Do you know what the top three hardest sports are? Well, you are going to learn today! This is just an opinion, so don’t feel hurt if your favorite sport didn’t make the list.  These aren’t ranked, just listed so be aware of that when reading. Every sport is difficult in it’s own way.

#3 Wrestling

Wrestling is a very popular sport here are EMS and at the high school as well. I put this on the list because you have to use your entire body to push another body off of you, and pin them onto the ground. Wrestlers require full-body strength, and strong mentalities as well. I interviewed wrestler Aiden Webster, a seventh grader, and he said, ¨Well, wrestling it is more a sport of dedication then actual strength, you go in there thinking ¨I will be so strong when I get out of this¨,  but really you will just be mentally strong. It really teaches you how to get through difficult situations, and if you quit then it’s over, it’s more a dishonor thing then a, “I quit, I don’t want to do it”. This is a very hard, and difficult sport, and I think it needs to be recognized.

#2 Swimming

Swim isn’t a sport at EMS, but middle school students can practice swim and even attend meets by going to Swim Club at the highschool.  There is a high school swim team also. This, like wrestling, also works your entire body, and what makes it even harder is the fact that you can’t breathe half the time. I interviewed a swim athlete that attends swim club, Emma Weast, (a seventh grader at EMS) and this is what she said, “A lot of people call swim an easy sport because they think it’s messing around in the water. But it’s not, because you have to swim hundreds of laps everyday during practice. It’s physically hard because you’re using all of your muscles while swimming, and it’s hard because sometimes you want to give up but you can’t”. This was very well stated, and I think that swim definitely deserves to be on this list. Maybe the middle school will consider it as a sport someday.

#1 Distance Running (Cross-Country)

Distance running is extremely hard because you have to run at a quick pace, for a long time, without stopping. When we run in P.E. most people stop after the first 100 meters. In cross-country, the main distance sport at EMS, we have to run somewhere between 1-4 miles without stopping. Your legs burn, your arms are tired of swinging, you can’t breathe, and often times you have a side stitch. I interviewed a cross-country runner, Hayden Basler and this is what he said, “Well, you have to run up and down hills, and at the end you feel tired but you are still supposed to go your full speed and everything”. I couldn’t have said that better myself!

All of these sports are extremely difficult, and I think they all deserve credit. If you want to put time, effort, sweat, and blood in then join swim, wrestling or cross-country. They will make you physically fit, and mentally strong. I hope you enjoyed reading this article about the three hardest sports at the Emporia Middle School and High School!