A Brief Overview of Modern Day Sports
Sport (or sports) is any form of usually strenuous physical activity that, through organised or casual participation, intention to employ, improve or maintain certain physical ability and qualities while providing amusement to participants, and at times, spectators as well. It can also be used to refer to a set of specific sports which include ice skating, badminton, fencing, gymnastics, sailing, cycling, track and field, polo, wrestling, tennis and golf, among others. With the possible exception of sailing and football, most activities which are classified as sports involve contact with the ground, with fellow participants and/or with the environment or other elements. These activities can be played individually as games, organized competitions, or as part of a cultural event. In whatever form it takes, sports competition usually involves strenuous physical activity and high levels of skill, athleticism or suppleness.
The word “sports” actually comes from the German word stremmerie which means “play for fun.” This is where we get the term we normally use today when referring to sports. Sports competitions began in the 19th century with the evolution of amateur athletics which was initially organized as an arena game, similar to the games we know today like soccer, American football and lacrosse. These games evolved into professional sports through the early years of the twentieth century. Competitions then included athletic events such as swimming, track and field, fencing, gymnastics, hockey, wrestling and boxing.
Later, sports competitions became more standardized, with each sport requiring its own equipment and facilities. This caused sports equipment to become more expensive and sports tournaments to become more difficult to participate in. These factors paved the way for international sports competitions which began to take place in the twentieth century. In addition, the first modern Olympics began to occur in London, England in the 1900s.
As the twentieth century wore on, sports organizations and teams grew to become international and involved in international competition. This made the Olympic Games grow to become much more popular and helped sports gain a higher level of recognition in both the public and private sectors. During this period, sports were no longer only a hobby or a passion but a profession that many people could pursue. Sports were even endorsed by several prominent politicians during this time.
Sports are now recognized as a serious sport activity and are practiced by millions around the world. Most athletes today participate in sports so as to stay fit and in good health. Even though most sports require a great deal of hard work, most athletes realize that the end goal is to be the very best at what they do. In the last twenty years, there has been a growing interest in sports not only in the United States but all around the world.
There are various different types of sports that anyone can participate in. Some sports involve physical challenges while others are more mentally challenging. There are also sports that are amateur and professional competitions. All of these are important aspects of sports and it is up to each individual to learn about them in order to determine if they will be a suitable sport for them to take part in.