From ancient Egypt to the first Olympic Games in Greece, sports are one of the most valuable activities for humanity and, for children especially, it’s one of the foundations of a positive physical and mental development throughout their lives. Whether it’s running, playing tennis, or doing gymnastics, sports are a great asset for kids education. In this lists of sports you’ll find all the vocabulary in English related to the main disciplines, competitions, and games, so your little ones can start learning right away about this essential topic.
What is a sport?
There are many different sports disciplines around the world, some more known than others. However, to learn about these it could be a good idea to first answer the main question “What is a sport?” A sport is an activity that is competitive and athletic, and which requires some particular set of skills or physical abilities to be carried out.
There are several types of sports, usually divided by four main categories according to the types of skills required: physical sports (swimming, gymnastics), motorised sports (these often involve vehicles like cars or motorbikes), mind sports (like chess, which needs a lot of attention and critical thinking skills), and sports with animals (horseback riding, for example). Some of these activities can be individual, and others may be performed on couples or even teams. Now, let’s take a look at the main sports there are and some vocabulary about sports in English
Why are sports important?
Sports are deeply ingrained in the different cultures found around the world. Learning about sports helps the little ones get to know more about their surroundings, breaking down language and cultural barriers as they get to know new vocabulary and expressions as they practice their favorite disciplines. Moreover, practicing a sport is the perfect way for children to learn about sportsmanship, and also to grasp the importance that teamwork has in a person’s life.
Additionally, children that grow up practicing a sport develop great physical skills, are more inclined to make new friends have improved self-esteem and lower levels of stress, which in turn is quite beneficial for their mental health. So, sports are not only great for the body, but also for children’s mind.
Let’s take a look at some sports vocabulary in English, from the name of sports to items related to them.
kayaking
bobsleigh
canoeing
cross-country skiing
rafting
skeleton
skibobbing
surfing
snorkeling
olympic swimming
bodyboarding
diving
freediving
paddleboarding
rowing
scuba diving
synchronized swimming
aerobics
aikido
archery
artistic gymnastics
baton twirling
bodybuilding
boxing
cross-country equestrianism
cross-country running
cycling
discus throw
equestrianism
fencing
figure skating
horse racing
judo
karate
kendo
kickboxing
kung fu
long jump
marathon
mixed martial arts
Muay Thai
pole vault
powerlifting
racewalking
rhythmic gymnastics
sprint
sumo
sword-fighting
trail running
trampolining
tumbling
ultimate
walking
weightlifting
wrestling
baseball
basketball
tennis
badminton
bowling
cricket
curling
dodgeball
football
golf
handball
hockey
horseball
hurling
ice hockey
kickball
lacrosse
paddle
polo
racquetball
rinkball
rounders
rugby
soccer
softball
squash
table tennis
unicycling basketball
unicycling handball
unicycling hockey
volleyball
water polo
BASE jumping
abseiling
bouldering
gliding
kiteboarding
kitesurfing
parachuting
paragliding
parasailing
skateboarding
skydiving
skysurfing
snowboarding
wakeboarding
windsurfing
climbing
cross-country cycling
hiking
mountaineering
drifting
formula racing
kart racing
rallycross
Go
bridge
checkers
chess
mahjong
Even though a sport is -in general- a physical activity, there is also another type of activities that aren’t considered sports. These, despite requiring a physical effort to be performed, aren’t regulated and organized, unlike sports. Moreover, some sports activities like the decathlon, also aren’t sports, but instead, they are formed by various events and challenges of different sports. Let’s check out the most common ones.
airsoft
aquathlon
ballooning
barrel racing
biathlon
capoeira
cheerleading
CrossFit
dancing
darts
decathlon
foosball
gymkhana
heptathlon
jogging
laser tag
paintball
parkour
petanque
pool
triathlon
Now, let’s take a look at some vocabulary that’s frequently used in different sports and disciplines.
backstroke
butterfly stroke
freestyle swimming
winter sports
water sports
ball
racetrack
jockey
olympics
olympic games
player
racer
swimmer
track
ring
velodrome
stadium
coach
team
olympic pool
court
field
arena
athlete
draw
gym
medal
referee
score
sportsmanship
tournament
whistle
javelin
lane
lap
record
basket
pass
dribble
free throw
hoop
slam dunk
foul
time-out
goal
goalkeeper
volleyball
penalty
skates
skateboard
ski boot
racquet
baseball bat
catcher
pitcher
base hit
home run
defeat
defense
fitness
tie
puck
Now that your little one is learning vocabulary about sports, there’s another important issue related to this topic: how to talk about sports in English. In this language, there are three different verbs in English that can be used to talk about sports. Let’s take a look at these.
Play
When talking about team sports, ‘play’ is the verb to use. Usually, the sports that go with ‘play’ are those that need a ball or some other similar equipment to be played. For example: “Let’s play football!” or “Do you want to play volleyball tomorrow?”
Some of the most common sports that go with play are tennis, football, golf, cricket, basketball, volleyball, chess.
Do
This verb is used when talking about a sport that’s done individually instead of in a team. Some examples of these sports are aerobics or martial arts. “I do martial arts on Sundays.”
The most common sports in this group are karate, athletics, archery, gymnastics.
Go
This is the correct option to refer to a sport that ends in -ing, like swimming or skating. For example, “Marcia and Alex are going swimming on Saturday.”, or “The girls go skiing in the winter.”
Among the most common sports in this category are cycling, swimming, dancing, snowboarding, running, fencing.
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