Think about all we have in common with athletes.
1. What we do take a lot of hand & eye coordination.
2. We parctice almost every day. Sometimes for many hours.
3. We suffer serious injuries. (There was a blog on modeling injuries a few months ago) Some of those injuries threaten our builing careers.
4. It is a skill that many can never master.
5. We invest a lot of money in our tools of the trade, much like purchasing golf clubs, or other sports equipment.
6. We compete for awards and medals. If we are lucky we might even win a trophy.
7. Like distance runners, we often encounter "the wall" on a long complicated build. Then overcome it through sheer persaverance and intestinal fortitude.
8. We study ways to do it better.
9. We often eploy coaches to help us through difficult builds.

I think we can actually call ourselves athletic modelers. I don't think our sport will ever be in the olympics though.

No, we are not atheletes. Not even close. Artists, perhaps, but not athletes. In my younger days, I ran five marathons, the 26.2 milers, and many shorter races. I got to know a lot of athletes. What we do is not even related to athletics.

Hi Carl,
I never looked at it in that sense!Unlike athletes though we do get to do "it" the night before a competition though
Cheers,
Shay

No...we are not athletes.
Although, once upon a time, I played sports. I can assure you that the building of models does not get the competitive juices flowing the way sports do.

We may be considered "artists" by some...but I consider myself to be merely a hobbyist. I build for fun and relaxation...not for anybody's approval, which may explain why I have so little interest in entering my models in competition. Or in judging other's work, for that matter.

Sorry, but I've got to agree with everyone else on this one. A modelers we are about as far from being an athelete as one can get. I've know some international level atheletes in competitive shooting & ballroom dancing. Believe me, we are not atheletes by any stretch of the immagination.

Now and artist, well maybe some of you guys, but not me! It is an artistic outlet, so that's a good thing. My wife still says that I'm playing with my toys, though!

Jim

The only thing athletic about me, is the work out surfing the web, shopping, and the occasional walk from truck to hobby shop. OH and shaking a bottle of paint. No sorry, I really don't feel like Mickey Mantle building models, more like Grumpy or Goofy some days.

spoilsports .

I agree 100% with what Al said. I'm a Phys Ed teacher, and played several sports in my younger years, and still dabble a little these days (not counting getting out and playing with my students). A modeler is much more closely tied to an artist, there's nothing athletic about it at all.

Mike

`Course we can .... and don´t let anybody tell you different!
Haven´t you seen the line up of personality images often shown after Amps, IPMS, Euromilitaires, etc. or the self images shown here on Armorama?
Bronzed Godlike Adonis, every one of them

I agree with Al. I wrestled starting in the 5th grade, through high school, a college scholarship and into my first year in the Army, not even close. What we do is a hobby for most, a profession for others. We are no more athletes than chefs are.

This thread could have gone a couple of ways Frank, depending on whether we thought Carl was taking the piss or not... I choose the former, and think he has done a good job in boosting my 'confidence'