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Is geocaching a sport?


Natman3400

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Geocaching is a hobby.

Golf is a hobby, not a sport. Golfers, don't kid yourselves.

Riding a bicycle is an activity. Cycling is a sport. There's a big difference.

Hiking is going for a walk in heavy shoes. It's an activity.

Chess is a game.

Racquetball is a sport.

Baseball is a sport.

 

If this doesn't make sense to you, then I can't help ya. It's like p0rn. I know it when I see it.

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A game is played on a TV or at a dining room table.

So, the game of baseball is played where?

 

Baseball is a sport. Baseball players play baseball games. That's the difference.

So the game is a sport? Or is it the sport is a game? My point was the quoted definition of a "game" doesn't work. I have a couple of games on my GPSr that require large areas outdoors to play. I'd like to see a game of tag played on dining room table - without anyone falling off and being able to avoid being tagged. Many games of chance won't fit a dining table.

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If this doesn't make sense to you, then I can't help ya. It's like p0rn. I know it when I see it.

:)

 

Jogging is an activity. Running is a sport.

Horse riding is an activity. Bull riding is a sport.

 

Geocaching is a leisure activity. It ventures into recreational activity when you actually get out of your vehicle and hoof-it a fair distance. You know, far enough to burn off the cheeseburger & diet coke you had 30 minutes ago while getting a cache in the BK parking lot.

 

I checked on Wikipedia - so you know it's right.

 

Also, while we are on the definition craze.

 

English Dictionary

geocaching — n

a game in which the object is to identify and find items deposited by other players, using GPS navigation

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It seems to me most sports have Rules. Many of the geocachers on this forum say, "there are no rules, only guidelines."

 

If a sport or game must have rules, then in my opinion, geocaching is an activity.

 

A sport does not need to have rules. What are the rules in rock climbing? Fishing? (by rules I don't mean local regulations, which BTW the way geocaching is also subject to).

 

Besides the definitions of sport and activity overlap. A sport is always an activity.

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I call it a hobby. However; if a big beer company wanted to sponsor me as a professional geocacher and wanted to call it a 'sport,' I would change my mind!

 

I wouldn't do it for a big beer company, but I might consider it forf a beer "company" like Ommegang, Victory, Northcoast, or one of the many microbreweries the produce beer that I prefer over the perks that a big beer company offers.

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By definition, a sport has rules you have to follow and it does NOT have to be competitive.

 

Even so, there is no way you can deny that geocaching does have some very strongly competitive aspects to it.

 

I can't think of one sport that's not competitive.

 

Geocaching is not competitive if you view it as it's described by Groundspeak.

 

I don't see geocaching as a sport.

A hobby, an activity, an adventure, a game. Any of these labels are ok with me.

 

\Mette

 

Scuba diving

 

Non-competitive sport

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I'm trying to figure out what would make scuba diving a sport...

 

I guess this thread comes down to the fact that people can call just about anything a sport. How you define a sport is up to you.

 

Apparently my definition is quite a big more stringent than about 75% of the people here.

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OK, here's what Wiki says,

 

A sport is an organized, competitive, entertaining, and skillful physical activity requiring commitment, strategy, and fair play, in which a winner can be defined by objective means. It is governed by a set of rules or customs.

 

In sports the key factors are the physical capabilities and skills of the competitor when determining the outcome (winning or losing). The physical activity involves the movement of people, animals and/or a variety of objects such as balls and machines or equipment. In contrast, games such as card games and board games, though these could be called mind sports and some are recognized as Olympic sports, require primarily mental skills and only mental physical involvement. Non-competitive activities, for example as jogging or playing catch, are usually classified as forms of recreation.

 

Physical events such as scoring goals or crossing a line first often define the result of a sport. However, the degree of skill and performance in some sports such as diving, dressage and figure skating is judged according to well-defined criteria. This is in contrast with other judged activities such as beauty pageants and body building, where skill does not have to be shown and the criteria are not as well defined.

 

 

This says you've got to be able to win; I suppose you could use cache counts, some do use that to be competitive.

 

Geocaching fits all of the definition besides winning it seems.

 

Some I know with high counts definitely see themselves as winning this game :lol:

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Definitions of American English words are not "opinions".

 

Citing British dictionaries doesn't define American English.

 

Citing Wiki is the same as citing an anonymous internet blog... oh, wait, that's because Wiki IS an anonymous blog. :P

 

Regardless of "opinions" the definition of "sport" remains an organized activity requiring skill or physical exertion that is most often in the outdoors. A "game" as related to "sports" is a single incident of that sporting activity. So, if you participate in the sport of geocaching, you could say that engaging in a hunt for a geocache would be a "game" played.

 

Using previously listed examples... While golf is a sport in the broad sense, you go out and play a single game of golf. Baseball is a sport, yet a single event of baseball is a game.

 

Everything that takes energy to do is an activity. Stuff that you do for enjoyment outside of your normal work or profession would be for leisure or recreation.

 

Thus, for many people's recreational activity, they go out and play games in the sport of geocaching.

 

Ya'll anti-sports knuts are going to change your tune when geocaching becomes an olympic event. Mark my words! :P

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It seems everyone is right in one way or another...

 

Perhaps a better way to research than competing for the definition of Geocaching as a Sport, Activity, Game, etc.. Would be to go out and actually engage in the Sport, Activity, Game, etc. of geocaching. Perhaps subject yourself to the many aspects of the Sport, Activity, Game, etc. such as Events, Teams or just about any of the many ways you can actively play.

 

I will say this, some municipalities define it as a Recreational Activity, Some a Game and some a Sport. So for the meanwhile they are just as confused as many of us.

 

To us it is a fun activity that takes us on many journeys that we probably wouldn't have done otherwise. We personally don't care what it's called.

 

If you want something to throw into the mix to add further confusion consider "Hide and Seek" is that a Game or a Sport or is it the Activity of playing a game of a particular sport?

 

How about treasure hunting? Game, Sport, Hobby?

 

I'm thinking we can toss hobby out - collection Geocoins could be a hobby (consider it carefully as it could mean a tax write off - just say'n)

 

If you have played it hard enough almost every one can say they got a RASH!!

 

So it's a R.A.S.H. - seeing how it's so new and most can't determine what it is then perhaps it's time for a new definition! All we have to do is type it up in Wiki and most will follow suit and openly accept it...

 

No matter what it is, we like it and do it often as we can.

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Golf is only physically demanding if you choose courses that are physically demanding. There's nothing physical or intellectual about the local put-put course at the gas station. :P

Mini golf is not golf.

 

I took my son mini golfing about a week ago. We had to wait about 45 minutes to start playing because there was a national mini-golf tournament (the Harris Cup) going on when we arrived. The course we played on has the longest mini-golf hole in the world. Although there was a nice wooded area just behind the mini-golf course there wasn't a cache nearby.

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I think it's more about the person doing it than what is being done. To some people everything is a competitive sport and their objective is to beat you even if you're not trying to compete. eg commuting to work and you didn't see that guy pass you and the joy he had when he won. Didn't you know driving is a race. To some nothing is a sport. The actual activity/sport/race/competition is irrelevant.

 

My personal opinion is this is a casual activity. Finds are to be shared and enjoyed by all. Making it into a sport would just ruin it. But I feel that way about a lot of things.

Edited by dreamarcher
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It seems to me most sports have Rules. Many of the geocachers on this forum say, "there are no rules, only guidelines."

 

If a sport or game must have rules, then in my opinion, geocaching is an activity.

 

A sport does not need to have rules. What are the rules in rock climbing? Fishing? (by rules I don't mean local regulations, which BTW the way geocaching is also subject to).

 

Besides the definitions of sport and activity overlap. A sport is always an activity.

 

It is apparent that you didn't read what I wrote. I said, "most sports".

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It is a treasure hunt! - it just does not have an expensive treasure - unless you get your car broke into, or fall out of a tree, or say doctor can ya cure this PI real quick, this snake bite hurts, and I fell off the cliff and broke ma leg, what happened to my pants - they just tore, oops lost my GPS, got arrested for trespassing, fell in love with another cacher, ran out of gas, got lost! Still having the time of my life!

 

There is a ton of discovery about it - I guess that is the part I like best!

 

No - I would not call it a sport - even though I have come home totally whipped!

Edited by GPS-Hermit
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For me, it's a sport. I have won geocaching competitions, and it hasn't been accidental.

Calling something that my entire life revolves around an "activity" just wouldn't make sense.

 

For some people, softball is just an activity (and beer is involved).

For others, it's a sport.

I can live with that.

Edited by kablooey
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