WHY CERTAMEN IS A
SPORT
Ryan Burns,
South
Gubernator
Certamen is a main event at many Latin conventions
throughout the country, including OJCL and NJCL
convention. Students study countless hours for certamen. Why
do they do this? The answer is the same as why athletes
practice their sport for so many hours every day: so that
they can be the best. Certamen players are like athletes
in their everyday life leading up to competition, the
level of competition they play at compared to the
general population, and the physical and mental
skill set they possess that allows them to succeed.
The life of a great Certamen player during the summer leading up to
NJCL convention is like that of a professional athlete leading up to the season
for many reasons. First, the hours a certamen player who is trying to compete
nationally studies every day during the summer can be up to 10 hours if the
player is very committed to the sport. It is basically their job for almost two
months. This is the same story with professional athletes who practice their
sport or watch film for much of their day during most of the year. Also,
certamen players and athletes both must study. Athletes study film of
themselves and other teams so that they can improve, similar to the way
certamen players study the classics so they can know more questions during
rounds. Furthermore, playing and practicing certamen with buzzers and
questions can compare to an athlete practicing their sport.
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