[ExI] competition markshumanship

[spike at rainier66.com]

Keith, regarding women's marksmanship, in 2016 the first Olympic gold was
awarded to Ginny Thrasher, a West Virginian and distant cousin to me.  When
you commented about marksmanship being largely a talent rather than a skill
honed over years of practice, I was reminded that Ginny had only taken up
the sport about a year before.

 

Your comment about marksmanship being as much an innate talent as an
acquired skill has the ring of truth.  Supporting detail available.

 

Think about this: every sport has men's and women's divisions, even stuff
you would not think would need them, such as chess.  But top level chess is
dominated by men.  Currently there are no women in the among the highest
ranking players.  I don't know why: perhaps evolutionary psychology could
offer insight.

 

If one speculates that every sport is dominated by men, there is one
puzzling exception: marksmanship.  I know the debate drones on to this day,
but I also know that marksmanship competitions have been mixed gender in the
past, including at the Olympics.  If there is a single sport that men have
the lowest inherent advantage, it would be that one.  

 

I have some fun details on that last comment if you want them.

 

I speculate that in the foreseeable, women will dominate the sport in the
USA, because of Title IX.  Reasoning: the insurance costs of collegiate
sports is going up.  Title IX requires colleges to offer scholarships to men
and women, regardless of the fact that more spectators pay more money to see
men's sports.  If insurance becomes the dominant cost, it emphasizes the
economic viability of the lower risk sports.  Marksmanship is the
second-safest collegiate sport, behind chess.  Those are two sports where
you can't hurt yourself.  So... the insurance is cheap.  It doesn't cost
much to do either sport, so both are attractive as ways to spend Title IX
dollars.  This would bring more women into competitive shooting, allowing us
to discover inherent talent in the sport, eventually resulting in women
dominating even the mixed-gender competitions.

 

Fun detail available on request for that too.

 

spike

 

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