What was your favorite youth sport?

[lumberjack_jeff]

Poll question: What was your favorite youth sport?

A question was posted earlier today asking the question of whether authoritarian personalities are born or made. Nature or nurture.

I think that for the most part, they're born. As evidence of this, I find that people who love a different kind of sport react to the world differently than I do.

I know that this is a problematic way to test this theory, if for no other reason than it's possible that people develop a preference for recreational activities primarily via nurture.

I do think it's safe to say that we're typically not authoritarian types.

So:
As an adolescent, which sports did you prefer? I'm not asking what you excelled at, or which you did because of external encouragement/pressure, but which did you prefer.

[goddess40]

1. How about neither

I am soooo not a sports person. The only sport that I've ever been interested in or will watch on TV is curling.

I used to watch sports when my brother was playing but I never really got into any of it. It seems like a waste of time to me, and it worse now then ever. I think professional sports is just a bunch of grossly overpaid and over-idolized spoiled brats - owners and player. I also miss that kids just can't play a pick up game even 5 year old have organized leagues. Doesn't anyone play for fun anymore?

[lumberjack_jeff]

4. I was speaking more as participant than spectator

The sports you watch (if any) are probably different than the ones you enjoy.

[shanti]

22. fun...

well, my son plays hs varsity basketball, and basketball is life to him. lucky for me cause i enjoy it too. however, the main reason i've pushed him into it is to get a scholarship for college.

[lumberjack_jeff]

2. Here in my little town

The progression for little boys goes like this:
T-Ball --> Little League --> Babe Ruth Baseball --> Jr High Baseball --> High School football/baseball --> Volunteer Fireman.

The firemen self-select as the most authoritarian subculture in town.

[MaryBear]

3. Field Hockey!

Not because it was a team or individual kind of sport.

I loved racing down the field and wacking that wooden ball with a hockey stick.

All too often it flew through the air, to the horror and disapproval of the coach.

:evilgrin:

[SutaUvaca]

5. You left out chess!

n/t

[lumberjack_jeff]

15. Maybe... I dunno, though...

I think it's a little like the discussions on whether to admit curling as an olympic sport. The rule of thumb is that if you can do it while smoking, it's not a sport. ;)

[TahitiNut]

6. College swim team ... breaststroke.

I prefer sports (and other competitions) where hindering an opponent's performance isn't part of the 'game.'

[Dorian Gray]

7. Both

When I was young, I was really into Softball, Swimming and Horseback Riding.

I hated Soccer and Gymnastics, two sports that I had tried for a short time. Neither were for me.

I enjoyed both the group dynamic and the individual dynamic.

[ToeBot]

8. Hacky Sack! nt

[jdlh8894]

9. You left out the three P's

That paid my way through college. Pool.Ping-Pong,and Pinball!LOL

[bigwillq]

10. Baseball (nt)

[Finder]

11. I chose the team sports but my sport was not listed--Hockey...

I also liked lacrosse. I am still a golfer as well, though.

[Akoto]

12. Professional reading.

Sorry. I was never interested in sports, not even a little. :)

[Coyote_Bandit]

13. Ummmmm

I grew up in the middle of nowhere. I played football, basketball and baseball by myself. Threw the ball through a tire in front of a backstop. Kicked the football over the electric lines. Shot around the circle at a basketball goal. And ran, walked and hiked. Never was part of any team though. There were no neighbors next door or just down the street. Even pick up games of catch or horse were few and far between. When that did happen somebody always tried to show off. So I mostly preferred playing by myself.

Team sports played individually. Does that make me an authoritarian non-authoritarian?

[lumberjack_jeff]

14. You're an outlier. ;-)

If you lacked the opportunity to play sports, then little can be learned from you. ;)

[porphyrian]

16. The 500 Meter Hate Popular Fuckers - n/t

[lumberjack_jeff]

17. Skateboarding could be a choice.

:shrug:

[porphyrian]

19. Yeah, I sucked at that, too. - n/t

[GreenPartyVoter]

18. My fave was.... and still is...

Competitive cheerleading!

[Wetzelbill]

20. As a youth? Both, probably leaned toward the team stuff though

when I was older I was quite successful at individual sports. Led the state in Bull riding and was an internationally competitive wrestler. I am way different as an athlete than I am in my regular life. I would take somebody's heart out over a game of checkers, yet I am extremely empathetic (humble too :)) otherwise. :)

[lumberjack_jeff]

23. Rodeo

My seventh-grade locker partner (lots of kids, small school) was Clint Corey.

http://sports.espn.go.com/prorodeo/features/bio?page=g_bio_PRCA_Corey_Clint

Heck of a nice guy. Would stick up for everyone.

In 7th grade PE we dared him to try to beat the chin up record posted on the wall. He did - easily, then denied it to the teacher when the bystanders demanded that the name on the wall be replaced.

HE was humble. :)

[Wetzelbill]

26. OMG!

One of my all-time heroes! I lived and died every year when he barely missed winning the world title. The day Clint Corey finally won the big one was a happy one around my household. That is so cool, I'll have to tell my dad, he was a HUGH Clint Corey fan. :)

[lumberjack_jeff]

27. We grew up in a military town...

In 5th grade, I was literally the only kid in my class who supported McGovern. The. Only. One.

In the cafeteria, the Nixon-ite stooges were all persecuting the wierdo (as only 10 year olds can do) when Clint, despite being 4" shorter than most of the kids faced them down and told them to knock it off.

A good guy to have as a hero. :)

Funny what you remember from 35 years ago, huh?

[Wetzelbill]

29. Kennewick, WA, right?

oh lord, I am from a hick town in MT, I love my friends and family etc, but there are some people with some effed up political views, for sure. :)

[lumberjack_jeff]

31. Silverdale, WA.

At that time, Rodeo wasn't all that unusual in the area.

His family farm is now part of a shopping mall in the midst of 40,000 tract homes. :(

Now that I know a little more, I recognize that his older brother probably had autism. I think that helped to shape his character.

Maybe John Tester will help fix those effed up politics. :)

[dipsydoodle]

21. I think Dimson's favorite was

join the dot.

[VOX]

24. Of all team sports, baseball puts a greater focus on individual accomplishment...

Technically, this could be said of all team sports, but with baseball, it truly apparent that the accumulation of individual accomplishments will carry the team as a whole.

Each batter must achieve success on an individual basis -- a batter must must face the picther alone. And, as the players stand in the field, they literally have a greater distance between them than any other team sport. There are swift moments of teamwork -- a 6-4-3 double play, for instance, but for the most part, baseball players do not move as a mass or herd.

[Lilith Velkor]

25. Moshing!

:headbang:

[KittyWampus]

28. Both, spent my summers in the ocean and jogging. Winters played tennis, softball

[BuyingThyme]

30. I like participating in the former, and watching the latter.