A little boy having fun in the snow

Everyone in the Marymount community is getting ready for the holiday season, whether they are making Christmas lists, drinking hot cocoa, decorating admin, or warming up for winter sports – skiing, snowboarding, and perhaps snowball fighting. The ongoing debate on whether snowball fighting qualifies as a sport always reappears during the snowy months, and I am here to give you an answer once and for all. 

A sport is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. Sports can take many different forms and can range from quiet golf to competitive soccer. 

To be considered a sport, snowball fighting must meet 3 requirements: players must physically exert themselves and use skill, compete against other players, and play for entertainment. Throwing snowballs uses muscles in the arm, shoulder, and wrist, meaning that one must exert their energy to participate in snowball fighting. Players also compete against each other. Lastly, whether one is participating or watching, snowball fights are very fun, amusing, and playful. Overall, dodgeball is a very similar sport to snowball fighting, as the rules and objectives remain consistent, however, the balls are made out of foam as opposed to snow. Dodgeball is considered a sport, meaning that the same guidelines should be applied when judging snowball fighting.

Children smiling for the camera as they play in the snow.

In conclusion, snowball fighting is a super fun winter activity that qualifies as a sport. If you are visiting somewhere cold over break, be sure to have a snowball fight if you want to get good exercise, spend time with loved ones, and have a blast!