Sports (or sporting) is any form of generally competitive physical activity that, through organised or casual participation, attempt to employ, enhance or develop specific physical skill and/or ability while providing social entertainment, and in some instances, spectators. The most popular spectator sports are basketball, ice hockey, golf, cricket, softball, soccer, track and field, Australian football, motor racing, tennis and polo. Professional sport comprises the world’s leading sports such as ice hockey, rugby league, motorcar racing, tennis and football. A major source of revenue for countries is the sale of sports equipment including gear, sports kit, sports balls and clothing. Sports can be competitive or non-competitive.
Non-competing sports include table tennis, American football and cricket. Competitions and events in sports names are often associated with established professional sport leagues such as the Olympics, World Cups and the World athletics championships. In the United States, baseball and football have long been the most popular sports names in the country, with basketball and hockey following close behind.
There are an estimated three to four million people in the United States who regularly participate in organized sports. This constitutes a significant portion of the population and a larger percentage of the population in other countries. Sport is considered so popular that many people in the United States choose to become affiliated with a high school, college or professional sports team. Some choose to become professional athletes, with the majority of popular and international athletes being American. The popularity of sports figures such as David Hasselhoff, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Joe Montana, Magic Johnson, John Elway and Joe Montana has further added to the American obsession with sports. Figures such as these are a huge attraction to the television viewing audience who follow sporting events, particularly sports with national and international appeal.
The popularity of different sports is often attributed to the association with a famous sport or movie personality, and this accounts for why some foreign countries have developed their own unique sports names. For example, in Great Britain there is the all-time record holder for the most goals in a single game; while Spain is known for winning the European Championships four times, the only country to have won the Olympic gold medal in gymnastics. The Great Britain’s football association is also worth billions of pounds, with Manchester United being the most popular team in the world. The popularity of golf in the United States is also attributed to its association with a famous sports player, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is its ambassador.
English is the principal language spoken by millions of people across the world, and many consider it their second language. The use of different sports terms in English has resulted in a massive vocabulary of words related to sports that can be found throughout the world. As an example, the term “freekick” is commonly used to describe a goal in any sport, while “paralympic” is an appropriate term for a professional cyclist. Most sports enthusiasts find it easy to speak and understand English, which makes it easier for them to learn and adapt to a particular sport or to become part of that sport as an individual.
There are literally hundreds of millions of words and phrases in English related to sport, so learning English as a second language is not difficult at all. Most sports fans already speak English, and this makes it easy for them to follow the progress of their favorite teams and players through the season. On the other hand, there are many different sports names in the world that would not be familiar to non-sports enthusiasts, but are quite common and used by people in that field. Because there are so many different sports names in the English language, there is no need to become fluent in the language – just comfortable enough to follow events and understand the meaning behind them.