No one has metioned performing!?
Am I the only one who likes to perform? Thats why I compete, though not recently because of $$$$, but when I gots the green to compete I do so cause of the stage, the lights, the auience, the cheers when I rule, the "dohhh" when I drop, ect... performance is life under a microscope.
i havent had the opportunity to do routines, but im a preformer rather than a competitor by nature, when i am ready to do routines, the only reason ill compete is to put on a show people will enjoy.
Man I'm really sorry to hog the thread, but I just want to respond to Nate's and Paul's last post. I'm not really a performer by nature. By my very nature, I choke in front of crowds. Kinda like my home football team the Redskins! Yuk yuk yuk!
I'm also not much of a competitor for the same reason. I will probably compete eventually however, just to do it because I love the sport so much. It's something I don't enjoy doing, however if I can face my fear of competing, maybe I will. It's a rush that's for sure. But if I don't, then I'll just enjoy the sport for how great it is, much like a surfer or a skater that just takes his board out into the elements to commune with life. I'll also focus on promoting the sport, the best ways I know how.
Oh, by the way. There are a lot of professional athletes that feel that they wouldn't compete if they didn't think they had a chance at winning. Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus are two of them. They are also the best that have ever played their sport. Nicklaus even retired from the sport because he didn't want to keep competing in events that he had already won, but knew would never be able to win again.
People play footbag because they love footbag. People compete for many different reasons and don't compete for similar reasons. People perform because they love the attention and response of the crowd. You think Nate would perform if he didn't feel he was capable of putting on a good show?
Someone mentioned cost as a barrier to entry for many players. I think that's true. When I was playing, I think I could have put on a decent flowy show, but I wasn't really interested in paying to have my ass whupped by BAPers.
At some of the events that I used to run, I had a "play for free and win nothing" choice.. Meaning, you could sign up to compete at no charge, but you would be forgoing your right to prizes if you ended up winning. Worked great >> should be adopted at every tourney.
Jeremy wrote:If you don't compete then you don't play the sport of footbag. Sport is defined by competition.
I know this contradicts some definitions of "competition," but what about competing with yourself? I try to outdo myself every session.
Yeah that's a great philosophy and I pretty much do the same. However I'm talking about the official definition of a sport as in as definied by the IOC and as such in countries like Australia (and probably the US as well). In Australia a "physical past time" cannot gain any of the benifits of being a "sport" and is not officially called a sport unless it is accepted under the International Olympic Committee definition of a sport. This means for example that at this stage because footbag in Australia is not an official sport we can not include it in uni games competitions - which would be a very easy way of hosting a second big jam in Australia and something we'd even get funding both from everybodies universities and from the uni games funding to put on - so we could essentially have a very discounted tournament with very little work - but first footbag needs to become an official sport. There are lots of benifits of it being an official sport and the only negative being you might get beaten by somebody. I'm happy to lose at things if it helps the sport of footbag - that's why I compete or judge at events and I will continue to do so, at least until footbag is accepted as a real sport.
<devil's advocate on>
Does the sport really need any help? Seems like most of the people involved are involved because they'd kick even if they were the only person on the planet and because they like the close knit feel of the community. Is the goal to make it bigger and better and more official the right goal? Are these just attempts to legitimize something we do?
Hell, the reason some people stop playing as much is because the close knit ain't as close knit as it gets "bigger and better".
<devil's advocate off>
given a choice between having other people to play with and playing by yourself what would you choose? I've been a solo player for a large portion of my playing time and I really prefer having other people to play with - the social aspect of footbag is part of what makes it so cool.
Also as I said - it's much easier to get funding etc. when you're and official sport and that means not having to pay large amounts of money to get to play with other players of your level.
Jeremy wrote:I've been a solo player for a large portion of my playing time and I really prefer having other people to play with - the social aspect of footbag is part of what makes it so cool.
