ESPN Kids Writer Mailbag 17 By ESPN Kids Writer

Q: What is the hardest sport to play? Rayne from Virginia
A: Rayne, this is a very difficult question. Every sport offers its own unique set of challenges and requires different sets of skills. More than that, every sport requires practice and dedication. Track and field demands great physical endurance. To be a good swimmer you need strength and quickness. In baseball and softball, players need excellent hand-eye coordination. Hockey players need strong legs to skate around the ice. I don't think that any one sport is harder than the others. The key to success in all sports, though, is hard work.

Q: Who has the most hits in NY Yankee history? Alex from New York
A: Alex, shortstop Derek Jeter has the most hits in Yankee history. He recently collected hit number 2,721, which moved him past Hall-of-Famer Lou Gehrig on the all-time list.

Q: Are you a good athlete? Matt from Massachusetts
A: Matt, that's a very funny question. I did play many sports when I was younger and played baseball and soccer in high school. Now I try to stay active as much as I can. My favorite activities are playing tennis and racquetball, hiking and swimming.

Q: Is archery considered a sport? Carrie from Michigan
A: Carrie, archery is most definitely considered a sport. Competitions take place all over the world, and the best archers compete in the Olympics. Like other sports, archery demands great hand-eye coordination. Archers need to know how to control their bodies to shoot accurately every time. They work hard to achieve success, just like in any other sport.

Q: What's bigger, a football field or an Olympic sized swimming pool? Jeff from Pennsylvania
A: Jeff, a football field is 100 yards, or 300 feet long. An Olympic-sized swimming pool is 164-feet long. So a football field is nearly twice as long as an Olympic pool.

Q: How big are field goal posts? James from Connecticut
A: James, the goal posts on a football field are generally 18 feet across and the crossbar is 10 feet above the ground.

Q: What weighs more - a lacrosse ball or a soccer ball? Patty from Washington, D.C.
A: Patty, an official soccer ball weighs between 14 and 16 ounces. Since a lacrosse ball weighs about five ounces, a soccer ball is about three times heavier than a lacrosse ball.

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