Defining sport is difficult; the term constantly evolves to cover new ranges of human behavior. Indeed, the well-known philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein argues that sports are defined, not by a set of common characteristics, but by new activities sharing some common aspects with existing sports, but not necessarily sharing any common characteristics with all. Credence to this comment may be taken from the ever-more-diverse set of activities that are at least claimed by some as sports - from chess to cheerleading, from [sheepdog trials]? to ballroom dancing. What do all of those activities have in common?
However, many of the above would not be recognised as sports by fans of more traditionally-recognised sports, and using Wittgenstein's "extension" approach it would be quite reasonable to claim a "battle of the bands" competition as a sporting event and thus playing rock and roll as a sport, a definition which makes "sport" so broad as to be potentially useless and quite different to the common understanding, fuzzy though that may be.
A more pragmatic approach to defining sport may be to look at common usage of the term. It was originally used to describe the animal and bird-killing activities (such as shooting, fishing and [fox hunting]?) of the English aristocracy, whereas the precursors of modern team sports played by the lower classes were termed "games". However, as time progressed, perhaps with the beginnings of the modern Olympic movement in the late 19th century, "sport" began to be used to describe a wide range of athletic pursuits. However, sport retained, and still retains an implication of respectability and seriousness that a mere "game" or "hobby" does not, and organisations responsible for leisure activities continually seek recognition as sports by joining sports federations such as the IOC. These bodies are seemingly fairly inclusive as to what they are prepared to accept as sports, and thus the activities listed above, amongst others, have been accepted.
However, it is possible to make a reasonable operational definition of sport using characteristics most sports do have in common. Such an operational definition can be found below:
[History of Sport]?
Some dot points:
Feel free to fill these in, or add more dot points, or reorganise totally.
Speed sports (where the goal is to be as quick as possible. No or very little contact with your opponents.):
Surpassing sports (where the goal is to propel your body or an object beyond a physical mark, No or very little contact with your opponents):
Precision sports (where the goal is to be as accurate as possible in throwing, tossing, rolling, ... No or very little contact with your opponents.):
Non-contact Ball sports (where you and your opponent(s) are working to get control of and place a ball) (little or no contact with your opponents)
Contact Ball sports (where you and your opponent(s) are working to get control of and place a ball, contact with your opponents is an integral part of the game):
(Disc sports:) (little or no contact with your opponents)
Fighting (where you and your opponents compete against each other using your strength and speed in contact.):
Motor sports (where you use the power of an engine as an important part of the sport.):
Comparison sports (where the winning is decided by a judge):
Sports emphasizing balance and co-ordination (usually recreational but can also be competitive; these are also comparison sports!)
Hunting sports (where the sport is to find, lure, catch some animal):
Animal sports (where use of an animal is integral to the sport):
Horses
Dogs
Rodeo
See also:
Potential contributors are invited to visit WikiProject Sports for totally optional guidelines on participation.
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