<p>Dunno why some of you have such egos to assume that for cross country, “anyone can run”. Have you actually done it? It’s not a sport where you just run casually. In xc, the demands mentally and physically are to the point where you’re not even halfway through the race and you feel like throwing up. The moment you cross the finish line, most people collapse. Sure if you’re taking each mile at like 10 minutes each it’s gonna be a piece of cake. But try running at the intensity most top high school runners do at high 4 min/low 5 min miles for 3+ miles. I guarantee you that unless you are very fit, you will feel like absolute ass after the first 800 meters. </p>
<p>Source: I am an 18 minute 5k xc runner.</p>
<p>As for most techincally challenging… I’d say golf or tennis. Some may say baseball… I also play on my varsity baseball team so I don’t think it’s technically challenging but maybe that’s because I’ve been playing for a long time. But in no way does it even come close in physical intensity as xc does.</p>
<p>A lot of people here seem to think that golf is the hardest sport. But this is just because everyone plays the same golf, whether you are a pro or an amateur. In soccer/football/hockey/baseball/cricket etc., you just play at your own level, so they seem easier.</p>
<p>I was being sarcastic when I wrote that. I’m well aware of what it feels like to run 12 miles at a pace 99% of the population couldn’t hold for 1 mile.</p>
<p>They used to have a show on ABC in the 70’s called Battle of the Superstars, or something like that. They took athletes from multiple sports and put them in a series of athletic events, and kind of scored them like a decathlon. Specialists didn’t fare too well.</p>
<p>I’m gonna have to say crew. It combines all the difficult elements of every sport. First, it is the single best workout for your entire body aka it works the most muscle groups. I think the biggest challenge about crew is that you have to have incredible cardiovascular endurance AND muscular strength because races are basically like sprinting but your times rely on your strength. You also have to have incredible technique and synchronization with other members on your team, or your boat will tip or steer off course.</p>
<p>people keep mentioning golf, but i think because the physical aspect isnt all that important it is not the toughest sport. XC is very tough, but there the mental aspect isn’t as important as a lot of sports, although physically it is the toughest sport probably. i dont know it if is the toughest, but out of the post i have skimmed i havent noticed basketball. basketball is physically demanding, players are able to get breaks in games but coaches typically expect good players to play almost all of the game and play all out. it is also very physical depending on your position. it is also very mental, my mentality in games determines whether i play bad or not, and free throws are at least 65% mental. basketball players need to be explosive or just strong, and it requires good coordination.</p>
<p>You have no idea what the **** you are talking about. If anything, the mental aspect is THE most important aspect of XC. You have to be alert to your environment at all times, adapting to different terrains and elevations. You have to maintain a continuous pace and not let other people passing you psyche you out. You have to run hardest when it hurts the most. There are no timeouts, no breaks, no halftimes, no substitutions.</p>
<p>Gymnastics, absolutely. The most physically and mentally demanding sport I’ve ever encountered. The level of dedication it takes to become successful is a step up from most other sports.</p>
<p>I think tennis is grossly underestimated. However, the hours, days, months, and years that go into excelling at that sport are much larger than some other sports. However, whatever sport that you’re really into is probably the hardest sport to you because you spend so much time trying to get better at it!</p>
<p>actually i ran XC and a lot of my friends still do. the mental aspect is important, but not like in basketball. in XC you arent put on the spot like you are in basketball, you dont have large crowds constantly watching you, and XC might be a team sport, but the pressure to do well and in some cases carry your team is not the same in XC. The pressure just isnt as intense. also runners passing you and psyching you out is nearly as bad as getting blocked, the ball stole, getting beated on defense and allowing an easy basket, or being down but 10+ points. a basketball player has to play calm so he doesnt get fouls, but play with an intensity and a drive to win to make big plays. playing smart determines whether or not a player will play well, and often, whether the team will play well.
also just to throw it out there, water skiing is difficult. skiers put huge amounts of time into it. they condition, and skiing itself is physically demanding. depending on the event, a skier could be flying across the wake at 40+mph knowing the smallest mistake will cause them to miss a bouy, or they might be jumping over 200 feet horizontally while going over 40 mph.</p>
<p>i think there’s no hardest sport… they’re all hard and easy in different ways.</p>
<p>i play volleyball and many think it’s the easiest sport out there, but it’s not. one guy cannot carry the team to victory by himself like other sports, every has to work together and you have to use your brain to win games.</p>
<p>Everyone knows real football (European football) is the Beautiful Game. </p>
<p>The thread has been a bit convoluted so far because OP didn’t really define “difficulty” of a sport. Whether he meant skill-wise, mental toll or physical toll is completely up to debate.</p>
<p>it has got to be baseball as the hardest combination of all. Many people stereotype baseball players as being lazy and not in shape. That is not true at all as baseball players have to be flexible and extremely strong for different body parts depending on the position. Pitchers have to be well conditioned and other players have to be overall in top physical shape. On top of that, there is no harder sport to prepair for. You have to practice all different aspects of the game and than also practice what you expect the other players on the other team to do. It also requires extreme teamwork and dedication as baseball season is the longest season out of all the sports. Just think about it, what is harder than hitting a 90 mph fastball coming to you at a downward angle? You can’t time it because the pitcher might throw you a slower pitch and you will be out in front of it. The only other sports that I would say are comparable are tennis and water polo, but I have to give the edge to baseball because I play it and I am biased.</p>
<p>Most sports require determination. Some require lots of physical training/lifting. Some require endless focus on pinpointing technique and mechanics. With baseball, it’s all 3.</p>
<p>Oh, and that’s not even the hardest part. You can do all 3 of those and still suck if you don’t have the mental toughness and stamina for it.</p>
<p>In terms of sheer difficulty, baseball. I don’t think that there is anything in any other sports that matches the pure skill required to hit a 95-mph fastball. In terms of athleticism at the top tier, I’d have to say either basketball or football.</p>
<p>I read a couple of replies that mentioned crew. I remember hearing a story about the cal crew coach waiting outside the baseball coaches room while he made cuts, and then approaching the taller players he cut, and recruiting them for crew. Now if crew can be picked up in a matter of months by an athletic tall guy, how can it be the most difficult sport?</p>