When the weather turns from bad to worse so hiking is not an option, many people watch sports. The word “sports” triggers the fire of school spirit in the heart of most students. Then when the husband says sports, the wife’s eyes roll back in her head particular (at least if it’s football season). Betting sports used to be football and baseball. Then tennis, soccer, horse and auto racing, and even boxing came to be listed in the sportsbooks.

Competition is one of the identifying factors which makes a game into a sport. A sport can be a done with teams or individuals. A sport is skillful physical activity but it also has its organization side. A real sport keeps score, and there are no free moves. Literally down to the last three seconds of the football game, the players keep a wistful eye on nothing other than the “scoreboard.”

What is it that drives us to the edge of our chair as the first tennis match progresses, the first quarter of a football game ends, or the first 100 laps are behind the race car driver? The competition of the game draws us in and then traps us. Then we start pulling for one particular team, one driver, or one horse and jockey.

Sports require a high level of physical strength and ability, but it takes more than fire power to win a game, a race, a tournament, or a boxing match. Each member of the team has to understand teamwork, and he or she must have knowledge of the game. The horse jockey needs to understand his or her horse, how much to push it, and when to push it.  It is vital that the race car driver has natural skills for the race track but he or she must also take ownership of the track.  Knowledge is a key element in any sport.