What is Sport?

The degree of organisational structure that surrounds and influences the sport helps to distinguish whether an activity is classified as ‘organised sport’.

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Currently ‘sport’ tends to take on the look of traditional (standard) sports; modified sports designed to attract targeted audiences; or, social sports having various motivations at their roots. Many terms (i.e. sport, recreation, physical activity, exercise) are used interchangeably when they have similar structures and outcomes; and discretely to make a distinction of difference.

The first English language use of the word ‘sport’ to mean a game involving physical exercise appeared in the mid-1500’s.

What we perceive as ‘sport’ in one instance may not be in another; sport takes on many forms and is constantly changing based upon societal norms, trends, and new directions. Equally important, if a physical activity is ‘not sport’, what is it? And what relationship does it have to sport?