Cost-benefits analysis if different sports
I’ve been thinking about this lately.
Not in a regretful way. More like an alternate-timeline curiosity.
In high school, I raced bikes. I loved the speed, the rain, the feeling of pushing myself alone against a time to beat. But even then, it was isolating. Very alone time! You train mostly alone. You suffer alone. You do your own bike repairs and maintenance. And unless you’re podium-level, there isn’t much financial return or even much social recognition.
At least that was my experience, back then and in that sport.
I also raced on the cross-country running team. I was there basically because there was room on the team for me, and I did finish races, just far back and alone. I just didn’t have speed or endurance for that sport. It was fun though and accessible. I had the shoes.
As an adult, mountain biking became something interesting finally. But still… it’s solitary. Add to that, it’s also:
- Expensive! I have a good-enough bike from 15 years ago and hope it lasts
- Car-dependent, to get to the trails that fit my skill level
- Gear-heavy; need storage space and a setup to wash mucky gear each time
Mountain biking has a lot of logistics for a couple hours of joy.
So sometimes I wonder what would my life have looked like if I’d become passionate about a team sport like soccer instead? I mention soccer because it’s very popular in my city.
Mountain biking offers solo thrills
Mountain biking gives you:
- Autonomy
- Flow state
- Mechanical skill
- Deep time in nature
- No schedule except your own
- Meet others on the trail, especially at bike parks
It also quietly demands:
- A car
- Expensive equipment
- Ongoing upgrades
- Trail access
- Maintenance time
- A tolerance for being alone
It’s freedom, yes. But you pay a price for it in the initial and ongoing gear, plus a vehicle most likely to get there. If you do visit biking trails and parks regularly, it can quickly become social by meeting the same riders over time.
So mountain biking can tick a lot of boxes for a healthy and social outdoor activity.
The Soccer Version of Me
If I’d chosen soccer instead, life would probably look a lot different:
- More structured
- More social
- More predictable
I might’ve experienced:
- Weekly practices
- Scheduled games
- A team chat thread
- Cleats in a small gym bag
- A field I could walk or bus to
In my case soccer also would’ve required a car because I grew up rural. There was no efficient bus routes to get closer to town activities, so inevitably I stuck with cycling in my youth. I grew up knowing very little about team sports.
If I had been able to get a car earlier in life, I’d be driving to a soccer or basketball routine instead of starting my exercise with bicycle or running shoes at the end of my driveway.
Later in life, I would’ve been using a car to get quickly to soccer obligations instead of taking my bike to trails, as I do today.
Do I regret picking the solo sports path?
Soccer has a built-in community. After practice, maybe people linger. I’m not sure. Maybe you talk through work stress. Maybe someone is going through a divorce.
In mountain biking, all those issue stay primarily in your own head, unless you purposely make an effort to regularly show up (at a bike park in my case) and meet other riders. I’ve tried this and it works great. A mountain biker at local trails is likely to say hi to you before you say hi to them. That’s how friendly it is.
If I had chosen soccer, I might’ve become more aware of keeping a weekly schedule and finding a way to get to my events despite lacking a car. Soccer has the wins-and-losses lifestyle.
As it was, I was on a bike for exercise AND transportation from a youthful age, so I learned a lot about how much I could handle in bodily terms. Bicycling on road or trail gives you time outdoors alone, and conversations in depth with people you meet along the way. It has a sense of autonomy.
I learned efficiency and self-propelled socializing on the road and on the trails.
Both have interesting outcomes.
What’s in common?
Both expose you to weather conditions. Both require a car or a way to get there. And both involve gear to carry and keep clean. Neither is better – do you agree or disagree?
What’s different between team and individual sports?
Any solo sport brings passion and self-directed goals. It might draw you closer to peers in the sport.
Team sports put you in a competitive environment with built-in peers and a shared goal of winning. You’ll have that in common, as long as you continually show up and pay your club dues.
If you’re looking for exercise, both are great, I’m sure.
If you’re looking for a social-camaraderie type of place, I don’t have experience with that in terms of soccer but have colleagues that play and they speak enthusiastically about the whole soccer scene. It might be just your thing. For a so-called quiet gal like me, the crowd might still be difficult to melt.
Meanwhile, mountain biking has zero social risk. As long as you’re riding, other riders respect your effort. Socially, yeah, it takes some effort to be recognized and drawn in to the crowd of regulars. If you pick a spot you’ll visit regularly at least, you’ll start becoming part of the scene.
If I’d fallen in love with soccer, I might have a wider social circle, but might also be exhausted from a training schedule I can’t sustain. For me, mountain biking lets me disappear into the woods and come back feeling more alive. I definitely enjoy that feeling of growth.
Reflections for you to try:
- What kind of life do you want your sport to build around you?
- How long might you stick with a new sport?
- Are you looking for team camaraderie or time in nature?
- Are you looking for structure or independence, or both?
Your thoughts may come alive at the thought of being outdoors in nature, and something like hiking or biking may be a valuable experiment (e.g. rent a bike for a whole afternoon a few times).
Or you might daydream about regularly meeting up for training sessions or competitions, in which case you’d look for a team sport or at least a coached or guided activity like a running club, tennis club, or soccer club. If you don’t have a club in your area, check out your recreation centres – they may offer drop-ins groups that are close to your intended sport.
There’s no wrong answer. But it’s worth noticing that when we choose a sport, we’re not just choosing exercise. We’re choosing a social architecture. And sometimes I wonder what mine would look like if I’d chosen differently.
If you had to choose today — autonomy or team structure — which way would you lean?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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