Sports need not always be competitive.

Who says sports always has to be a competition?  Who says it always has to be played outdoors?  Surely, competitive sports have an equivalent for people who have discovered socializing through sports.

Sports

Sports include all forms of competitive physical activity which involves at least two participants to teams composed of several players either in an organized or casual set-up.  Sports activities are usually engaged in for development of physical ability as well as entertainment.  It is a common perception that all sports are strenuous, competitive, and done outdoors.

This perception is probably brought about by the popularity of competitive outdoor sports such as soccer, football, and baseball, among many others. Many people who are not exactly keen on competition and the outdoor environment may be discouraged by this.  There are however many sports activities that can be played indoors and purely for social interaction, thereby doing away with the factors that are serving to alienate non-athletic people.

Reasons for Engaging in Sports

It is quite interesting to note that the word sport comes from an old French word that means leisure.  Its earliest English definition refers to sports as anything amusing or entertaining to humans.  Its synonyms include recreation and diversion.  By this history, we can surmise that sports was not originally intended for competition and was in fact considered primarily as a leisurely activity.  Today’s meaning however of sports tends to indicate competition as the defining element of sports.

Aside from entertainment and competition,  engaging in sports is also considered a healthy activity.  Medical doctors typically advise their patients to take up any sport to address the needs of the body for regular physical activity aside from work which is usually stressful.  Sports is now also seen as a social activity that seeks to promote interaction between small groups of people minus the competition.

Indoor Sports as a Social Activity

Outdoor sports involving big groups and a big audience cannot help but have a competitive edge to them.  Competition is part of the excitement and excitement is usually what an audience wants.  For players who would tend to shy away from this kind of spectacle, the advantages of participating in sports activities can still be had in smaller groups and in indoor facilities.

The lack of competition in social sports encourage amateur sports enthusiasts to participate without much concern about winning or losing.  Some can even be played inside the home. The intent is just to play the game and develop social relationships along the way.  Participation in the activity provides physical, mental, and social benefits.

There are so many indoor sports activities to choose from depending on the strength which one seeks to develop.  There are sports that primarily use the mind such as chess, sports that are mainly for development of coordination such as billiards, and those that are highly physical such as indoor netball.  Bowling is an indoor sports activity that combines physical activity with coordination.  Facilities that promote indoor sports activities are quite many and are able to accommodate sports that have been traditionally played outside such as soccer and football.

My Say

Engaging in the preferred sport offers an opportunity to meet like-minded people who are in the same level of interest in it.  Participation is not hampered by the need to win but is encouraged by the satisfaction of gaining long-time friends.  By socializing through indoor sports or outdoor sports for that matter, we are able to keep ourselves physically fit and socially connected and end up leading more satisfying lifestyles.