A classic conversation in High School hallways is the debate as to whether or not marching band is a sport. Today, that thought got me thinking?

What really does define sport?

Does it need a ball?

Does it need to be in the Olympics?

Does it require a team?

People have all kinds of different opinions about what defines a sport, but I had a new realization for me. A new way that I would like to define a sport.

To me, a sport is anything that is objective, while art is anything that is subjective.

So that would make marching band an art. But it would also make gymnastics an art, and Slopestyle mountain biking and skiing. But what isn’t artistic about someone crafting careful body moments while souring through the air, to receive a score by a judge?

Take Red Bull Rampage for example. One of the most extreme mountain bike events in the world. Riders spend days building their personal line down the mountain, practicing tricks, take off speeds, etc. They then get two shots on the day of the event to showcase what they have created, both in their mind and on the dirt.

They are artistic athletes.

I think the line between sport and art is sometimes blurred. At the end of the day, we’re all artists in one sense or another.

We create. Every day.

Every day we craft our time into something that is either a draft that we’ll throw away, or something that we’ll hang on the wall.

Some training/racing we’d prefer not to remember, others we’ll look back on for years.

Like the painters brush, the athlete in sport makes mistakes, but has chances to keep painting, and to ultimately create something beautiful out of each individual stroke. Sometimes it takes several drafts, but eventually a masterpiece can be achieved in both sport and art, if enough discipline, and dedication are put forth.

So go be the athlete. Be the artist. Or maybe, be both.