Athletes are usually pictured as fit sports heroes. Athletes have high strength, stamina, speed, or other physical abilities. According to Wikipedia, an athlete competes in a sport that requires physical strength, speed, or endurance. Darts is one of those contentious sports.
Are dart players athletes?
Many consider darts players athletes due to their intensive training, talent, and motor control. However, darts players are overweight and require little physical fitness, so they shouldn't be considered athletes. As seen, both sides have valid points. Due to the campaign for darts to be an Olympic sport and the argument that darts players are not athletes, it's an unexpected dispute. This article will examine some of the popular arguments on both sides to establish whether darts players are athletes.
Athletes or Darts Players?
As a disclaimer, I agree that true athletes are individuals with remarkable physical abilities and traits. Athletes have speed, power, endurance, finesse, and control. Darts players appear to lack these traits. Darts is practically stagnant. To throw darts well, only your hand, wrist, and arm should move. Unlike athletes, dart players must reduce movement to throw accurately. However, darts players are athletes because of this lack of mobility. Darts players train like any other sport. Every day, you must throw the board indefinitely to develop the motor skills required for consistency.
You can't throw 100,000 darts at quadruple 20 and expect 180s to repeat (though 100,000 throws will help). Focused practice is needed. Darts players must be stable and repeat their throws for accuracy and grouping. This motor control demands high skill, like an NFL quarterback or NBL pitcher throwing many balls to repeat it in competition. If you're new at darts and throw for 1-2 hours, your arm will ache the next day from using new muscles. Darts' skill isn't physical, but it's physical. Physical skill is comparable to other sports, but mental skill and focus are needed to throw consistently and accurately under pressure. Darts players are athletes because of these factors. To prove this, darts players are drug tested, which would not be necessary if winning did not require physical or mental skill. However, dart players' physical appearance must be covered.
Why are darts players fat?
Dart players' obesity is one of the main reasons they're not considered athletes. Darts—especially in the UK and Europe—is a pub game. Training sessions often include alcohol. The most famous and successful dart players don't have physical physiques. Dart players can succeed without being in shape. Most pros train for 6–10 hours a day, which is challenging psychologically and physically, but most people can do it. More demanding sports that require physical qualities require daily gym time. I've mentioned that darts players have tremendous physical skill and control, but it's in a specialized area that doesn't necessarily apply to other sports. A talented athlete can switch sports and still compete. Jordan is the best example. One of the best basketball players ever made a well-documented transition to baseball midway through his career. While it didn't work out, his athleticism offered him an advantage when he didn't have the technical skills. Former rugby player Gerwyn Price is my favorite example. Gerwyn moved from rugby to winning a grand slam against Gary Anderson and entering the top 10 PDC rankings. Athlete Gerwyn. Former footballer Rafael Van Der Vaart also wore shoes on the oche instead of studded boots. Both of these athletes switched from professional sports to darts, but how many dart players have switched to a more athletic sport? The answer is none; hence, darts players are not athletes due to their physique and reputation for heavy drinking during games and practice.
Is darts considered a sport?
If darts is a sport, darts players are athletes. According to the Oxford dictionary, darts is both a game and a sport. "An activity requiring physical exertion and skill in which a person or team competes for entertainment." By this definition, darts is a sport because it's grown in popularity and enjoyment over the past few decades and requires physical exertion for 8 or more hours per day.
The main issue is that darts is not an Olympic sport, despite its rapid surge in popularity. It is still associated with noisy drinkers and pubs. The traditional Olympic games were a gentleman's sport. Darts players are not athletes because many people do not consider darts to be a sport, despite the fact that the number is growing.
Summary
Darts requires physical expertise and skill, but I don't think of darts players as athletes. Professionals compete in professional sports, but their athleticism is hidden. For this reason, I think professional dart players should be called athletes. The level of competitiveness in the modern game is too high to be labeled a pub game, and there are solid reasons for darts being a sport. While this will always be up for argument, you should appreciate the skill and training required to be a professional darts player and acknowledge that they have an athletic skill, even if it's not obvious.