Students across GCSU’s campus shared their opinions on which sport is the easiest to play, showing how controversial the topic is.
When it comes to the hardest sports, students pointed to games requiring focus, skill and physical or mental strength.
Students discussed what makes certain games approachable, how skills and effort vary across sports and which activities they personally enjoy. Many said their opinions depend on past experience, natural ability and what they find fun, which is why the “easiest” sport is different for everyone. Other students focused on what sport they would encourage their children to play, considering both skills that carry over and experiences they’ve enjoyed themselves.
Taylor Horton, a freshman biology major, said pickleball stands out as one of the easiest to pick up.
“I’d say pickleball because the rackets are lighter, you can play doubles and the court is smaller, so you don’t have to run as much,” Horton said. “It’s fun, you can get a game going really fast, and you don’t need a ton of experience to start playing.”
Alayna Cobb, a freshman elementary education major, also weighed in on easy sports.
“For me, lacrosse is the easiest because there’s less body contact,” Cobb said. “You can focus on moving around and having fun without worrying too much about getting hurt, and it’s still active and exciting.”
Horton said soccer is her top choice for her future children.
“If I were to raise a kid, I’d probably encourage them to play soccer because it’s what I grew up on, it’s really fun and it teaches teamwork, endurance and coordination all at once,” Horton said.
Dom Gerome, a freshman psychology major, said baseball is his top choice.
“I’d have my kid play baseball because it lets them use skills from other sports and builds hand-eye coordination,” he said. “It helps them move easily from one sport to another, and it’s a good mix of teamwork and individual focus. Plus, it keeps kids active without being overwhelming.”
Gerome also said he would want his kids to have a creative outlet as well, outside of sports.
“They should also play a little bit of video games with a controller like Xbox or PlayStation to keep creativity and enjoyment,” said Gerome.
When it comes to the hardest sports, students pointed to games requiring focus, skill and physical or mental strength.
Cobb said gymnastics is one of the toughest sports to be great at.
“You have to be really strong both in your body and your mind,” Cobb said. “It’s not just about flexibility or strength, it’s about focus, timing and practice every day. I think that’s why it’s so tough compared to other sports.”
Gerome added that baseball and hockey can be difficult as well.
“Baseball is tough because hitting the ball is really hard, and hockey is challenging because you have to skate and use a lot of hand-eye coordination at the same time,” Gerome said.
Students’ answers showed that sports are deeply personal experiences. What’s easy or hard depends on past experience, natural ability and what someone enjoys. Some praised teamwork-focused sports, while others focused on the physical and mental demands of more challenging games.
Whether it’s a fun and approachable sport like pickleball, a skill-building game like baseball, or a mentally and physically demanding sport like gymnastics, students across GCSU recognize the value in participating, enjoying and learning from sports.
GCSU sports continue on campus as the men’s baseball team will play a triple-header against Columbus State at John Kurtz Field, in Milledgeville, on March 13-15.