Sports are a popular form of competitive skill, with games ranging from simple soccer and baseball to the all-out motor racer’s world. Most sports are based on a series of rules or traditions, which ensure fair play, and allow for consistent adjudication of the final winner. In professional sport, statistics of past performance are frequently collected, and this data can be openly reported or announced by the organiser, or privately by the competing teams. Sports are inherently competitive, but the spirit behind them is also greatly inspirational – sports can encourage people to be bold, make mistakes, try something new and improve on their game. As the games continue to evolve, more complex and interesting aspects of the game will be introduced, meaning that the playing field is gradually shifting to include newer skills and traits.

Today there are many different sports that involve skill and agility, often using a ball. The most obvious is golf, but golf is only one small example of the many sports which involve the use of the ball. A popular sport where the use of the ball is minimal is hockey, where skates and pads provide the platform for players to compete. Sports that involve moving around, such as rugby, are known as contact sports, because they involve a lot of ‘body contact’ and require great skill.

While there are obvious examples of sports that involve lots of moving around, such as running and cycling, there are many less obvious sports that involve a particular set of ‘body parts’, and which are less well-known than the more well-known sports. One of these less well-known sports is archery, where a bow and arrow are using to shoot at targets. Another less well-known sport is fencing, where people use blades on either side of a board topierce each other, with the winning player is the one who can pierce their opponent’s blade and throw it off the board! In some ways, fencing is similar to archery, but the concept is a lot different, with a lot more strategy involved.

When you come to think about it, perhaps the most popular sports around are contact sports such as soccer and American football. These games involve kicking, punching and running, and while they do not require a great deal of ‘sport ‘manship, they do need a great deal of ‘dexterity’. This is why so many people play soccer and American football – because these sports involve a lot of ‘body work’, and physical dexterity. The great thing about these kinds of sports is that they can be learned in any school anywhere in the world, meaning that a coach or parent will have no trouble getting kids to play. However, the problem with learning such sports as American football or soccer is that they are too popular and that there is little room in the curriculum for physical activity. If a kid wants to learn how to play basketball, for example, he or she will be expected to participate in regular gym classes and team sports.

Perhaps the only sport that commands the kind of attention it demands from its followers is tennis. There are literally millions of people worldwide who play tennis, including the hundreds of thousands who play it casually on an irregular basis at home. If you include the number of people who play tennis on a semi-regular basis at their homes, then you have quite a few million people who regularly participate in a tennis match.

One of the least ‘traditional’ sports around is golf, although this is starting to change. One reason for this is that golfers enjoy physical activity and that is something that can be easily encouraged in a group environment. Unfortunately, there are very few (if any) professional golfers around who can play golf without making it a part of their daily routine. Despite this, it is clear that there is still a huge demand for people who know how to play golf – and golfing is certainly more enjoyable when played in a group. It is clear that the next time you play tennis, baseball, or football, you should give some serious consideration to joining your local country club. You might be pleasantly surprised by what you find!