Sports are not just about winning and losing; they also teach the players leadership skills and the virtues of fair play. Moreover, sports teach participants to accept failure as a part of the learning process. Failure is never a permanent condition, and with patience and perseverance, it can become a source of success. Ultimately, success is a state of mind.
As a discipline, sports help develop the five components of fitness. They also improve analytical thinking, goal-setting, and a positive attitude toward life. All these aspects can be learned and practiced in sports without detracting from schoolwork. Moreover, they also teach a person how to work with others and to communicate effectively.
While some aspects of sports remain akin to the ancient Greeks and Romans, the modern emphasis is on a quantitative approach to achievement. The shift from Renaissance to modern sports can be easily traced in the change in semantics of the word “measure”. Previously, the word “measure” meant “balance and proportion,” but now it refers to numerical measures.
In the late 17th century, the first recorded game was played in England. The concept of a sports record first emerged during the time of the Restoration, during which time the Puritans drove traditional games underground. The Marylebone Cricket Club, which was founded in 1787, led the development of cricket and rationalized competition.