Sport – Physical Ability and Spirit

Sports are the physical activities engaged in by organized teams or individuals, including soccer, American football, rugby, basketball, hockey, tennis, golf, track and field and many others. Sports are generally governed by a group of unwritten rules or traditions, which govern how the game is played, ensure fair play, and enable consistent adjudication of the outcome. In most organized sports, results of matches are often documented, and for less popular sports, this information can be widely announced or discussed in sports news. Sports people are also paid handsomely for sports analysis, which includes studying the games, collecting data, preparing reports for sports magazines and newspapers and writing articles on such topics as sports trends, statistics and weather reports. In popular sports such as golf and baseball, players wear uniforms, equipment and attire designed for their positions and the opponent’s is similar.

All forms of physical activity are associated with risks, both to the participant and to those spectators watching. In some sports the risk of serious injury may be imminent, in others it may only be incidental. In all sports there are competitors and those that wish to challenge the skills and abilities of another, whether they are friends or opponents. In some cases, if a competitor cannot compete due to illness or physical limitation, they may request time off to recover, only to restart the same competition at another time.

Organized sports competitions are regulated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) who supervise the development of an official sport’s codes of conduct, sports competitions and awards. These codes of conduct and competitions are subject to review and revised annually, taking into account changes in technology and medical science. The Olympic movement has recognized sport as a vital element in society and the spirit of sportsmanship throughout the world has become ingrained in many people from childhood on. This has created and fostered a level playing field in most economically and culturally diverse nations and has helped create professional sports that attract fans from all walks of life and provide valuable social and economic benefits for those that participate.