Through ages, humankind has invented and practiced an array of sports for leisure or competitive purposes. Among the most popular sports across the world are ball sports such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, basketball and handball, whose popularity varies from region to region, with the largest fan base being found in the country of origin of the respective sports. This classification essay explores football, volleyball and basketball as some of the most popular ball sports in the world.
One classification of ball games is soccer, one of the most popular games across the world, attracting millions of fans worldwide. Interestingly, despite its popularity, football is not as popular in the United States as in most other parts of the globe. The world’s most football teams and clubs are found in Europe and South America. England is hailed as the birthplace of soccer and is home to world’s most popular soccer clubs such as Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City, and leagues such as the English Premier League and the Champions League. The football clubs in Europe attract fans from all over the world, including Asia, Africa, South America and the United States itself. The popularity of the game is epitomized by the World Cup competitions which are held every four years, rotating from country to country. The global soccer event brings together national football teams and fans from all over the world, where teams compete for the much coveted world soccer trophy. Soccer is also a major sport during the Olympic Games.
Another popular ball sport is basketball. Basketball is most popular in the United States than in any other country in the world. It may be argued that Americans love the sport more than football and other such games. The game was invented in America by one James Naismith in Massachusetts in1891. Since its invention, the sport has grown in popularity and is today played in many parts of the world, including Europe, South America and Africa. Underscoring the popularity of basketball in America is the existence of a national agency whose mandate is to manage the sport, the National Basketball Association (NBA) established in 1948. Basketball is also one of the top sports in Olympics Games in which many teams from all over the world compete for the trophy.
On volleyball, the sport is second to soccer in terms of popularity and fan base across the world. The origin of the games dates as far back as 1895 in Massachusetts where one William G. Morgan of the YMCA invented the sport. The sport is played for both professional and recreational purposes all over the world. Although it was discovered in America, the spike and hit system was developed in Philippines in 1916. The game has since been exported to virtually all parts of the world, and an estimated 800 million people play it worldwide. This great sport was listed as an Olympics game in 1964. Volleyball, which derives its name from the manner in which players ‘volley’ the ball back and forth over the net, is most popular in the United States, its home, where some 46 million Americans play it.
All in all, football, volleyball and basketball are popular games in the world which attract fans from across the world. Like all other sports, the two ball sports are thrilling in their own rights and can be played for professional and/or leisure purposes.
Free Essay On Football And Basketball
Type of paper: Essay
Topic: United States, Sports, Basketball, America, American Sports, Games, Soccer, World
Pages: 2
Words: 600
Published: 02/23/2020
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