Virtual Sports

Virtual sports are the next big thing, apparently, and no I don't mean professional Wii competitions.

The Ultimate Sports Insider reported on July 16 that there will no longer be state funding for athletics at the University of New Orleans. In order to keep the athletes going, without the use of a lot of money, UNO is thinking of having virtual swim meets.

This means that the swimmers will swim at their own pool--get official times--and then put them up to times that swimmers log on the same day, at the same time, in their own pool.

Virtual athletics is something that needs to be avoided--at all cost. Competition is what makes all the dreaded practices worth it. Showing up on game day--or meet day--is exciting because you know that you worked so hard to be there. It is exciting because when you show up at the field, or the pool, or the track, you can see your opposition. You can see if they are excited, nervous, tough, big, small, intimidating. With virtual athletics, you lose the excitement, especially in a sport like swimming, where knowing where your competition is in the pool--three, four strokes behind--or three, four strokes ahead, affects the way you push and when you push to finish ahead of them. You can't simulate a competitor. 

Virtual athletics will virtually slow down swimmers and make them less excited to be there. Showing up for a meet will feel the same as showing up for practice, and you should always feel different when you show up for game day. 

What's next...virtual track meets? golf? cross-country? gymnastics?

Let's just put Wiis in the gyms....