Sports and games essay

14. SPORTS AND GAMES

Športy a hry

Sports and games are very good for active relaxation and are important for our physical and mental health or just to keep fit. There are lots of types of sports and games. We can practise outdoor or indoor sports, individual or team sports.

OUTDOOR SPORTS are those we can do outside like golf, skiing (cross-country, down-hill, slalom, ski-jump), climbing, marathon-running, hiking, horse riding, skating, football, baseball, cycling.

INDOOR SPORTS are those we do inside, usually in the hall like table-tennis, gymnastic, ice-skating, futsal, snooker. There are also some sports which could be played both indoor or outdoor such as: tennis, ball games (like basketball), volleyball and ice-hockey.

WATER SPORTS are: swimming, water-skiing, diving (we need mask, flippers, neoprene suit), water polo, yachting, canoeing or rowing.

We can also divide sports according to the season when they are practised:
Summer sports: swimming, ball games (football, volleyball, basketball), athletics (sprint, high jump, long jump, javelin throw, etc.)

Some sports can also be practised in summer and in winter as well for example, athletics and gymnastics, all indoor sports and cycling in the gym.
During winter a lot of sportsmen train for next season

Winter sports are all sports connected with snow. Skiing, sledging, bobsleigh, biathlon, ice-skating, snowboarding, speed skating, ice-hockey, figure skating (single skating, skating in pairs, or ice-dancing).

In the U.S.A, basketball and baseball are some of the most popular sports. The very best players of this sport are usually faces of advertisement. There are many basketball clubs in the USA NBA such as: Chicago Bulls, L. A. Lakers...

Millions of people like to watch matches in big halls, on TV or listen to them on radio and support their favourite team. Another popular game in the USA is ice-hockey. The U.S.A has the NHL (National hockey league) which consists of many ice hockey clubs such as Pittsburgh Penguins in NHL we can find many Czech and Slovak players, because they are very well paid here.

Many sports have their origin in Great Britain. They have two kinds of football (soccer and rugby) hockey, cricket, darts, tennis and boxing were invented there. The very national sports in GB are cricket, golf, football or tennis. We can find some major sports in Britain: Wimbledon (the Grand Slam Tennis Tournament), The British Open Golf Championship, The Grand National (this is the best-known horse-race).

IN SLOVAKIA there is tradition mostly in hockey and football. We can find a football stadium in almost every town or village. When the Slovak team won the gold medal in 2002, hockey become the most favourite sport in our country.

THE OLYMPIC GAMES is the most important and famous sports contest. And it is organized every second year, whether winter or summer Olympic games.
The first recorded O.G. took place in Olympia in Greece in the year 776 BC. We know many legends about the origin of the games. They were so important for Greeks, because they were stopped during the wars. It is a good opportunity for countries to show their best sportsmen and players.

DOPING AND SPORTS – doping a športy
Professionals often take drugs in order to get better results so they can win a prize and gain a bonus for winning. But fortunately, we have the anti-doping agency which keeps tracking sportsmen and people in the world of games from cheating. Men and women are tested during sport competitions and they can be disqualified for taking drugs. The most famous is Lance Armstrong, the cyclist who told the truth about his wins.

Doping is used in sports all over the world. Some is used to build muscles or give extra energy. Others kill the pain of injuries or calm nerves, but it is illegal.
Anabolic steroids are used to make muscles bigger. Bodybuilders use anabolic steroids to look good at competitions. This kind of doping can cause health problems - the worst is cancer.

Stimulants are drugs that make users feel full of energy and confidence, and you have more stamina. They consist of amphetamines and cocaine, they are used by cyclists, basketballers and footballers. The problem is that they waste energy from the body. Users feel exhausted and washed-out. There is also a danger of having a heart attack (collapse).

Beta-blockers are drugs which are normally prescribed by doctors for people with high blood pressure or heart problems. They help to calm down and relieve stress. Users: snooker players and archers – who need steady hands and cool nerves. Problems: with heart and blood pressure.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPORTS AND GAMES – rozdiel medzi športmi a hrami
Games are usually played between 2 or more people in 2 teams. A game has certain rules, there is a referee who makes sure that the players obey the rules. The referee also decides who has won. The most popular games are football, basketball, baseball, ice-hockey, tennis and golf. But the difference between sports and games is that games are for fun, you do not have to be professional to play a game, you need rules and people who are willing to play together with you. You do not play because you have to be the first, the fastest, the best or the winner. You play game because it is entertainment for you and of course it keeps you fit. You feel better after one hour of any sport activity you can think of. Sport is considered to be most of the time for professionals. You are expected to win or at least get some points. You must train every day very hard and forget about your free time or dating or having fun in a pub. Drinking, smoking or staying out late in the night is forbidden.

PROFESSIONALS – they do sport because it is their job. By doing sport, they earn money for living. Most of them want to become famous and achieve success. It is not easy to become a professional sportsman. You have to start really young and be prepared to work hard. You should train a lot and have a healthy lifestyle and you need to spend a lot of money for coach and sport equipment. Famous sportsmen are popular between people and they have many fans.
If you want to be a successful sportsman, you should have these qualities:
Stamina/endurance, strong will, discipline, the sense for fair-play.

SPORTS AND HEALTH – šport a zdravie
PROFESSIONAL SPORT – profesionálny šport
Sport is connected with several negative phenomena for example, over training which can sometimes can be harmful to sportsmen’s health. While doing sport, people can get seriously injured – for example they can break a leg or an arm or even hurt their spine. It is important to be very careful when you do sport. Another problem of sportsmen is doping. Men and women are tested during sport competitions and they can be disqualified for taking drugs. Top sportsmen find it difficult to cope with being rich and famous. There are very many people who have become addicted to fame or even worse, money. They trade their passion in doing sport for being rich. They become big-headed. A lot of top sportsmen find it difficult to cope with being rich and famous.