When the Winter or Summer Olympics air, you might discover
sports you never knew existed. Sports involve more than bats,
balls and nets -- you can find them using cues, boats,
batons, ribbons, targets and animals. Mainstream sports
involve those you might find televised or with scholarships
associated, but they represent only a small percentage of the
whole sporting world. Sport is defined as a game or contest
in which people exert themselves physically and follow
specific rules while competing against one another, or as a
physical activity done for enjoyment.
Ball Sports
Ball sports fall into multiple categories: ball over
net, ball and bat, ball and stick and ball only.
Examples of ball over net games include volleyball,
water polo and tennis. Ball and bat -- or stick -- games
include golf, lacrosse, field hockey, softball and
baseball. Ball-only games include familiar sports such
as basketball, American football, bowling and soccer.
Handball, table tennis and paddleball also fall into
this category.
Endurance and Track
From sprints to ultra marathons, running can be
approached as a recreational or professional, sport.
Track and field events, from the high jump to the long-
jump to discus and javelin throwing, include individual
and team events, such as relays. Road cycling, track
cycling, mountain biking, cyclo cross and BMX place the
athlete on a two-wheeled vehicle. Even walking is
classified as an Olympic sport when you are a
competitive race walker. Multi-sport activities are
often classified as endurance sports; these include
triathlon in which you swim, bike and run; biathlon in
which you ski and shoot; duathlon in which you bike and
run. Multi-sport track events include the decathlon,
which involves a 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put,
high jump, 400-meter dash, 110-meter hurdles, discus
throw, pole vault, javelin throw and a 1,500-meter run;and heptathlon consisting of the 100-meter hurdles, high
jump, 200-meter dash, shot put throw, long jump, 800-
meter run and javelin throw.
Combat and Strength Sports
Martial arts, including karate, taekwondo and jujutsu,
are ancient combat sports that thrive today at the local
and international levels. Wrestling, boxing and mixed
martial arts -- including ultimate fighting -- also fall
under the category of combat sports. Combat sports
sometimes include the use of weapons, such as in fencing
and kendo. Weightlifting, power lifting and bodybuilding
are among the most well-known strength-based sports.
Man's Best Friends
Dogs compete bravely in the sport of dog sledding,
marked by the iconic Iditarod race in Alaska. Horses
feature in dressage, show jumping and polo. Horses, as
well as other animals, partner with their riders in
rodeo sports and barrel racing. Horses often become the
featured athlete, as in horse racing and harness racing.
Water, Ice and Snow
Rowing, swimming and sailing are among the more
mainstream water-based sports. Diving, surfing,
wakeboarding and synchronized swimming also fall into
this category. When water freezes, people play sports
such as ice hockey -- also considered a ball and stick
game -- and curling, or participate in figure or speed
skating. In snowy climates, you can ski, snowboard and
sled; or if you want to try Olympic sports, you have the
luge, bobsled and skeleton.
GymnasticsThe sport of gymnastics consists of more than the
artistic gymnastic events, such as balance beam and high
bar, that you're accustomed to viewing on television.
Rhythmic gymnastics have athletes perform using props,
such as ribbons and ropes. Trampolining, rope jumping
and trapeze also fall under the gymnastics realm. Slack
lining, in which you perform balancing moves --
including flips -- on a loosely anchored, elevated rope,
is another sport that's gained popularity since the
1980s.
Are These Really Sports?
Archery, target shooting and badminton are familiar
activities that do fall under the category of sports.
Ultimate Frisbee, fishing and hunting are also
classified as sports. You might raise an eyebrow at
competitive marching band, cheerleading, dance,
majorette and baton twirling being listed as sports, but
these activities do fit the definition. Several sports
fall under the category of air sports, including hang
gliding, competitive ballooning and parachuting.
Climbing, bouldering and mountaineering are outdoor
sports for the adventurous. Athletes involved in motor
sports are adept at controlling a machine, as in auto,
ATV, motorboat or motorcycle racing.
