Sport

Sport is the one of the most popular leisure time activities. This is mainly due to the fact that it helps keep us fit physically and mentally too. People all around the world participate in sports. It’s a refreshing form of relaxation, which helps take off some weight. During sports events you can meet a lot of new people or friends and see how it feels to be a winner or loser.
It is important to note that besides taking an active part in sports it is also possible just to watch sports events as a spectator or bet money on certain sports results (play the pools) like a lot of my classmates. Millions of people like to attend matches, watch them on TV, and listen them on the radio and cross their fingers for their favourite team.

Usually all sports and games are further differentiated into two groups according to where they can be practised. Indoor sports include for example gymnastics, table tennis, boxing, wrestling etc. On the other hand, among outdoors sports are skiing (down-hill, cross-country, slalom, ski jump), sledding, hiking, rock climbing, horse riding, golf, and some aquatic sports such as rowing or windsurfing. Non-professional cycling, or riding a (mountain) bike, which is one of the most popular activities, is also enjoyed out of doors (on the roads or paths). But most sports and almost all games can be done both indoors and outdoors. Meetings in all the track and field events (sprints, middle and long distance runs, hurdling, high and long jump, pole vault, shot put, javelin and discus throw) take place in summer stadium as well as in athletic halls. Also one of the healthiest sports, swimming, and figure skating do not actually demand a roofed room. Everybody can easily recognize winter sports, which can be done only on ice or snow. These are skating, skiing etc.

The games are usually all-season activities, and they are practised both indoors and outdoors. The most numerous group of games are the ball games - basketball, volleyball, football (called soccer in America), tennis, and handball.
A lot of people also visits hours of aerobic or fitness. Some of them, mainly boys and men, use special drugs – steroids and stimulants. They help them build up their muscles and look good in bodybuilders’ competitions. But these drugs cause a lot of health problems – aggression, cancer, heart attack or infertility. All these drugs are prohibited in sport competitions and sportsmen are tested on them.

In our country has its traditions mostly football. You can find football stadium in almost every town or village. Another favourite sport in our country is ice hockey. In 2002 our national hockey team won the gold medal in World Championship.
The most important and the most famous sport event are Olympic games. First time they took place in 776BC in Olympia in ancient Greece. Hundred years ago Pierre de Coubertain renewed them and nowadays they take place every 4 years in summer and in winter.

And what about my experience with sports? When I was much younger, I learned swimming, cycling, skating, ...etc. In school we have physical training lessons once a week. There we practice almost all kinds of sport. We have very big gym, which is also very good equipped. In my free time I use to play volleyball with my friends or I go jogging in the evening and in winter I try to ski as often as possible.
I like to watch some sports on TV – e.g. ice-hockey matches, figure skating or athletics competitions.