Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 22:10     Subject: Rank youth sports by physically toughest!
ESPN actually has an article listing sports by difficulty based on some somewhat objective criteria.
Definitely surprised to see .. BOXING… take the #1 spot!

https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/sportSkills
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 18:44     Subject: Rank youth sports by physically toughest!
Anonymous wrote:Water polo takes 10x more endurance than wrestling.


But does water polo lose points for being one of the dumbest sports ever invented?
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 17:50     Subject: Rank youth sports by physically toughest!
Water polo takes 10x more endurance than wrestling.
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 16:23     Subject: Rank youth sports by physically toughest!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/sportSkills


Bumping this chart. This is correct. The OP putting swimming at the top was ridiculous. I'm surprised football is above basketball. People who don't know basketball have no clue about the physicality and athleticism involved with basketball. It's a lot of jumping and running.


I agree, I think football is more about whining about injuries than anything. The point is they don't really condition that much or play that often. Yeah, people get hurt badly when they play, but getting beat up isn't necessarily tough. Basketball you have games twice a week at least. Tough is getting back up and playing the next day. Putting in the time strengthen all of those ankle and knee tendons and ligaments so that you can play at a high level every day. Football players don't really do that.

You clearly never played football.
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 15:46     Subject: Rank youth sports by physically toughest!
Also, I beg the person up thread who says water polo doesn’t require skill to get in there and play against any experienced teen. Lol.

You need to be an excellent swimmer, and be able to keep your head above water efficiently, while passing and shooting under intense pressure, for long periods of time, while being screamed at by Eastern European coaches in foreign languages. If you watch it at a high level you don’t realize how hard it is for the youth kids to progress to that level—most wash out. The amount of training, skill and effort it takes is pretty crazy.
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 15:32     Subject: Rank youth sports by physically toughest!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:# 1 is definitely wrestling



This


Water polo is wrestling in 10 feet of water while trying not to drown, alternating with intense sprinting, for four 8 minute quarters. It’s wild. Probably closer to pro Rugby??
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 14:18     Subject: Rank youth sports by physically toughest!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Wrestling unrivaled in toughness both physical and mental.

Wrestling is hard but rounds last two minutes. There are plenty of bad athletes we that succeed in wrestling because you don't need strength, speed, or really anything else at the youth level.



Except basically the COMPLETE opposite is true. If you lack experience/skill and don't bring anything else in terms of speed/quickness, strength and agility, you will not last long and your opponent will just mop the mat with you.

Here's one of the top high school matches last year:



PLAY VIDEO ▶
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 13:41     Subject: Rank youth sports by physically toughest!
Gymnastics handsdown. Grueling physically and mentally.
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 13:37     Subject: Rank youth sports by physically toughest!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/sportSkills


Bumping this chart. This is correct. The OP putting swimming at the top was ridiculous. I'm surprised football is above basketball. People who don't know basketball have no clue about the physicality and athleticism involved with basketball. It's a lot of jumping and running.


I agree, I think football is more about whining about injuries than anything. The point is they don't really condition that much or play that often. Yeah, people get hurt badly when they play, but getting beat up isn't necessarily tough. Basketball you have games twice a week at least. Tough is getting back up and playing the next day. Putting in the time strengthen all of those ankle and knee tendons and ligaments so that you can play at a high level every day. Football players don't really do that.
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 10:21     Subject: Rank youth sports by physically toughest!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Everyone that put baseball last either has no kid actually in baseball or they play crap little league or non-travel on the small field…or their kids bats 12 and plays RF consistently. My kid comes home battered and bruised. Also a tough mental game with actual strategy.


My kid will be playing college baseball next year and I still would place baseball near the last (as would he).

It’s hard to understand your logic whatsoever with a sport where the starters on defense and offense literally spend 90% of the time standing around (unless pitcher or catcher) or sitting if you aren’t at bat vs sports like crew, wrestling, water polo where it’s 100% all out physical activity.

I actually think it’s great on the college level because baseball has the highest team retention rates in general compared to sports like crew because you don’t come back from every single practice or game/regatta completely wiped out…and then quitting when you realize how much of the college experience you are missing.


Agreed for majority of players. However, catcher and starting pitcher are tough both mentally and physically.
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 09:00     Subject: Rank youth sports by physically toughest!
Anonymous wrote:My kids row and swim, and they are both tough. But have you seen normal people get into a fight or wrestling match? They crap out in less than 2 min. Wrestling and boxing look very intense.


Just thinking about wrestling makes my palms sweat. A friend of mine who wrestled in high school told me those matches were the hardest thing he has ever done because it felt like he was fighting for his life in front of a gym full of screaming people.
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 08:44     Subject: Rank youth sports by physically toughest!
Anonymous wrote:Everyone that put baseball last either has no kid actually in baseball or they play crap little league or non-travel on the small field…or their kids bats 12 and plays RF consistently. My kid comes home battered and bruised. Also a tough mental game with actual strategy.


My kid will be playing college baseball next year and I still would place baseball near the last (as would he).

It’s hard to understand your logic whatsoever with a sport where the starters on defense and offense literally spend 90% of the time standing around (unless pitcher or catcher) or sitting if you aren’t at bat vs sports like crew, wrestling, water polo where it’s 100% all out physical activity.

I actually think it’s great on the college level because baseball has the highest team retention rates in general compared to sports like crew because you don’t come back from every single practice or game/regatta completely wiped out…and then quitting when you realize how much of the college experience you are missing.
Anonymous
Post 04/27/2025 19:48     Subject: Rank youth sports by physically toughest!
Anonymous wrote:I think the soccer guys would be the fittest on average, so I’ll vote for soccer as the most physically demanding sport.


Water polo guys are the fittest, IMHO.
Anonymous
Post 04/27/2025 19:47     Subject: Rank youth sports by physically toughest!
My kids row and swim, and they are both tough. But have you seen normal people get into a fight or wrestling match? They crap out in less than 2 min. Wrestling and boxing look very intense.
Anonymous
Post 04/27/2025 19:37     Subject: Rank youth sports by physically toughest!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote: Baseball requires the most skills mastery. None of the other sports really require skill.


Have you ever watched a water polo game?


Yes, of course.

Name another sport where failing 70% of the time is considered success?

The only sport requiring more skill than baseball is golf.

The others, including water polo, really don’t require that many skills.


This is just silly and a function of natural talent/the rules being set as such.

A 35% 3 pt shooter is considered good. Steph Curry, the greatest ever is at 42% (failure rate of 58%).

If the 3 point line was moved back a couple of feet the percentages would drop. Likewise with the pitching mound or different bat rules…I have q tremendous amount of respect for baseball, and hitting a baseball may be the hardest thing do in any sport, but don’t denigrate others. Especially given that baseball has some of the least well rounded overall athletes.