Sports are generally governed by some kind of codes or traditions, that allow consistent adjudication of a winner and ensure fair competition. In amateur sport, records of past performance are commonly maintained, and information can be widely announced or communicated in sports news. However, governing bodies tend to have more power in international sports than local ones, as they have greater financial leverage. For example, football clubs have the power to pay players, or sponsors, significantly higher amounts than the local schools. This allows the club to maintain a level of success that is beyond the reach of the smaller local schools.
There are two main types of sports, contact and non-contact.
Contact sport is any activity involving the physical exertion of the body. This can include activities such as playing basketball, rugby and athletics. Non-contact sport is any activity not involving physical exertion, but where the participants do not wear protective equipment. Examples of non-contact sport include swimming, sailing and running.
Professional sports teams often represent the country, region and world in some way, due to their association with national, international and even multi-cultural influence. These teams are generally professionally governed by an association of sports clubs, or a committee of sports professionals. The association of sports clubs provides the team with training facilities, as well as paying the coach, player and other staff members, which helps them to improve their skills and compete at an increasingly high level.
Association sports have evolved over the years to incorporate a variety of disciplines, including gymnastics, diving, tennis, badminton, weightlifting and swimming. Some of these disciplines do not require great physical strength, but are governed by physical dexterity. Badminton, for example, is an excellent example, as it requires the use of both the physical dexterity necessary to hit a ball into the net and the mental acuity needed to hit it correctly and get it over a competing opponent.
Sports that involve physical exertion: are broadly divided into two main categories. Team sports involve a team effort and use physical exertion, often through sprinting, jumping or throwing. Non-team sports involve the individual effort of the individual, usually through exercise. They may be competitive and involve physical exertion, but are not driven by a team effort. Typical examples are tennis, swimming and golf. The overall aim is to win, rather than place in the qualifying top four for a competition.
Sport is a broad term, which includes many different types of physical activities. A good example is swimming, which many people perceive as a game of simply splashing water over each other. However, it is a highly skillful activity involving both swimming and kicking, making it an ideal development programme for children.