Definition of sport, its types and differences from physical culture

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Today sports competitions are watched by the whole world. Athletes, skiers, racers and many other professionals spend all their time and energy on endless training, proper nutrition and preparation for new competitions. It's safe to say that for most people, sporting activities are an important part of life, whether it's watching TV broadcasts from competitions or doing physical activity on your own.

But what is sport? The definition of this term has been rewritten many times, because today the boundaries of sports cultures are so blurred that there are even computer game championships. And esports has already been included in the list of competitions in the Olympic Games.

Meaning of the word

The definition of "sport" appeared in Russian quite a long time ago. It is no secret that it is an analogue of the English word sport. However, few people know thatand in a foreign language it has been changed. Initially, the English said disport, which in translation meant "game", "entertainment".

If we talk about today's definition of sport in Russian, then this word means playing competitive activity and preparation for it. Quite logical. The sport itself is based on the use of physical exercises, and its main goal is to achieve the best results in a particular industry. In addition, this word implies the disclosure of a person’s sports potential, an increase in physical activity.

In simple terms, the definition of sport would be competition, specialization, spectacle, and focus on excellence. That is, for many years the meaning of this concept has not changed, innovations have only affected the list of cultures that are related to sports.

Sports

According to the Federal Law of the Russian Federation, the definition of a sport is a separate sphere of public relations based on special rules. This activity environment uses certain sports equipment or equipment that does not require the use of personal protective equipment.

Again, in simple terms, a sport is its specific direction.

There are a huge number of types of sporting events. Consider the main sports:

• Individual gaming (badminton, tennis, squash, golf, chess and others).
• Cycling (biking, swimming, speed skating).
• Game team(basketball, football, paintball, hockey, etc.).
• Combat sports (boxing, aikido, fencing, capoeira).
• Strength (bodybuilding, weightlifting, arm wrestling).
• Complex coordination (figure skating, trampolining and gymnastics).
• Extreme (boking, kiting, base jumping, snowboarding, kayaking and others).
• Technical (aeronautics, rally, archery, drone control).
• Applied (yachting, sailing and equestrian sports).

Also today there is cheerleading, zorbing and eSports. All these areas can be attributed to the definition of "sport".

The birth of sports

This direction appeared long before our era. The very first competitions were held in ancient Babylon. Then such sports competitions were dedicated to the worship of the gods. Marduk was the patron saint of Babylon, so sometimes very bloody competitions were held in his honor.

A few centuries later, the first Olympiad opened in Greece. It is believed that it was the Greeks who came up with the definition of sport. Initially, they only competed in archery, fencing, chariot racing, belt wrestling, and javelin throwing. Later, the list of sports cultures was expanded.

Sports in different historical times

In the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church, dominating society, decided to ban the cult of the body and all sporting events. However, fencing, swimming and long jump stillremained a very popular form of entertainment. All competitions were held not to demonstrate the physical development of athletes, but purely for the sake of the spectacle.

Mind sports appeared during the Renaissance, and at the end of the 19th century the Olympic Games, known to this day, were revived.

Physical culture and sports: different definitions

These concepts are often confused. In fact, sport implies a competitive moment. An athlete or gymnast will always compare his performance with that of his opponent. The same goes for the Olympic Games - it's a sporting event. The winner receives a medal, while the loser goes to improve their skills.

If he talks about physical culture, then there is no competition component in it. It is aimed solely at strengthening he alth and improving your body. A person running through the park in sneakers is not necessarily an athlete. However, he takes care of his he alth and wants his body to be beautiful. Accordingly, he is engaged in physical education.

Goals and objectives of mass sports

As you can see from the above, the word "sport" is very multifaceted. It does not imply specific activities. Knowing the definition and concepts of sports, it will also be useful to learn about such a phenomenon as mass competitions.

The objectives of such events fully coincide with the goals of physical culture. Mass sports is a great opportunity for a huge number of people to normalize their he alth andphysical form. In this type of exercise, there is also no competitive component. The main goal and task is to strengthen your he alth, but at the same time bringing yourself to nervous exhaustion. This includes proper nutrition, good sleep and rest.