Take it from an New Jersey football state champion that it is not an easy sport, and much less are we wimps for playing it.

pfft Cause man football players and basketball players are always cryin when things dont go their way.  Not all of em of course but comon.  At the highest level Hockey players constantly get bashed out on the ice while exerting just as much effort as a football player has to, probably more because they usually have to stay out on the ice longer than plays last in football.

 

And on top of that, I'd also say its far more difficult to score a goal in hockey than to make a touchdown in football.  Maybe you don't need to memorize a hundred plays, but often the only ways to score are either from a breakaway or setting up a perfect reflex based shot where no one really has time to think.  

[Akemi Homura 7,680]

 

pfft Cause man football players and basketball players are always cryin when things dont go their way.  Not all of em of course but comon.  At the highest level Hockey players constantly get bashed out on the ice while exerting just as much effort as a football player has to, probably more because they usually have to stay out on the ice longer than plays last in football.  

 

The opportunities you get in football and coincidentally basketball are much less than what you get from hockey. Out of all the sports, football places a real emphasis on field position because if you turn the ball over... that's it, you're done for that one series. So you can't really blame a guy for missing out on a chance to score or something because that might just be one of those rare moments to get something going. In hockey you can give the puck away but slam the other guy back and retrieve it. Actually, this issue is a wash... I would say that the whining and moaning is a sign of someone wanting to win badly. That's what you have to create for your team... it's a reflection of your competitive spirit.

 

 And on top of that, I'd also say its far more difficult to score a goal in hockey than to make a touchdown in football.  Maybe you don't need to memorize a hundred plays, but often the only ways to score are either from a breakaway or setting up a perfect reflex based shot where no one really has time to think.

 

In football you really only have three chances to get even one play to succeed, or otherwise you risk turning the ball over on downs. It's not just that you have to score touchdowns -- you have to move the ball down the field (often 80 yards  and score with the downs creeping up on you. So if you can't get a first down in the allotted four downs (in the fourth down, you have to punt), you'll be left with a failed series. And then try scoring on the goalline -- there's a whole bunch of linemen waiting to pounce on you in the backfield if you go in the wrong direction, losing a precious down and you then may have to bring the field goal unit out which is frustrating.

 

Catching even one pass is never a given because hey, you'll be sandwiched between a linebacker and a safety most of the time... which hurts a lot.

[duidamasterXD 9,627]

Having never played or really followed Football extensively I do say that you make and excellent case for it. Especially on terms of a full season. You've persuaded me that it is insanely difficult, and I certainly wouldn't insult its difficulty. It may well be the hardest.

 

I will throw out two others that I think are worthy of mention though.

 

Ultrarunning: Ever since I read the book Born to Run I've had insane respect for anyone who does this. Running a 100 mile race over the span of 18-19 hours takes incredible physical conditioning, without even going into the kind of mental focus you need to keep at it and keep motivated for that long. I can't even imagine. Again, not a season but worthy of mention.

 

(Conditionally) Tennis: I know some of you are preparing to jump all over me for even daring to think of tennis as being even close to as hard or demanding as any of these other sports, but I think under certain conditions it can be. Prime example is the 2012 Australian Open Final. Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic went at each other for over six hours, in this bloody war that left them barely able to stand afterwards. Take it from me when I say that whatever your preconceptions of Tennis are, these are two of the greatest athletes in the world.

 

During a match like this, every little flaw in your game is probed, hammered at, and probed again. You are made to make a million snap decisions over and over and over. Too aggressive? You miss a passing shot and Nadal breaks your serve, and is one step closer to ruining everything you've worked for over the course of two weeks. Not aggressive enough? Djokovic hammers a 100mph forehand and screws up all your momentum and confidence.

 

A lot of this depends on the surface and the opponent though. The Australian Open is really slow, leading to longer rallies and more time in the 95-100 degree heat and ultimately more potential for a 5 hour slugfest when two people with similar abilities and resolve go at it. Keeping your concentration and confidence up over this long is extremely difficult, especially when the other guy is exploiting every mistake you make to the fullest and playing little mind games with you.  On the opposite end are the faster surfaces, which are generally less physically demanding but are very mentally demanding. When every serve is a 130-140mph bomb or a 100mph kicker that almost bounces over your head at times, the whole thing can come down to one or two key points and who can capitalize on them. Knowing that where the ball lands by a single inch can decide whether you win or lose can create stupid amounts of pressure.

Finally the whole season standpoint. This is slightly trickier as to some degree professionals can set their own schedules, but for the top players typically the longest continuous break they get during a year is about 3 weeks. This is all the time they have to fix any problems with their games, unlearn bad habits and set new ones. You can take time off, but this will result in loss of money and ranking, and ultimately cause you to play higher ranked people earlier in tournaments. This makes scheduling decisions really difficult and often pros play five tournaments in five different countries in five weeks. This is freaking exhausting, especially when adjusting for different surfaces and opponents.

 

For the record, I don’t think tennis is the most difficult by a longshot, but I do think that at least at a professional level its difficulty is underrated. Might go with Football because the OP was pretty convincing.

[mycarhasaMoustache 449]

I would say the skeleton bobsleigh you basically fly down and icey hill face first on a skate board going 60mph and hitting 4-5 times the earths gravity in the corners.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

Three words

Tae

Kwon
Do

 

My goodness

 

Several moments of my career I thought my master was gonna strip me of my belt and make me start at white belt all over again. 

 

One minute you're energetic, pumped and smiling, ready to go through the day's/evening's workout. The next thing you know, you're down on the floor either doing pushups or situps all because you forgot how to do one single kick, form or self-defense technique for your rank.

 

Oh, those days when I entered the dojang to the smell of sweat, the sweet melody of yelling and the good feeling of having your heart pumping giving you the energy you need to push through the class.

 

You know, my career as a Tae Kwon Do student reminds me of the MLP episode "Wonderbolt Academy", because it was not just about pushing yourself, it was about pushing yourself to the best you can be. Some pushed themselves just to impress. But my master, he said that I pushed myself, because I wanted to see myself succeed.

 

Every time class was over, I looked at what was known as The Black Belt Wall. Below the title, a quote stuck me: "All know the way, few actually get there." 

 

7 years after I joined Tae Kwon Do, I made it. Black Belt was mine. But it wasn't over yet. There are 9 different degrees of black belt. I was going to try my best to get to the highest. Unfortunately, school and other stuff got in the way of my training. 

 

But, amidst of all the other stuff, I was still able to train. I made it to 3rd degree black belt. After 2.5 years of training, I pulled it off. There were many stumbles along the way. One time, I almost got my belt taken away (yeah, it's that tough). But one things for sure, I will never forget the words my master said when he tied that brand new 3rd degree black belt around my waist with its shiny new Korean text. He said: "Congratulations, you deserved it." I began to smile, but try to hold my emotions back. Although I'm not training anymore, I'll always remember my time in Tae Kwon Do. For me, it was not just going to the dojang to train and rank up, it was a journey, a long and hard journey. Tae Kwon Do not only focuses on the physical, but also the mental and spiritual. 

 

This is why, I say, Tae Kwon Do is the hardest demanding sport, because it takes commitment  determination and most of all, your will to succeed. 

[The Rainbownator 42]

I thought that I'd be "that guy" so I go for chess lololololololololololololololol..........but in all seriosenesnesnesnes I'd probably have to say british football ( I don't really sport that often ).

[Finesthour 7,287]

I would say American Football is the most demanding sport there is. Whether you are on Offense or Defense, you are usually doing something. Such as a Wide Receiver can also be the one to return the ball on a Kickoff (with the exception of the Quarterback). Not to mention you have to pretty much wrestle with everyone on the field to gain yards. I imagine it is a pure hell to be locked up with someone as huge as defensive linemen.

[Lunas Husband 2,777]

I have only played Football for a few days..... and I didn't like it one bit... I just don't like sports... at all so I guess that's why or I just suck at sports.. more then likely both

[Seaweed 596]

Infantry.

 

 

Fuck you, it's a sport.

[Guest]

My boyfriend has played just about every sport imaginable and he said Ice Hockey was hardest.

I'd imagine.

The gear is frickin heavy, the players are extremely aggressive, and you have to have make repeated trips up and down the rink.... on skates. Plus there's some NASTY ass injuries too.

 

Not to mention the scheduel (professionally anyways idk about regular/unprofessional) where as a lot of other sports teams will only have one game a week or so, teams in the NHL can have 3 or 4 games In ONE week.

Three words

Tae

Kwon
Do

 

My goodness

 

Several moments of my career I thought my master was gonna strip me of my belt and make me start at white belt all over again. 

 

One minute you're energetic, pumped and smiling, ready to go through the day's/evening's workout. The next thing you know, you're down on the floor either doing pushups or situps all because you forgot how to do one single kick, form or self-defense technique for your rank.

 

Oh, those days when I entered the dojang to the smell of sweat, the sweet melody of yelling and the good feeling of having your heart pumping giving you the energy you need to push through the class.

 

You know, my career as a Tae Kwon Do student reminds me of the MLP episode "Wonderbolt Academy", because it was not just about pushing yourself, it was about pushing yourself to the best you can be. Some pushed themselves just to impress. But my master, he said that I pushed myself, because I wanted to see myself succeed.

 

Every time class was over, I looked at what was known as The Black Belt Wall. Below the title, a quote stuck me: "All know the way, few actually get there." 

 

7 years after I joined Tae Kwon Do, I made it. Black Belt was mine. But it wasn't over yet. There are 9 different degrees of black belt. I was going to try my best to get to the highest. Unfortunately, school and other stuff got in the way of my training. 

 

But, amidst of all the other stuff, I was still able to train. I made it to 3rd degree black belt. After 2.5 years of training, I pulled it off. There were many stumbles along the way. One time, I almost got my belt taken away (yeah, it's that tough). But one things for sure, I will never forget the words my master said when he tied that brand new 3rd degree black belt around my waist with its shiny new Korean text. He said: "Congratulations, you deserved it." I began to smile, but try to hold my emotions back. Although I'm not training anymore, I'll always remember my time in Tae Kwon Do. For me, it was not just going to the dojang to train and rank up, it was a journey, a long and hard journey. Tae Kwon Do not only focuses on the physical, but also the mental and spiritual. 

 

This is why, I say, Tae Kwon Do is the hardest demanding sport, because it takes commitment  determination and most of all, your will to succeed. 

yeah my boyfriend has been in Tae Kwon Doe for like 5 or 6 years, He said it wore him out lmao.

[Torrent505 370]

Whoa whoa whoa, them's fightin' words.

 

As to hockey. Hockey is a physically demanding sport as well, however, it lacks that ultra concentration and knowledge necessary to succeed in football. Like OP said, it requires a knowledge and understanding of 100's of your own plays, 100's of the other teams, you position, field position, wind speed and direction, footwork, and so much more that it'll make your head spin.

Take it from an New Jersey football state champion that it is not an easy sport, and much less are we wimps for playing it.

Excuse me? Hockey lacks the the ultra concentration and knowledge compared to American Football? American Football where you are literally locked into a position and a formation from the beginning of motion? Yes, you have to memorize the plays and formations but once the QB calls any adjustments and the center snaps the ball it locks and everyone runs their routes. Hockey has plays and formations too you know but they are dynamic and everyone has to be able to adjust and be able to play every position. An offensive lineman in football is a lineman, a receiver runs his route. You lock the ball under your arm and secure it as you move, have you ever though of how much motion is in hockey? Handling the puck constantly and knowing where everyone is on the ice by your instincts and senses not by the formation and play call? I've played hockey and football (soccer, lacrosse, wrestling, basketball too) and you can kindly fuck off on that bs because hockey is 10 times the mental awareness of American football. Maybe the QB can say that he is as tuned in as a hockey player but other than him and to a slightly lesser extent the linebackers, football is much less mentally straining sport. Same goes for skill but that is a whole other can of worms for me to rant about in another post.

 

My vote goes to hockey or wrestling, but I had to choose hockey for the dynamic movement and quick pacing of play.

[Troblems 5,617]

Quidditch. Rugby. So much blood. And who needs pads. Pads are for wussies who value their bodies.