Sports is widely defined as a physical activity that entails a level of skill, such as tennis or basketball. Many forms of competitive wrestling and some games like netball are also classified as sports. An athlete in a certain sport is sometimes also referred to as a professional. The word ‘professional’ is also used to describe a professional baseball player or basketball player.
Sports are categorized into two broad categories. One is the competitive sports and the other is non-competitive sports. Most people think that there is only one category of sports, but this is not true. There are actually several different types of sports and each has its own set of qualifications.
It is important to understand that different types of sports require different types of physical activity. Most sports that involve sprinting, kicking and throwing require fast and quick moves of both the mind and the body. Sports which require good ball skills like table tennis or racket sports need good hand-eye coordination, balance and the use of the body. These sports often require that players be involved in a lot of bodily contacts, and the contact sports help to develop the mental and physical skills required in later stages of life. Playing sports helps to develop motor skills which are useful for other recreational activities like riding a horse or playing video games.
In order to understand the exact nature and definition of each type of sport, it is necessary to look at the various definitions of the word’sport’. The dictionary definition is ‘an athletic activity involving contact or motion of the whole body, especially to the exercise of agility, flexibility, balance, and sprinting”. Another approach to sports terminology is to look at it from a social perspective. Sport can be defined as participation in any type of competitive physical activity or game, whether it be a team sport, a competitive event, a competitive race or any other activity of an athletic nature. Playing sport with others of your same age, gender and/or skill level can be very encouraging and enjoyable.
A clear definition of sport will exclude non-sporting events like gymnastics, swimming and cycling and leave room for non-domestic sporting activities like horse racing, polo and golf. The International Olympic committee has a long standing definition of sport which it uses to organize the Olympic Games. That definition includes all the physical events in which the winner takes the prize and there is a personal competition at every level between the competitors. It also includes non-Olympic sports and social competitions such as fishing, sailing, hockey, baseball, basketball, softball and swimming. The inclusion of these extra sports in the Olympic Games means that the Olympic principle of sportsmanship is still practiced and is essential for the well being of the sport itself.
Many people have different opinions about which types of sporting activities are covered by this definition of’sport’. If you are looking to get fit and into better shape than you are now then you probably think that running, rowing, cycling, skating and other similar physical activities should be included in this definition of sport. Others may not see these as sports but consider them to be forms of exercise that could help prevent weight gain, improve fitness levels and improve health.
