When we think of sports, the first thing that may come to mind is hockey, soccer, or basketball. These are the sports that we learn to play in school and with which we become familiar. However, can cooking be a sport?

When I was in junior high, I tried out for the senior basketball team and actually made the team. It was a surprise to me because I was a junior. I figured I had the skill down pat; unfortunately that was not the case. Every time I was given the ball I would lose it or if I had an open shot it was like tossing a brick! After my first official game, the only time I had on the court was when the team was walking into the gym to sit on the bench. Yes indeed, I was the best seat warmer the team had. To this day I still appreciate my time on the team because I was a junior on a senior basketball team.

In high school, I tried out for the badminton team. Did I make it? Yes I did. However, I was able to demonstrate the “bad” in badminton. I played well during practice, but when it was game time I played like it was my first time holding a racquet with a huge hole. Overall, it was a good experience because I enjoyed leaving school early to play in school tournaments and I am included in a team picture that will be posted on the wall of the school forever!

Now, back to the subject of cooking as a sport! I think it is a sport because when I watch Iron Chef America it’s amazing to see the amount of sweat that occurs throughout the hour, just like a boxing match. Two chefs duke it out to see who can deliver winning plates. Chefs are working against time and must create five dishes that emphasize the secret ingredient, similar to playing quarters in the Super Bowl or periods in the Stanley Cup. They have Sous Chefs to assist them, similar to a soccer team with a goalie, defensemen, and offense men. It takes a lot of determination, strategy, and skill to impress the judges, just like a gymnast who would jump acrobatically on a beam or a skater landing a perfect triple axel. By the end, a winner is determined and we are all participants of viewing the BIG game, only it is on the Food Network and not TSN.

So, I ask you, can cooking be considered a sport?

Originally from Vietnam, Nhan lives in McCauley. She owns Pacific Cafe and is involved with Revitalization and the Multicultural Health Brokers.