Popular SPORT IN THE UNITED STATES

Sports rank as a leading American pastime. Millions of Americans enjoy watching such sports events as automobile races, horse races, and baseball, basketball, and football games. Many Americans, especially children and other young people, play baseball, basketball, football, and soccer. People of most ages participate in such sports as bicycle riding, boating, bowling, fishing, golf, hiking, hunting, running, skiing, Softball, swimming, and tennis.

Baseball is a sport that is so popular in the United States that it is often called the «national pastime». Every spring and summer, millions of people throughout the country play this exciting «bat and ball» game. Millions also watch baseball games and closely follow the progress of their favorite teams and players. There are organized baseball teams for every age group from 6-year - olds to adults. The teams that attract the most interest are those of the two major leagues: the American League and the National League. These teams are made up of men who rank as the world's best players. Every year, about 50 million people flock to ball-parks to watch major league baseball games. Many more millions watch games on television, listen to them on radio, read about them in newspapers, and discuss them with their friends. Baseball began in the United States in the mid -1800's. Soon, people throughout the country were playing the game. Through the years, baseball spread from the United States to other parts of the world. Today, it ranks as a major sport in such countries as Canada, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, and many others. A baseball game is played on a large field between two teams. The teams take turns «at bat» (on offense) and «in the field» (on defense). A player of the team in the field, called «the pitcher» throws a baseball toward a player of the team at bat, called the «batten>. The batter tries to hit the ball with a bat and drive it out of the reach of the players in the field. By hitting the ball, players can advance around the four bases that lie on the field. A player who does so scores a run. The team that scores the most runs wins the game.

Basketball is a fast, exciting, and entertaining sport invented in the United States in 1891. By the mid - 1900's, it had become the world's most popular indoor sport. Today, millions of fans crowd into gymnasiums and arenas to watch their favorite teams. Millions more watch games on television. In the United States, thousands of elementary schools, high schools, and colleges and universities sponsor amateur teams for male and female players. The finest male players compete as professionals in the National Basketball Association (NBA), which is famous the world over. Basketball is a popular form of recreation as well as an organized team sport. Both young people and adults enjoy playing on neighborhood playgrounds, in backyards, in alleys, and on driveways. Basketball requires teamwork, quick reactions, and endurance. Tall players have an advantage because they can reach closer to the basket. But smaller players also make contributions to their teams as shooters and ball handlers.

American football, or football, is played chiefly in the United States and Canada. It is played by elementary school, high school, college, and professional teams. Millions of people crowd stadiums each football season to watch their favorite teams. Millions of people also watch games on television between college football teams as well as televised competition

in the two major professional leagues, the National Football League of the United States and the Canadian Football League. There are several variations of American football. Two of these variations - touch football and flag football - eliminate much of the physical contact. They are popular in high school and college programs. In such programs, teams from the same school compete against one another. American football originated in the United States. It began to develop during the mid -1800". The sport grew out of soccer and Rugby, two kicking games that were developed in England. The game is played almost entirely by men and boys.

Bowling is increasingly popular in the United States. It can be traced back to the Middle Ages. In Germany, village dances and celebrations included bowling. It appeared in England as early as the 1100's. The game became so popular that English people began to consider it more important than archery. In the Netherlands, people played a game called «Dutch pins» resembling bowling. The Dutch brought their version of bowling with them when they immigrated to the New World during the 1600's. The American Bowling Congress was organized in 1895. It established standard playing rules and specifications. During the early 1900's, most bowling establishments were small, dimly lit, smoke filled places. Few people considered them suitable for families. By the mid - 1900's, the sport had become an accepted form of family recreation.

Swimming is an exciting sport and a popular form of recreation in the United States. Thousands of swimmers compete in meets held by schools, colleges, and swimming clubs. The best international swimmers take part in annual meets in many parts of the world. Swimming races have always been a highlight of

the Summer Olympic Games. Good swimmers can also enjoy various other water sports. Such sports include springboard and platform diving, surfing, water skiing, board sailing, water polo, scuba diving, and synchronized swimming. Surfing ranks as the oldest sport in the United States. People in what is now Hawaii surfed before Christopher Columbus sailed to the New World in 1492. It is an exciting water sport in which a person rides waves, usually in the ocean. There are 10 forms of surfing. The most popular form is «surf-board riding», sometimes simply called surfing. Basically, swimming is one of the best exercises for keeping physically fit. Swimming improves heart action, aids blood circulation, and helps to develop firm muscles.

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