My Quora Answer to a sports question:

How do you explain why people like sports to someone who doesn't like sports?

by Mark Rauterkus, Swim & Water Polo Coach

Sports are games. The games have rules. The realm of these rules and game play makes an alternative reality. This is pretend importance and escape from life. This is high drama of meaningless outcome. Entering the bubble of sports is fun.

Sport is unscripted too. Outcomes are uncertain. Think mystery. Who wins and who is the goat is for all to see. Sport often delivers new terms and jargon. The language gets twisted in sports with new meanings and pretend signals with superstition and superstar play. GOAT, for instance, means GREATEST OF ALL TIME.

Sports put humans at their very best in my opinion. We go higher, faster, longer in quests for greatness. Be the strongest and be a better self every week, every day, hour and minute growing a passion of excellence.

There are some take-home messages from sport for life. The lessons of sport can transcend into life. Sports should help, illustrate and encourage society and individuals to be better. Through sport and because of sport, rise up and be a better citizen, student, parent, professional.

If one does not like sports, well, fine. Different strokes for different folks. Try golf instead. Golf gets a pass into the world of sports because the thought of bashing small balls with such great force and accuracy is to scary to imagine out of the context of sports.