Sports refers to any physical activity that involves physical contact, such as soccer or softball. Some sports are competitive and involve a level of skill and competition, while others are less competitive in nature and focus on pure physical exertion. Any contact sports can be divided further into sports that require specialized equipment or gear and sports that do not.
Sports are designed for varying levels of physical ability and competency. Sport is most commonly defined as an outdoor physical activity that includes a certain level of skill, including field hockey or soccer. Many types of racing and some games designed for highly competitive participants are also classed as sports. A good athlete in a sport is sometimes known as a professional athlete.
There are many different types of sports, some with clear distinctions between sports and physical activities. The distinction can be made simply by the level of skill required. For example, basketball requires much more skill than football, to track and field require just great speed. The distinction can be made even more specifically by the level of participation. Basketball, baseball, football, hockey, tennis, golf, rugby, sprinting, tennis, swimming, skiing, sailing, motor-bike racing, and track cycling are all part of the sporting categories. An Olympic event usually focuses on one of these sports, and each sport has its own distinct level of skill and competition.
Some sports have developed from more generic physical prowess and skill. This includes sports such as badminton, tennis, badminton, basketball, and padlocking. These games typically require no special equipment or training. However, because they involve the application of the physical prowess and skill of the participant, they are often classed under the sports category.
All of these different sports are built around some combination of agility, strength, speed, stamina, endurance, balance, flexibility, and mind/body coordination. A basic definition of the sport would be “the ability to use the physical fitness of the body in order to win a game”. Other types of sports include beach volleyball, diving, ski jumping, gymnastics, and American football. In the United States, the most popular spectator sport is American football.
Sports are a multi-million dollar industry. Popular sports such as football, baseball, basketball, ice skating, softball, and track and field attract millions of fans. The business potential of professional sportswear is huge. The National Football League, Major League Baseball, and the National Basketball Association have television contracts that are worth billions of dollars annually. Other well-known professional sportswear names are Adidas, Reebok, Nike, and Under Armour.