Sports and recreational activities help to improve the overall health of the individual, as well as to develop skills and abilities.
Sports refers to activities that use exertion or skills competitively, under a set of rules that are not based on aesthetics, while recreation can refer to any activity that amuses, diverts, or stimulates the body or mind.
Sports are physical activities or games that are competitive and organized, either loosely or rigidly, providing enjoyment and, in the case of professional sports, an income to participants. Sports may also provide entertainment to spectators. Through casual or organized participation, sports may also improve the physical health of participants.
Hundreds of sports exist, some of which include single participants, while others may include hundreds, competing in teams or as individuals. Some sports allow for a tie or a draw, in which there is no single winner, while others have built-in tie-breaking methods to ensure a single winner. In some sports, there is one winner and everyone else is a loser or a non-winning participant, while others allow for multiple placements, such as first place, second place, and so on. A set number of contests may be arranged in a tournament, yielding a champion, and sports leagues may arrange games in a regular sports season, sometimes followed by playoffs.
Sports are commonly recognized as requiring physical athleticism or physical dexterity in order to successfully compete, although the extent will vary greatly from sport to sport. Bowling and pool, for example, do not require a great deal of athleticism, although physical skills are involved.
While some organizations, such as the Council of Europe, do not consider games or activities that lack a significant physical aspect to be a sport, others, such as the International Olympic Committee, recognize certain games as mind sports, including chess and bridge.
Sports are usually governed by specified rules or customs that serve to ensure fair competition and allow for a process of recognizing a winner.
Many sports include professional, semi-professional, and amateur modes, in which professional and semi-professional participants are compensated by either wages, a salary, or by prize money. The popularity of spectator sports has led to many sports games becoming major businesses. For example, the average salary for a player in Major League Baseball was more than four million US dollars in 2022, while the highest-paid players earned more than forty million per year.
While sports games provide recreation, any activity undertaken for amusement, enjoyment, or pleasure may be considered recreation. Recreation is generally considered to be fun.
It is difficult, and perhaps unnecessary, to separate recreation from the idea of play, which is the term that children usually use to refer to recreational activities. Children's play often reflects the realities of adult life and might be considered as being practiced for life as an adult. The difficulty in differentiation sometimes comes about because work is often pleasurable, and may also be undertaken voluntarily. Several activities might be considered work for one person and recreation for another.
Recreation is an essential part of life, and may include activities developed from an individual's interests, as well as through social expectations. Recreational activities may be solitary or shared, active or passive, indoors or outdoors, healthy or harmful, or either useful or harmful to society. Some recreational activities, such as recreational drug use, may violate laws, societal norms, and responsible living patterns.
Recreational activities may be considered hobbies, games, outdoor recreation, or the performing arts, and may be undertaken informally. However, many recreational activities are organized by government institutions, educational institutions, community organizations, or private groups supported by grants, membership fees, or commercial enterprises. Municipalities often create recreation centers that offer and provide facilities for various activities, such as swimming, skating, weightlifting, or various sports games. While commonly offered for area youth, many recreation centers include activities for adults, as well.
In support of recreational activities, governments (at several levels) have taken on a significant role in the creation, maintenance, and organization of recreation, and a large private recreation industry develops recreational products and services.
Various sports and recreational activities are part of this section of our guide, and others may be added in the future. Additionally, sports and recreational organizations and associations may be represented here.
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Recommended Resources
BR is a popular sports media platform that provides news, highlights, and analysis across various sports, including the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Hockey League (NHL), Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), College Football, World Football, and Golf. Reports from each sport are included, along with games, and an online shopping area.
https://www.bleacherreport.com/
Owned by VantageSportz, LLC, Digital Sports is a platform dedicated to youth sports. It features a national calendar of events, rankings, and scores. Athletic schedules and updates can be found by state, season, or sport, including soccer, field hockey, golf, football, cross country, volleyball, tennis, water polo, swimming, and cheerleading. Subscriptions are available to receive and manage alerts via a mobile application, and advertising opportunities are available.
https://digitalsports.com/
Direct Athletics is a comprehensive platform for managing and streamlining athletic events, offering a range of services, including online event registration, meet management software, data management, and athlete tracking. The platform is used by a variety of organizations, from K-12 schools to college and club teams and professional events. Featured clients are posted on the website, and sign-ups may be accomplished online. Contacts and pricing information are provided.
https://www.directathletics.com/
Featuring rules and instructions for a large number of children's playground games, the verses for jump-rope rhymes, and other information, classic and contemporary, the included games may be found alphabetically, by keyword search, by category, or through a list of favorite games. Categories include jump-pope rhymes, clapping rhymes and games, ball games, circle games, mental games, sensing games, strength games, jacks and marbles, and others, as well as ways to choose who is "it."
http://www.gameskidsplay.net/
Created in 1999 as a national website network for high schools in partnership with the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS), iHigh became a network of over 10,000 high school websites and 34 state association marketing sponsorships. Today, iHigh allows clients to connect with its network through advertising, marketing, and promotional programs, including the Great American Rivalry Series (GARS), sports clinics, and client-specific custom events designed for the high school demographic.
http://ihigh.com/
MaxPreps is a comprehensive platform for high school sports in the United States. The site provides a wide range of information, including rankings, schedules, scores, news, and statistics for various high school sports teams and players. The site covers numerous sports, such as baseball, basketball, football, volleyball, and others. Topics may be found by school, athlete, sport, state, ranking, or stat leaders. Photo galleries, playoff information, videos, and support information is available.
https://www.maxpreps.com/
Founded in 1999, Outsports is a news website focused on LGBT issues and personalities in amateur and professional sports. The site was purchased by Vox Media in 2013, although the founders retained editorial control and continued to operate the site. In 2024, the site was acquired by Q Digital, and, as part of the agreement, the founders received equity in the company. The Paralympics, Team LGBTQ, and its athletes are featured, along with coming out stories.
https://www.outsports.com/
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is one of the most prominent collegiate athletic conferences in the United States, known for its competitive sports programs, particularly in baseball, basketball, and football. Established in 1932 by members of the Southern Conference, member institutions are located primmarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Member schools, active sports, championships, and an overview of the SEC are provided, and tickets may be purchased online.
https://www.secsports.com/
The Sporting News is the oldest sporting publication in the United States. Initially specializing in baseball coverage, in the 1940s, the publication began to cover a more comprehensive array of sports, including college sports, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, the Women's Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, Mixed Martial Arts, College Basketball, motorsports, golf, tennis, soccer, boxing, and others.
https://www.sportingnews.com/
Sports & Recreation Management Group
Based in Keller, Texas, the full-service professional development group is focused on the sporting goods industry and offers a range of services in the executive, marketing, business, information and technology, and advisory categories. Its services are outlined, with details of each of its service categories, and a free consultation is available on request. A biography is set forth, and a telephone number, email address, and an online contact form are included, along with an informational blog.
https://sports-and-recreation.com/
SI Kids is a bi-monthly spin-off of the weekly American sports magazine "Sports Illustrated." Begun in 1989, the publication includes sports coverage with less vocabulary and more emphasis on humor, with the secondary purpose of marketing sports to children. Subscriptions to the print edition are available through the site, although access to select content may be viewed online, with categories for football, baseball, and more sports, as well as a "Kid Reporter" feature.
https://www.sikids.com/
TSN is an English-language Canadian sports specialty channel owned by CTV Specialty Television, jointly owned by Bell Media and ESPN, itself a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company. TSN broadcasts from its studio facilities in the Scarborough neighborhood of Toronto, Ontario, focusing on sports-related programming, including live and recorded event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming. Various sports and betting information are featured.
https://www.tsn.ca/
Published in Indianapolis, Indiana, Sports Time Magazine covers a wide range of sports topics, including feature articles on various sports, such as golf, cricket, football, and boating. In addition, the magazine explores topics beyond sports, such as the benefits of aromatherapy baths for mood enhancement and other wellness topics. It provides a mix of practical advice, industry trends, and other features, including an informational blog. An online contact form is available.
https://www.sportstimemagazine.com/
SBR is an American sportsbook reviews and betting analysis website that provides sports analytics and related commentary. Founded in 1999 as a watchdog for the sports betting industry, it has since expanded its features and now operates SBR Forum, SBR Odds, a sports betting news service, and contests for the community. Sportsbooks, promos, odds, picks, and other tools are available, and its forum allows registered members to discuss sports betting and related topics.
https://www.sportsbookreview.com/
Premium sportsbook software, casino games, multiplayer poker room software and binary options for online sportsbook websites and betting shops, land based casinos and game rooms. We offer a complete suite of fully integrated services for the most solid online entertainment operations. Our offering includes affiliate and agent program software, payment processing, certified hosting, branding and marketing services as well as several licensing options. Let's get in touch to discuss details!
https://www.sportsbook-software.com
Dedicated to a variety of sports topics, WIG-SportIG features articles on different types of sports, their history, and various sporting events. It includes information on athletics, water sports, winter sports, and other sports topics, including articles on topics like the history of kickboxing in Canada, how wrestlers avoid injuries, and the future of sports. Winter sports, water sports, athletics, and the history of several types of sports are provided. Contact data is included.
https://www.iwg-gti.org/
