Type and sports

[nedenom]

I noticed there aren't many threads on sports in this forum

Does one have to belong to a typical type to enjoy sports? Which functions do sports appeal to? I've been exposed to football/soccer enthusiasts regularly, but never got caught up in it, always felt I simply lack a certain sports gene that most other males seem to have.

What functions would be an advantage to possess for an athlete? How would it be different in team sports vs. solo sports? Which are the sports, if any, INTPs could excel in?

 

[MissQuote]

I like sports.

 

[chatvite]

I watch college football and practice yoga.

 

[Felan]

As a kid I played soccer, american football, and a little basketball. I was pretty good at american football but tweaked my neck during practice and just never got past that. In soccer and basketball I was very good at stealing and moving the ball to the opponents net but pretty sucky at scoring points, so I would just pass the ball to someone else. My biggest problem is I have the strength gene rather than the endurance gene, strength is virtually worthless in the modern world.

I follow the NFL but not much else. American Football is fun for me because there is a lot of depth, strategy and teamwork to it. I don't have enough time or energy for college football just because there are too many teams, conferences, divisions, players, and coaches.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

I have a hard time taking glorified and inherently meaningless competition seriously, I'm just not 'plugged in'. Plus it's boring watching people engage in repetitive activity, if anything I'd at least want to be involved.

That said, I like playing basketball, street hockey is pretty cool too. Couldn't care enough to play professionally.

During my younger years I did have pretty strong interest in motorsports, BMX and skate/snow-boarding, not so much nowadays though.

 

[Vidi]

Standing on my head upside down. Did this daily in childhood and into my mid teens.. nice blood rush sensation in my head. I don't do it now though. Miss it.

Combat/martial arts, tennis ..in my teens as well

 

[Honor]

Does one have to belong to a typical type to enjoy sports?

In short, no.

What functions would be an advantage to possess for an athlete?

I would say that SPs have an advantage what with their heightened awareness of the physical environment and ability to react to it.

How would it be different in team sports vs. solo sports?

There might not be a difference. I once read a hypothesis that introverts prefer solo sports while extraverts prefer team sports, but I wouldn't bet on it.

 

[nedenom]

OK, so I'm an odd one amongst the odd ones

Maybe there is a thing called "sports interest deficiency syndrome"?

I agree that extraverted sensers may have an advantage in sports like football, maybe ESxP types. Then again there is also another category of sports where more precision is involved, and sensory input is limitet in a more or less static environment, eg. golf and team sport like curling. Mayby those will rely on different advantages, perhaps strong Si or Ni?

 

[Mia]

Does 'I' go with badminton?

 

[Cheeseumpuffs]

I play volleyball currently and occasionally meet up with friends to play some basketball. I used to play baseball but baseball season conflicted with volleyball season so I don't anymore. When I was really young I'd also play soccer and football.

I really don't think type affects one's enjoyment of or skill at particular sports. I would say am quite 'I' and I actually prefer team sports. For example, the way that you can move the ball and find the open spot in basketball until the defense is falling all over themselves is far superior in my opinion to, say, playing one-on-one where all you can do is dribble back and forth and not do much else. I also have an SP friend who really doesn't like or play sports at all really.

 

[intpz]

Never liked sports. Most likely never will like sports. I'm proud to not be one of the guys shouting and screaming when someone hits a goal or whatever you have to do in sports.

 

[Prometheus]

I like sports, because I do have a competitive spirit. It is also nice to be part of a collective group of people and cheering for the same outcome, a spirit of camaraderie. Though I also really enjoy the mental aspects of the game especially in football.

 

[intpz]

I hate cheering. I've never cheered for something in my life, even though I was placed amongst cheering crown more than once. I hate other people cheering. It's annoying as fuck.

I also dislike, and even hate, the "team spirit." I am an individual, I want to act as one.

You are not an INTP. *puts on a special hat that only INTPs can wear and heads to another topic*

 

[Hadoblado]

I can't stand individual sports, they are far too simple, and generally require a lot of talent or endurance to reap any benefit from.

Observing sports is also rather dull. I used to hypothesize about one needing to be a feeler in order to enjoy this, but my housemate who is an INTJ (just got him tested) absolutely loves Aussie rules football and basketball, and spends a lot of time on forums discussing these games. He scored 100% thinker on the test, so he is the perfect counter-example.

I have enjoyed partaking in team sports such as soccer, Aussie rules football, badminton doubles, basketball, hockey, and touch rugby. I have also dabbled in martial arts, but lack the endurance to enjoy them.

I guess the only exception to my 'no observing' rules is e-sports. I love watching starcraft, and sometimes even LoL. The complexity inherent in the decision making process is always entertaining.

 

[MizKodomo]

I gained an appreciation for Football when I went to Italy in... '07 I think. I was in Rome for the Italy v. France match up... Zidane fail and all xD
It was fun! I at least like to know who's playing in the final rounds for the World Cup :>

 

[Dr. Freeman]

I enjoy fencing. (actively competing, not just watching)

 

[Architect]

Few INTP's really enjoy sports in my experience, as you can see from the replies to this post they seem to only engage in the activity in a unique, diverse way. We see some fencing, some football/soccer, a scattering of other things.

For myself I never liked sports, but while in Japan developed a taste for Sumo wrestling. I think it was the realization of how much strategy plays in when I saw a small player, who surely was going to get creamed by the big fatty he was going against, instead won the match by being more nimble then his corpulent opponent.

That and watching and photographing kids sports. You have to be a parent to understand. Of course my kid turned out to be INTP so I don't get any of that.

 

[SpaceYeti]

I like to play sports, but watching other people play is boring.

 

[intpz]

Actually I find watching E-sports as boring and pointless as sports. If you want decision making, play the games yourself and make the decisions yourself.

 

[Sanctum]

I enjoy playing sports I play soccer and I wrestle for school and i feel sports these in specifically tie into Thinking anticipating your next move as well as your opponents.

 

[Hadoblado]

Actually I find watching E-sports as boring and pointless as sports. If you want decision making, play the games yourself and make the decisions yourself.

Playing is fun, but sometimes you are too exhausted to play, and need to just observe. It's also a useful learning tool, as you are able to see the difference between your strategy, and a more successful one. The decision making is not entirely removed, as you still get to ask yourself what your response would be in that situation. It's also interesting to theorycraft out the impact of pro-level play on amateur level, and conceptualise the most effective laddering strategies. Watching pro-streams is conducive to productive creativity: you need to know the standard meta-game in order to creatively exploit it. Experimenting on your own can yield powerful builds, but unless you're goal driven, anything you do create will be the product of luck alone.

 

[xbox]

I used to be on the volleyball team, but now I go to the gym regularly. Sometimes I go surfing. I dont watch sports though, really boring.

 

[Dapper Dan]

I love sports. They're a subset of games, and I love games. I guess it helps to have good coordination and reaction times.

I played soccer in some form for like thirteen straight years. Never made varsity in high school, but that's mostly because I was in it for fun and never practiced on my own. I love ping-pong, but I don't have anyone to play with at the moment. Ultimate frisbee and (touch) American football are awesome so long as you don't get too serious. It's a shame volleyball is considered a girls' sport until college, because I would have been great at that, I think.

Watching is fun too, though I don't really 'follow' anything. I'm looking forward to the Olympics. Hopefully there's some good online coverage.

 

[Roboman]

I watch sports
I play sports on the console
I play sports in real life
I bet on sports
I like sports

 

[Wasp]

I am very athletic. I don't know why but I can never seem to run out of energy. I love surfing, the rush is addicting. I'm probably the only surfer in California who isn't blonde (seriously all the surfers I know are blonde). Swimming is great helps take down some stress. Running too. Snowboarding I can only do a few times a year but I like surfing better. Other sports include rapier fencing, volleyball, and soccer.