The Sports Archives

Whether you are a player or a spectator, there are sports crazy fans throughout the world. It is the fans that have made many sports grow in popularity. Sports generate an enormous amount of money through ticket sales and sponsorship deals. They also encourage physical activity amongst children and help many community groups.

Soccer

Also known as football in certain part of the world, it is a sport that originated in England. Soccer, as a sport, is enjoyed by school children and adults alike. One of the greatest soccer playing countries is Brazil, where teams actually use tennis balls to practice soccer. Soccer has a following of millions of passionate people. These fans are the reason why this sport is so popular. 32 teams participate in the World Cup.

Tennis

Tennis competitions are played between two players or teams of two players on each side. This is one of the most popular recreational sports and it also has a following of millions who follow the Grand Slam tournaments with obsession. Equipment needed is a tennis ball and racquet and specially stabilized tennis shoes for play on hard, clay or grass courts.

Cricket

Played with a bat and ball with two teams of 11 players, cricket originated in England. Cricket has a huge world following, especially in India which has produced many legendary cricketers. Until 1775, batsmen defended 2 stumps, not three. Teams of women also enjoy playing cricket at World Cup level.

Table Tennis

Also known as ping-pong, table tennis became an Olympic sport in 1988 at the Seoul summer Olympics. It is the most popular racquet sport in the world with over 10 million players competing in tournaments each year. Players achieve speeds of up to 100km per hour and games between elite players usually last 30 minutes.

Volleyball

Originally called mintonette, volleyball was invented in Massachusetts USA in 1895. Volleyball is based on a combination of tennis and handball. It consists of two teams of six players each. In 1964 it became an Olympic sport with two person beach volleyball added to the Olympics in 1996. Volleyball is the world’s most popular sport, just being eclipsed by soccer and cricket.

Hockey

Hockey is a team sport where players use a stick to shoot a ball into a netted goal. This is a very popular game in Denmark where it is played all year round. Hockey can be played both indoor and outdoor. This is definitely a team sport based on technique.

Baseball

In 1845 the first game was played in New York and this game is considered the national sport of the USA. Statistics show that fans have a 1 in 300,000 chance of being hit by a baseball while sitting in the stands. The main objective of a game of baseball is ‘to go home’.

The definition of a sports fan is ‘an enthusiastic devotee’. Millions of people throughout the world live and breathe sports. They follow every movement and every news article of their favourite team with unrestrained passion. Sports fans often spend a lot of money on tickets, custom t-shirts and merchandise which has made sport what it is today.

Tara Blair is a business professional based in Brisbane, Australia. When she is not busy conducting her daily business duties you will find her actively participating in many social and competitive sports. Tara’s love for sport initiated from growing up in a household with 3 brothers. She also designs and distributes custom t-shirts and uniforms for her social clubs as a side business.

Photo Credit: lmc-tv.org