Sport – Спорт

The history of sport probably extends as far back as the existence of people as purposive sportive and active beings. Sport has been a useful way for people to increase their mastery of nature and the environment. The history of sport can teach us a great deal about social changes and about the nature of sport itself. Sport seems to involve basic human skills being developed and exercised for their own sake, in parallel with being exercised for their usefulness. It also shows how society has changed its beliefs and therefore there are changes in the rules.

Sports that are at least two and a half thousand years old include hurling (similar to field hockey) in Ireland, harpastum (similar to rugby) in Rome, cuju (similar to association football) in China, and polo in Persia. The Mesoamerican ballgame originated over three thousand years ago.

There are artifacts and structures that suggest that the Chinese engaged in sporting activities as early as 4000 BC. Gymnastics appears to have been a popular sport in China's ancient past. Monuments to the Pharaohs indicate that a number of sports, including swimming and fishing, were well-developed and regulated several thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt. Other Egyptian sports included javelin throwing, high jump, and wrestling. Ancient Persian sports such as the traditional Iranian martial art of Zourkhaneh had a close connection to the warfare skills. Among other sports that originate in Persia are polo and jousting.

Hermes is one of Olympian gods and patron of athletics.Depictions of ritual sporting events are seen in the Minoan art of Bronze Age Crete (from approximately 2700 to 1450 BC), mainly involving religious bull-leaping and possibly bullfighting. Homer tells us that sport was practiсed in Mycenaean times, between 1600 BC and ca. 1100 BC. In the Iliad there are extensive descriptions of funeral sports games held in honor of deceased warriors, and engaging in sports is described as the occupation of the noble and wealthy, who have no need to do manual labor themselves. In the Odyssey, king Odysseus of Ithaca, proves his royal status to king Alkinoös of the Phaiakes by showing his proficiency in throwing the javelin. It was predictably in Greece that sports were first instituted formally, with the first Olympics recorded in 776 BC in Olympia, where they were celebrated until 393 AD. Initially a single sprinting event, the Olympics gradually expanded to include several footraces, run in the nude or in armor, boxing, wrestling, pankration, chariot racing, long jump, javelin throw, and discus throw.

High-profile athletes were major celebrities in Ancient Greece. City walls were torn down when victors returned home, as a city of such men was said to be in no need for walls to defend itself. They were often granted lifetime pensions or dining rights at public expense. Regardless of such material rewards granted afterwards, the most prestigious games were strictly stephanítai (from the Greek: στέφανος, stéphanos, a wreath or crown of plant branches), i.e. the only prize awarded was a wreath and the athletes competed for glory alone.

For at least seven hundred years, entire villages have competed with each other in rough, and sometimes violent, ballgames in England (Shrovetide football) and Ireland (caid). In contrast, the game of calcio Fiorentino, in Florence, Italy, was originally reserved for the aristocracy. The aristocracy throughout Europe favored sports as patrons. Horse racing, in particular, was a favorite of the upper class in Great Britain, with Queen Anne founding the Ascot Racecourse.

From childhood up to elderly years people compete and improve their self-esteem. First they do it playing and later- in all kinds of their activity. Studying, working, communicating – people maintain a playing moment of comparison, matching themselves with the others with the only purpose to get one more boost to  self perfection or once and again to  get the feeling of superiority, joy of attainment and happiness of the victory. A natural, instinctive nature of willingness to exercise these experiences persuaded people to create such type of activity where competition becomes the center, the goal, the result of long-term efforts, - and this is SPORT with its apogee – the

Olympic games. SPORT has become the best model of the ancient, deep aspiration of a strong man to be number one.

Sport is probably as old as the humanity itself. It has been developing with the developing and growth of the mankind. To my mind we can hardly overestimate the meaning of sport in our life and day-to-day activities, because its main purpose is to bring up the harmoniously developed generation - the generation of strong and healthy people. Sport makes our bodies strong, quickens our reaction, and shapes the wits. It also prevents us from getting too fat, gives us so valuable practice in making eyes, brain and muscles work together and makes us more self-organized and better disciplined.

I'm absolutely sure that doing sports is the best way to keep fit. There is always a kind of sport which will suit you and there are many different kinds to choose from. If you like team games, try hockey, football, volleyball or basketball. Games for you to play with a friend include badminton, squash and tennis, and if you enjoy doing things on your own, you may take up swimming, riding, golf or athletics.

I'm sure you know an axiom: "Sport makes people healthy". No doubt, that's true, but frankly speaking one knows that there are some kinds of sport which you cannot go in for if you are not healthy enough. Say, body-building. If you have a heart disease or another sickness, attending the body-building trainings will bring you nothing but harm. Naturally, going in for sport is always connected with a great risk, because any athlete can get an injury. And we know many examples, when an athlete got trauma at the beginning of his sports career and in the prime of his life had to leave professional sport. But it doesn't mean at all that people shouldn't go in for sports. I only want to say that they should be careful and remember that the health is given to a human being only once, so, do your best not to lose it.

An important attraction of sport is in its competitive and challenging nature. People have always wanted to prove, who is the strongest, the fastest, and trained. The roots of people’s desire to display their physical health and beauty go back to ancient times when Sport came to people’s lives together with the Olympic games.

The original games began in ancient Greece in 776 ВС. These games were the part of the festival held every four years in honor of the god Zeus, at a place called Olympia. The festival included competitions that tested the skills of soldiers. It included boxing, running, wrestling, etc. The winner was given a branch of wild olive and that was the greatest honor. After nearly 300 Olympiads they were stopped by the Roman emperor Theodosius, who felt that they had pagan meaning.

Modern Olympics, revived in 1896, owe a lot to one man, Baron Pierre de Coubertain, who was convinced that sport is an essential part in an individual's development. I agree with him completely and I think that international matches and tournaments unite nations; they play an important role in establishing good relations between countries. As the President of the International Olympic Committee Juan Antonio Samaranch says: "The Olympic idea means friendship, fraternity and co-operation among the youth of the world. The Olympic movement proves that real peace can be achieved through sport".The Winter Olympics have been hosted on three continents, but never in a country in the southern hemisphere. The United States has hosted the Games four times. France has been the host three times. Austria, Canada, Italy, Japan, Norway, and Switzerland have hosted the Games twice. The next Winter Olympics will be hosted by Sochi, in 2014, making it the first time a Russian city will host the Winter Olympic Games.

Recently I got to know about Paralympics - Olympic Games for disabled people. Many of the athletes who take part in these games have suffered accidents and illnesses which would be enough to make most of us want to give up. But they are pushing back the barriers which until recently kept the disabled from taking part in sports. These people compete in various kinds of sport like swimming, sailing, basketball, biathlon, skiing and even hockey. The disabled are the ones who are catching the public eye and imagination, changing people's perceptions of what "disability" means and what extraordinary abilities the so-called disabled actually possess. As we see sport can makes wonders. That's why at present sport in our country is paid a lot of attention  by the government and much is being done to set up all necessary facilities for its development. Physical training is an essential part of the school and university curricula. Extra-class activities include a wide range of different sporting events and competitions. Any pupil can join a sports section. PT lessons are important, because during these lessons pupil's mind has an opportunity to relax and at the same time pupils have some exercises, which are necessary to keep the body in good shape. For pupils who want to attend sport clubs besides PT lessons all necessary facilities are created. In our town there are several swimming pools, gyms for aerobics and fitness, stadiums, there is even an Ice Palace. So everybody has an opportunity to go in for some kind of sport if he or she wants it.

What I am concerned, I like sport. I'm sure you don't need to be good at sports to enjoy it - according to the Olympic slogan it is the participation and not winning, that matters.

I personally can't imagine my life without sport. In summer I go jogging every morning, when I nave free time I attend a swimming pool and sometimes I play badminton with my best friend.

I know it for sure that it's very difficult to become a good and successful sportsman. To be a sportsman means day-to-day hard work, lack of free time and almost absence of private life. Frankly speaking, if you want to achieve something in professional sport, it has to become a style of life. Sports are most often played just for fun or for the simple fact that people need exercise to stay in good physical condition. However professional sport is a major source of entertainment.

Although they do not always succeed, sports participants are expected to display good sportsmanship, standards of conduct such as being respectful of opponents and officials, and congratulating the winner when losing.

And in conclusion I'd like to say that either as a player or merely as a spectator almost every person likes sport, because it is an essential part of our lives. It creates, so to say, a healthy body for a healthy mind.