Sport (or physical activity) is any form of typically competitive physical activity that, through organised or casual competition, aims to use, develop or improve specific physical ability and capacities while also providing entertainment for participants, and sometimes, spectators, in the process. In the modern era, sport can include such activities as playing games, participating in competitive events and competitions, watching sport programs or events on television, riding in competitive motor cycles or cycling helmets, playing certain games or exercising. Sport can also encompass work, such as coaching athletes or working in the sports industry as a trainer, physiotherapist or sports consultant. Some people engage in sport for the sheer love of it, while others participate in a sport so that they can earn money.
Organising sports events usually involves the provision of sporting facilities, equipment and space, or the hiring of sports facilities and vehicles. Stadiums, courts, training pitches, gymnasiums and locker rooms are some of the facilities that a sports team may use to practise, train and compete in an event. Events often include spectators, sponsors, equipment, awards ceremonies. The objective of most sports events is the attainment of a balanced approach to the development and maintenance of physical fitness, health and recreation.
A sportsperson is generally defined as any individual who undertakes any sort of sport for the purpose, either individually or with a group of people, of competing in a contest or event of some kind. Competitions, whether organised sports, championships, outdoor games, etc, are the basis of many peoples’ sporting activities and usually involve an application of skill, physical acuity, apparatus or equipment. However, some forms of competitive games are often classed as games of chance or sports. In a sport context, a game is usually considered to be either physical or mental activity. Some examples of games that meet the criteria of a sport are tennis, cricket, swimming, golf and basketball.
A sport can be divided into different types. While boxing is generally recognised as a competitive physical activity, diving is generally recognised as an athletic activity, weightlifting as a sport, hockey as an ice sport and racing as a motor sport. As you can see, there are many sports beyond the major ones, some of which are becoming extremely popular worldwide.
Sports medicine has come into its own in the last few decades and is now recognised as a separate discipline in itself. Generally, the focus of sports medicine is to assist athletes suffering from injuries and improve their performance by way of prevention and therapeutic techniques. There is no particular pre-requisite for individuals seeking admission into a sports medicine programme. Before a person can undergo a treatment, they generally have to fulfil one or more of the following criteria: be over the age of 18, be a British citizen and have passed the relevant sporting examination. For most sports medicine programmes, consent is generally required before the commence of a course of treatment.
In this article we have looked at three of the most famous sports which require mind sports strategies – chess, football and ice hockey. The importance of these sports lies in the fact that they require several components to be successful, with the strategy and tactics being the three main ingredients. If you’re looking to improve your mental game, you will undoubtedly have to make sure you’re keeping abreast of all the current information on the subject. There is also a lot to be said about using the strategy to bring about an improvement in the physical side of your game, so be sure to look further into this area when you start to work on your mind games.