# Pick Sports You Can Really Commit To

Part of the Sports Merit Badge Digital Resource Guide: [Introduction & Overview](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/sports/guide/index.md)

*4. Choosing Your Two Sports*

> **4.** Select TWO of the following sports and discuss with your counselor how you will complete the requirements in 5(a) through 5(h) for each sport: badminton, baseball, basketball, bowling, cross-country, diving, field hockey, flag football, flag team, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, spirit/cheerleading, swimming, tackle football, table tennis, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo, and/or wrestling. Your counselor may approve in advance other recognized sports, but not any sport that is prohibited by Scouting America. The sports you choose must include regular practice sessions and at least four structured, officiated, scored games, meets, or contests against other competitive individuals or organized teams during the period of participation.

This is the decision point for the badge. You are not just picking two sports you like in theory. You are picking two sports that give you a real chance to complete the full season-style work in Req 5: training, tracking, technique, equipment, rules, diagrams, competition, and reflection.

### What your two choices need to include

Each sport must have:

- regular practice sessions
- at least four structured, officiated, scored games, meets, or contests
- enough time for you to train and keep records
- a setting your counselor approves in advance

That means a few casual games in the backyard would not qualify. A school team season, community league, club season, swim schedule, track season, wrestling club, or other organized competitive setup usually makes more sense.

**Choosing two workable sports** — Ask these questions before you commit

- [ ] **Can I practice regularly?** If you cannot attend practice often, the sport may not work for this badge.
- [ ] **Will I have at least four real competitions?** The requirement is specific about this.
- [ ] **Do I have access to coaching, facilities, and equipment?**
- [ ] **Can I explain technique, rules, etiquette, and the playing area for this sport?**
- [ ] **Can I stay involved long enough to reflect honestly at the end?**

### Good choices are realistic choices

A common mistake is choosing a sport because it sounds exciting, even though the Scout has no real access to a season, coach, or competition schedule. It is better to choose sports you can fully complete than to pick impressive-sounding options that never become real participation.

For example, a Scout might choose soccer and track because school or community programs already provide practices and meets. Another Scout might choose swimming and bowling because those sports are available year-round nearby. What matters is not which sports are most popular. What matters is whether your plan is realistic.

> **Tip**
>
> Bring details to your counselor, not just sport names. A stronger conversation sounds like: "I plan to do tennis through the parks league on Tuesdays and Thursdays, plus weekend matches" instead of just "I choose tennis."

### Think ahead to Requirement 5

Req 5 will ask you to describe equipment, explain rules and etiquette, draw playing areas, track practices, and discuss how the season affected you. Choose sports where you can observe enough details to talk about them confidently.

> **Be Prepared! One of your sports falls through**
>
> Maybe the season gets canceled, you move, or you cannot meet the competition requirement.
>
> - **Tell your counselor early.**
> - **Review whether a different approved sport is available.**
> - **Keep any records you already made** in case some work still helps your understanding.
> - **Do not wait until the end** and hope the missing competitions will somehow count.

![Scout comparing two sports options with schedule, equipment, travel, and competition boxes on a planning sheet](https://ik.imagekit.io/doulacoop/tr:w-800/mbu-assets/merit-badges/sports/guide/sports-choice-planner?v=a88f3ca1)

Once you have chosen two sports that truly fit the badge, you can build the training plan and season tracking system that carry the rest of the work.

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- Previous: [Preparation, Strength, and Sportsmanship](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/sports/guide/req3/index.md)
- Next: [Train, Compete, and Reflect](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/sports/guide/req5/index.md)