Sports have been governed by codes or traditions, that ensure fair play, and enable consistent adjudication of the outcome. In many organised sports, records of past performances are kept, and for lesser-known sports, this information can be freely reported or broadcast in sports news. However, governing bodies and governing clubs differ on whether there should be some form of discipline or disqualification when results are unsatisfactory. For example, football matches may be subject to disciplinary action such as being barred from playing in the team’s captain, coach, etc is found to have contravened the strict code of conduct.
There are many different types of sports that fall into the various categories of mind sports and body sports. Body sports include boxing, softball, tennis, golf, swimming, rugby, football, ice hockey and skating. Mind sports include casino gambling, blackjack, bingo, crossword puzzles and card games such as baccarat. There is also no distinction between professional competitors and amateurs in most cases.
Sports are categorised as being physical or non-physical. Non-physical sports involve skills, such as kicking, striking, wrestling, and running, whilst physical sports involve strength and stamina. Some sports organisations recognise the benefits of participating in more than one type of sport. For example, swimmers are considered to have a dual sport opportunity because they are both a swimmer and a diver.
Some people may feel that participation in any sport will strengthen their body and brain, but research shows that participation in any activity, even aerobic exercise, has positive benefits for the whole person. It helps build up your confidence levels, improve your concentration and memory, as well as build up your resistance to stress and increase your physical fitness. Research has shown that participation in a variety of different types of sport, be it football, basketball, tennis or skiing can help build, maintain and develop healthy attitudes towards health and physical fitness. In addition, research has also revealed that participation in a wide variety of different sports, whether it be swimming diving, gymnastics, skating or contact sports such as wrestling, can improve your mental health, reduce your risks of developing heart disease and decrease your chances of developing stroke and other cardiac diseases.
There is a growing body of literature which suggests that participation in a wide variety of different types of sporting activities can reduce the risk of many types of chronic disease. This is because sports enable you to work out your upper and lower bodies, strengthening them and working on muscles which may not be usually so strong. As well as this, sportsmanship, or bonding, is important in helping us to overcome various mental health challenges, such as depression, anxiety and stress. This is because, as you work and compete against others, you form a relationship with your opponents and fellow players, building a community of support and camaraderie. These players are an important part of our everyday lives, so it is important for us to take our mental and physical fitness to the extreme, by undertaking the physical activity that we love.
So, whether you choose to play for your country, for your school or college, or perhaps as a professional athlete, there are a number of different sports which you could choose to participate in. From horse riding, track and field, badminton, swimming, diving, table tennis, golf, softball, polo, boxing, tennis, rugby, cricket and even weightlifting, there are a wide variety of different sports which people can choose to take up. The main article in the series focussed on spectator sports and I recommend looking at that for more information on the subject. If you would like to keep up to date with the latest articles on this subject, then please check out the Sports Performance Articles section which serves as a blog on a number of different subjects related to sport and health.