Which sport is the most difficult to play? It’s a debate as old as sports themselves.

Anyone can play a sport, but it takes a skilled athlete to be good at it, and it takes an elite and dedicated athlete to play it professionally.

This article aims to settle debates regarding sports difficulty.

Number 10: Golf

This might be controversial, as some may rank golf higher, but golf is not worthy of anything above the ten spot.

The epitome of golf is swing mechanics, which is one of the hardest things to master in all sports. The player must be able to strike the ball at a consistent rate over nearly four hours of play. Golf also requires the player to deal with many different types of terrain, such as water, sand, and tall grass. 

The other part of golf that can make it extremely difficult is the mental aspect. Bouncing back after bad shots is critical to being a good golf player. Saint Paul’s senior Jackson Robinson is familiar with the mental struggle: “If your mental capacity is not where it needs to be, then you will never be a good player,” said Robinson.

The argument against golf is that it requires little athleticism. “Golf is not genetic,” said Saint Paul’s Senior Carter Plaisance, “Anyone can play and be talented with enough practice.” Overweight people and older individuals can still be very good at golf. The sport requires no running, which is why it’s one of the easiest.

Number 9: Cross Country

Cross Country is not hard to compete in. It is a straightforward concept: running far. The reason it comes in at the ninth spot is that, unlike curling, it requires actual athleticism.

Cross country requires strong legs, knowledge of pacing, and endurance. It requires the runner to deal with different types of terrain, and the competitors are at the mercy of the elements, be it rain, cold, or extreme heat. “Summer training is some of the hardest conditioning I have ever done in my life,” said Saint Paul’s junior cross country runner Robert Hanks.

Cross country is not hard to play, but it is hard to be good at. “To become skilled at cross country requires a tremendous amount of work and dedication,” said Saint Paul’s junior Andrew James.

While cross country may require a lot of hard work to master, the same can be said for most sports. On top of this, cross country is a very one-dimensional sport, which is why it comes in at number nine.

Number 8: Tennis

Tennis takes the one-dimensional aspect of endurance from cross country and adds coordination and strategy. Tennis also requires the player to strike the ball properly to keep it in play.

When playing a match, the player must make split-second decisions and change directions multiple times at just one point. The player must also decide where to place his or her shot to best set them up for a win.

In a way, tennis is almost like chess. This is one of the sport’s most overlooked aspects.

“The sport of pickleball primarily exists because people aren’t good enough to play tennis,” said Saint Paul’s teacher Nick Guarisco.

Despite these factors, six months of tennis for two hours a day will create a decent player, so it comes in at number eight.

Number 7: Soccer

Soccer is difficult but extremely one-dimensional. The sport only involves kicking and running, but the running is very strenuous. Saint Paul’s senior soccer player Blake Williams has played soccer for ten years “A soccer player runs on average 7 miles per game.”

Soccer games only have about two subs for each team, meaning that most players who start the game will run up and down the pitch for 90 minutes. “The hardest part is that you never get a break,” said current St. Paul’s Varsity soccer player Jackson Robinson.

Handling a soccer ball is also no easy measure. A pass can come in pretty hot, and being able to corral the ball and advance it forward is impressive. Being able to volley a ball out of the air successfully also requires extreme foot-eye coordination, and shooting in its entirety is probably the most challenging facet of the game.

Number 6: Lacrosse

Lacrosse is easy to pick up and play, but perfecting its nuances makes it the sixth hardest sport to play. The sport involves running up and down a field while simultaneously throwing and catching a ball with a small stick.

Add to this plays that must be memorized and run properly to succeed, and the sport becomes even harder. Lacrosse also requires physical strength and athleticism to rise above the rest.

Picking up a stick and learning to throw is not hard, which is the main argument used against lacrosse. While this may be true, incorporating all the other elements of the game and then telling a player to throw and catch can be challenging, especially for a beginner.

Lacrosse is the first sport on the list that adds a constant factor of pressure and other separate opponents, which requires the player to account for many different variables on the field. This is why lacrosse comes in at number six.

Number 5: Basketball

Basketball is where things get quite tricky. The pros may make jumpers and free throws look easy, but they are not.

Basketball incorporates hand-eye coordination into one of the most endurance-heavy sports the world has ever seen. The player must also consistently put a ball into a small hoop, which is not easy.

“To excel in basketball, you need to focus on every dynamic of the game. There is dribbling, passing, defense, and most importantly, shooting,” said Saint Paul’s senior Samuel Drez.

Basketball also has a height factor, which makes it harder for smaller players to succeed, especially at the professional level.

Many consider the hardest part of the game to master: consistently releasing a shot and achieving the same result. Avoiding fouling is also a difficult facet of the game to master, as basketball is far and away the game with the most fouls called.

Basketball comes in at number five because of all these individual variables that the players must account for.

Number 4: Football

Football is the sport that requires the most athleticism. Endurance and strength are key, as players must be able to run and absorb huge hits consistently.

Coordination is also essential. For instance, a receiver running a route must be able to outrun or outmaneuver his cornerback and track the ball.

A quarterback must also be able to assess his options as multiple 300-pound men try to take his head off.

Football also has the most extensive mental side. Players must be able to memorize, comprehend, and execute lengthy playbooks to perfection. They must also be able to make split-second decisions, call audibles, and make reads based on what they see on the field.

Football is the second sport on this list that requires the player to be well above average athletically to compete professionally. Being able to throw a ball seventy yards or catch a slant is something that the average Joe cannot do.

Number 3: Baseball

Baseball doesn’t require the most athletic individual, but hand-eye coordination is king in this sport. Catching a fly ball may look easy, but it is one of the hardest things to do in sports.

The elephant in the room is batting, with some of the best players in the league only batting .300. In layman’s terms, this essentially equates to hitting three out of every ten balls. The average person would most likely not be able to get a hit in an entire MLB season.

Raw strength is also required to strike a ball 400 feet, with the average professional player hitting only about 20 home runs per season.

Fielding is a whole different story. Imagine trying to scoop up a bouncing ball coming at you 104 miles per hour and then throwing that ball across an entire baseball diamond, all in under five seconds. Sounds impossible, but the pros make it look easy.

While most may say that baseball is just a lot of standing around, they fail to understand the game’s nuances, making it so difficult.

Number 2: Hockey

Going back to curling, sliding something across the ice is incredibly hard, much less trying to control it. Compiling this with sliding across the ice on your own two feet and having to stop on a dime is incredibly difficult.

Ice offers almost no friction. If you lightly tap a hockey puck with a stick, it will slide across the rink. Controlling a hockey puck while simultaneously maneuvering across the ice is by far the hardest feat in sports.

Also, add in the fact that huge men are looking to squash you up a wall at any chance they get, and then you have yourself what is nearly the most brutal sport in the world.

Fighting is also allowed, which is insane. Also, scoring is nearly impossible, which turns most people off about the sport.

Shooting is another matter entirely. If you somehow do manage to learn how to control the puck, then you next have to figure out how to get it off the ice. Wrist and arm strength are pertinent; if you lack these things, your puck will most likely stay grounded.

The most overlooked aspect of hockey is the skating itself. Learning how to stop is incredibly difficult, much less being able to switch from skating forwards to backward on a dime. “The average person doesn’t even know how to ice skate,” said Saint Paul’s junior Andrew James.

Hockey is the second-hardest sport because players must do all this while also avoiding opponents and making split-second decisions in a game that rarely pauses.

Number 1: NASCAR

We have now arrived at the hardest sport.

Imagine sitting in a car, but you can’t look to the left or right of your vehicle. You know cars are in front of you, behind you, and to your sides. One wrong slight twitch of the steering wheel and you could be sent spiraling into a wreck that could end your life.

This is the epitome of NASCAR. Bumper to number racing at 200 miles per hour. It is both terrifying and electrifying, truly one of the greatest sports in the world.

Instead of using their eyes to assess their situations, drivers must listen to their crew chief through a headset. The crew chief informs the driver about his or her position on the track and then tells the driver the move he should make.

The driver must then execute his or her move without causing a collision or any sort of discrepancy, all while flying at breakneck speeds. The trust a driver and his crew chief must have is a bond that cannot often be found across most sports.

The truly baffling part about NASCAR, which makes it the world’s hardest sport, is that cockpits regularly reach temperatures of 130 degrees. It is incredible to be able to concentrate and commandeer a car at 200 miles per hour while sustaining minor blisters and burns.

All of these factors and the possibility of a life-threatening accident waiting to happen make NASCAR the hardest sport in the world.