What Sports Do Schools Play?

Archery

Archers describe their sport as being magical. They get a buzz from watching their arrow soar through the air. Even if the final destination of said arrow happens to be the dirt, they don’t mind. It’s all part of the sport. Perhaps it’s this attitude combined with the sport’s ancient roots in survival warfare that makes archery a popular game for both hobbyists and for the more serious sports type.

Stemming from Babylonian times, from way back in 2340BC, archery has a long history as one of the oldest sports in the world. It wasn’t a sport back in 2340BC though, it was a source of protection and survival. A mode of combat.

To play archery, you’ll need some equipment: a bow, some arrows and a target. All of which can be handmade (making your own equipment is something you might enjoy doing if you’re a hobbyist). You can also purchase pre-made archery equipment to suit your level, from beginner all the way through to Olympic champion. The aim of the game is to shoot your arrows at a target with as much accuracy and skill as you can muster. Which, of course, develops over time and with practise.

Playing Archery Safely In Schools

As you can imagine, archery is a dangerous sport. Bows and arrows were once weapons. Due care and attention are necessary at all times to play this sport safely. You should always play in an indoor or outdoor location where there is no risk at all of your archery practise causing harm to other people, or animals. Schools that offer archery as a sport will need to seek the appropriate advice to ensure their risk assessments are foolproof. Failure to do so could land you in hot water faster than you can shoot your arrow. Which led us to question: Is archery legal in the UK?

The answer is, yes. Up to now, the bow and arrow are not listed as a prohibited weapon. Nor as an offensive weapon, and there’s no need to licence your equipment either. You can keep up to date on any changes in legislation concerning archery here.

American Football

Not to be mistaken with rugby, soccer or British football, American football, is a different game entirely. So why do we confuse these games? Mostly because American football has roots in both football and rugby. It’s the metaphorical cousin — blending rules from both British football and rugby into a different and equally loved sport. And if you are wondering where soccer comes in, it is the name American’s give to the same game that we call football.

The equipment worn by American football players sets it apart from all the above-mentioned sports. They wear helmets, mouth guards, shoulder pads, thigh and knee pads, compression shorts or a jockstrap, and the occasional protective cup. This is a full contact sport and not one for the faint-hearted. So why is there a need for all of this armour?  The answer lies in the nature of the game.

Tackling Is Not For The Faint-Hearted In American Football

Players tackle the player holding the ball. You can only tackle the player who holds the ball in American football. This means that one player may take a lot of force from several players at once during an 80-minute game. In contrast, with rugby, the players make lateral passes from one player to another. Making it difficult to tackle the player holding the ball, if you don’t know where the ball is. Plus, the game of rugby is shorter. This is one of the reasons why rugby players don’t need to wear the same level of protective clothing as American football players. And since a tackle in American football involves moves that need to take the player with the ball off their feet (to gain ownership of the ball), you can imagine that there can be a few knocks and scrapes along the way. Especially in an 80-minute game.

If you like rough and tumble sports, you might enjoy American Football. Don’t worry, it’s not a game reserved for Americans only. We play it in the UK on a domestic and international level, though it’s not too popular in UK schools … yet.

Basketball

Basketball to the Americans is what football is to the Brits. It’s the number one American sport.  Over here in the UK though, the story is entirely different. We’re hardly a hotbed for hoops. So getting the opportunity to play the game is difficult.  Unless you’re fortunate enough to have the space to install your own hoops at your home.

The UK’s Underground Appreciation of Basketball

Unfortunately, there is little investment into the game of basketball in the UK, and the picture is as dismal when it comes to TV coverage too. However, there are reports from Sky Sports claiming that basketball is the second most popular sport in the UK, in terms of participation. Mostly amongst ‘black, Asian, and ethnic minority groups’. It seems as though basketball is an underground sport here in the UK that could rise in popularity in the coming years. Especially with the ‘Black Lives Matter Movement’, and with emphasis from the government to encourage more people to get outdoors, and become more involved with sporting activities. Perhaps one day we might see basketball hoops in our fields and parks, in the same way we see football goals.

If you don’t know what basketball is, it’s a team sport, involving ten foot high hoops (baskets) and a rectangular court. Each hoop has a back board attached to make the ball bounce back onto the court—otherwise, you’d keep losing the ball! The object of the game is to toss the ball through the hoop on the opposing team’s side of the court, doing so scores points. The team with the most points wins. Players can dribble the ball around the court by bouncing it and running alongside the ball as they bounce it. The opposing team can tackle the player to take ownership of the ball as they move around the pitch. It takes a lot of skill with the ball, and stamina, to keep the ball in play and win the game.

Canoeing

Are you looking for an interesting way to get in some upper-body cardiovascular exercise? Look no further than the sport of canoeing. There’s a reason why most gyms have rowing machines as standard. However, if you can access a canoeing club, or create one at your school, you’ll enjoy real canoeing even more than a workout in the gym.

This sport takes you out into nature, onto rivers, lakes, and streams, and challenges your mental and physical metal just enough to give you a satisfying workout. It also provides a sense of competition and can restore your equilibrium.

A canoe is a lightweight water vessel, traditionally made out of wood and bark, or wood and canvas. Nowadays, they usually feature moulded plastic or fibreglass. A canoe usually has an open-top, a rounded base, and two points at either end of the vessel.  Up to two canoers kneel inside the canoe and propel the vessel across the water, using a paddle. It’s crucial for the canoers to keep their body mass low to prevent their vessel from capsizing.

Canoeing is a fun pastime, hobby or competitive sport. It’s so competitive that it’s an Olympic sport. To make canoeing competitive, you’d typically race against other canoers. There are other types of canoe sports that feature in the Olympics like playboating, or white water canoes.

If you’re an adrenaline junkie, and canoeing seems a little too mild for you, don’t be put off. Playboating or white water canoeing will give you all the adrenaline kicks you need. Playboating is a sport where athletes on canoes (or kayaks) perform tricks similar to those you see in skateboarding or surfing. The tricks are performed in white water, on one fixed spot. And in most moves, the players are airborne during the trick. White water canoeing is where you take your canoe away from the serene still waters of a lake or river onto fierce, fast-moving rapids. The skills required for controlling the canoe in white water differ from those necessary for racing on a lake.

Cricket

Finally, we land on a sport that originates from the UK, sixteenth-century south-east England to be precise. Cricket is the second most popular sport in the UK, with football being the first. Though that’s a bone of contention. Cricketers say their sport is the most popular and vice versa. You can see this rivalry between the two sports almost everywhere. If you read an article from somebody who favours cricket, they’ll tell you that cricket involves mental acuity, patience and skill and that football is pure adrenaline. On the other hand, a football-focused piece of information will complain about how long the game of cricket is and how much equipment is required in comparison to football. What both have in common is the undeniable passion of their fans, isn’t that what sport’s all about?

To play cricket, you’ll need a bat and a ball, along with a helmet, batting pads and gloves. You’ll also need a team (unless you’re practising), then you’ll need at least two people. A cricket team requires eleven people, however, you may play a match with fewer players by pre-agreement. One of the players in each team is the captain. The main object of cricket is to score as many runs as possible and more runs than the opposing team.

Scoring a run involves hitting a ball and then running from one pitch to another but this is a very simplified explanation. There are many nuances and complexities involved in cricket, which makes gameplay an exciting challenge for participants.

There’s an even bigger challenge with cricket though. You cannot play in the rain.  Which isn’t ideal in UK weather. Batsmen find it difficult to see the ball in the rain, and the rain also slows down the speed of the ball. Which leads to many delayed or called off games. You can play cricket indoors, but the indoor game is modified to make it suitable for indoor play, it’s not quite the same but it’s perfect for schools to encourage sports all year round.

Golf

You’ll typically play golf on a course (a large green field or area).  A professional course has 18 holes while recreational courses often have nine. Golfers will use a teeing ground to begin their way around the course, and each green contains the hole or cup which is the target you are trying to sink your ball into.

Golf is an intense and challenging sport and unlike most ball games, it doesn’t use a standardised playing area. So players need to be able to adjust their skills to cope with different terrains, which adds to the fun of the game. The terrain is a crucial element of golf courses, it enhances the game. You might play on fairways, roughs (long grass), bunkers or sand traps and see water hazards in between holes that are unique for specific golf layouts and arrangements. The terrain has an influence on the game, it can affect shots. For example, elevation changes make putting difficult. While slopes can assist you in getting closer to the hole with less effort.

You can play golf in two different ways, scoring on either the lowest number of strokes by an individual to the lowest score on each hole. Stroke play most commonly occurs at all levels, but it’s seen more frequently in high-level tournaments. Usually because match play takes too long and doesn’t require as much strategy.

It’s believed that the ancient Egyptians created a form of golf as early as 3000BC, but many historians believe it may have originated even earlier than that. It’s been around for centuries. The modern game developed in Scotland in the 16th century and became popular with British aristocracy. It was originally played with clubs made out of sticks, and balls were made from leather stuffed into large animal intestines. Thankfully golf today is a much more refined game and is played both competitively and recreationally on golf courses all over the world.

Gymnastics

Moving onto a sport that requires tremendous physical strength, flexibility, and coordination – gymnastics. The word “gymnast” originates from the Greek word for ‘naked’ because gymnasts used to perform without clothes. In Ancient Greece, only men were allowed to compete in gymnastics events. They believed it would be unbecoming for women to participate because nudity was ‘shameful’.  And because women’s bodies are weaker than men’s.

Today, female athletes are just as competitive in the sport of gymnastics as males.  There is no longer any distinction between male and female competitors when it comes to what is acceptable in this sport and it’s no longer practised nude! Gymnastics has a long history founded in entertainment and demonstration of athleticism. Over the course of several centuries, it has evolved into one of many popular sports today.

The Federation of International Gymnastics (FIG) recognises eight unique disciplines of gymnastics. Each discipline has its own code of conduct, along with specific requirements for participation. Such requirements include strength, power and flexibility among other things. The disciplines identified by FIG include men’s artistic gymnastics, women’s artistic gymnastics, acrobatic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics and aerobic gymnastics.

• Artistic gymnastics includes women’s floor exercise, and uneven bars and men’s floor and pommel horse. All of which require flexibility, strength and agility.
• Rhythmic gymnastics is a woman’s sport. It includes apparatus like hoops, ribbon, clubs and balls. This discipline combines dance, apparatus work and tumbling.
• Acrobatic gymnastics is where gymnasts perform routines on a variety of apparatus. They’ll usually perform timed and complex flips, handsprings, somersaults and twists.

To make it as a gymnast you’ll need to be focused and disciplined. Your skills will improve if you dedicate yourself to practise. And if not, well you can have fun exploring the sport, so long as you do so safely.

Handball

Have you heard of handball? It’s a game akin to basketball, but with easier gameplay and slightly different rules that causes many people to consider it to be a hybrid of basketball, football and netball. Handball may be somewhat unknown, but it is played all around the world and has been enjoyed for centuries. It’s played at schools, universities, and clubs as well as in public parks and gyms. It’s a perfect sport for schools.

You can enjoy this game in teams of two or four players. And, as in many other sports, there are goals at each end of a rectangle court.  All you need to play, as a minimum, is a handball and a flat surface of at least 30′ x 40′.

The object of handball is to score points by throwing the ball into your opponent’s goal while trying to defend your own goal from an opponent scoring a point. You have three minutes to make ten throws on one side of the court. Then you switch sides and repeat for another three minutes. This pattern continues until someone scores 21 points which completes a full game.

The ball used for handball is a hard, sticky rubber ball that can’t bounce off walls or the ground.  The tacky residue is crucial for helping players grip and direct the ball.  But it’s the kind that you can feel and experience when you touch the ball but that doesn’t leave a sticky residue on your hands when you play.

Handball promotes healthy habits, maintains cardiovascular fitness and burns calories.  It also improves coordination, agility, reflexes and provides an aerobic workout with low impact on the joints.  With all these bonuses you can’t beat this game, it’d be a great addition to your school sports curriculum.

Karate

An alternative to judo and an ancient martial art originating from Japan is Karate. It stems from kung fu and has been around since the 17th century and remains a popular sport today. The sport involves using striking, kicking, blocking, throwing and grappling techniques to defeat an opponent.  The style, moves, and sport of karate have changed over the years. And the sport we know today is more of a striking sport rather than a grappling, throwing sport, like judo. These grappling techniques are still taught today by some karate teachers.

There are several forms of karate, all have varying degrees of emphasis on self-defence, sport competition, or physical exercise. Karate is a martial art that you can practise as an art, self-defence or combat sport. Traditional karate has an emphasis on self-development. While modern Japanese style training emphasises psychological elements such as perseverance, fearlessness, virtue, and leadership skills. Sport karate places emphasis on exercise with competition. Weapons feature in some styles of traditional Karate training.

There are three main elements to practising this martial art; basics (kihon), forms (katas) and sparring (kumite). Karate training focuses on the three categories, starting with the basics to get you comfortable before moving on to more intense forms, like sparring where your skills are put into action.

• Kihon are basic exercises used as part of training preparation for more advanced skills such as blocks and punches.
• A kumite is a sparring session that occurs in a controlled area with two competitors using full contact techniques.
• Kata is an exercise consisting of offensive and defensive moves without any actual fighting.

As you progress in experience you’ll have the opportunity to take skill tests. If you pass these tests you’ll be awarded a coloured belt. Each belt colour symbolises your skill level in karate. There are six levels and subsequent belt colours. These start with the white belt and then progresses through to an orange belt. Blue, yellow, green and brown belts follow until you finally reach the black belt which symbolises mastery in karate.

Swimming

All people can enjoy swimming, regardless of their age or physical condition. It’s a sport that doesn’t require any special equipment (aside from a body of water — usually a swimming pool).  It’s also a sport you can participate in all year-round, in any climate.

It’s a terrific form of exercise that provides many benefits to athletes and individuals alike. Including improved cardiovascular health, stress relief, increased muscle strength and endurance. Swimmers reap mental benefits that come from burning off excess energy or stress. As well as enjoying the de-stressing aspect of getting out into nature and spending time in the water.  Competitive swimmers will also enjoy developing social connections through team sports. There’s a lot you can gain from swimming and nothing to lose!

The Olympics is one event where swimming plays a major part. There are other, more attainable, swimming events too. Such as school swim meets that bring swimmers together from across the country for friendly competition.

Turn Your Hobby Into A Competitive Sport

There are a wide variety of events in competitive swimming, including individual events and relay. The toughest event is the medley relay. Four swimmers race to swim as fast as possible by performing a variety of strokes: Backstroke followed by breaststroke. Then butterfly, before finishing with freestyle strokes.

Competitive swimming also includes the individual medley — it’s like the medley relay but there’s no team to relay with, you’re in it alone. It’s a great accomplishment if you can complete the individual medley — even more so if you win it. There are other types of competitive racing in swimming too.  These races focus on one swimming style. You’ll discover races for: butterfly stroke, backstroke, freestyle and breaststroke.

In schools, similar competitions to those featuring in the Olympics may be set up. Though they may require a lower distance or slower speeds. The English Schools Swimming Association helps to organise competitions and leagues for schools, some of their events include sports like synchronised swimming, water polo, and diving.

Table Tennis

Here’s a fun and addictive game (and sport) that can be played by anyone of any age. Table tennis is easy to learn, but takes time and practise to perfect. You might know this game by its other name ‘ping pong’.

Players hit the ball back and forth (to and from their opponent) on a table tennis table that has a small net in the middle. The net divides one opponent’s side from the other and players use a paddle to hit the ball. The aim of the game is to hit the ball back over the net, without letting the ball go out of play, when it lands on your side. Ideally, you’ll hit the ball back in a way that makes it difficult for your opposing player to return the ball. The player who keeps the ball in play longer than their opponent scores a point. The first player to score 11 points wins.

There are some basic rules and etiquette that should be followed when playing table tennis. For example, you should keep your ball from the net as much as possible, so it doesn’t get caught on the net. This is called “netting” and it’s a foul if you do this. You’ll also want to avoid the back of your opponent’s table. This will interfere with their play space, they may not be able to hit the ball if you’ve blocked them off. Which again, will lead to a foul.

Aside from the etiquette, and to make the game interesting, players develop their skills in how they serve or spin the ball.  Serving and spinning the ball is an art form. It’s crucial to learn how to do this well to keep your opponent on their toes. There are many various types of services, some more complicated than others. A couple of the more common serves are a “push” or an overhead serve.

When it comes to spins, which is a technique for influencing the movement of the ball, players use a variety of them. The two most basic spins in table tennis are a topspin and backspin.

Tennis

You play tennis with two players (singles), or four players (doubles). The object of the game is to hit a tennis ball over a net (with a tennis racquet) in a way that prevents your opponent from returning the ball back over the net — while staying within the court markings. You score points by “winning” each rally, which means you have to hit more shots successfully than your opponent does. At the end of each game, whoever has the most points wins. Commonly grounds will feature tennis court covering systems or tennis court shade structures, which allow the games to continue during periods of wet weather.

Tennis Is A Much Loved Sport That Is Often Synonymous With Wimbledon

The world-famous Wimbledon Championships is the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world. Where 24 tonnes of strawberries are said to be consumed every year by the crowds. Speaking of prestigious, one of the highest accolades a professional tennis player can achieve is a Grand Slam — it’s the Holy Grail for tennis players. The Grand Slam is where a player wins all four major tournaments in a single year. These tournaments are Wimbledon, France, Australia, and the United States. Five players have won The Grand Slam six times in the history of major tennis tournaments — it’s a rarity. Players can also win a ‘career grand slam’ if they win all four majors at any time during their career. As well as a ‘non-calendar-year grand slam’, if they win the four majors consecutively but not in the same year. The latter titles are less prestigious than the Grand Slam but they’re credible and often rarely accomplished titles.

Tennis is a great sport to play in schools, it teaches discipline, focus, and helps students to stay fit while keeping them engaged in their activity. Tennis is a non-contact sport that will suit students who prefer to avoid rough and tumble sports. To play tennis in schools, you’ll need a series of tennis courts, unless you want to play for fun. Then you could set up a net across the playground, as a temporary tennis court. You’ll just need to add tennis racquets and tennis balls (which are hollow rubber balls), to your kit and wait for the sun to shine. To take the sport to the next level, you could invest in a tennis court canopy which will allow you to play all year round. The A&S Landscape tennis court covers uk range is a great place to start, with a range of designs to choose from.

Volleyball

Volleyball is a fun, energetic game that can be played by people of all ages. On the beach, in a sports hall, or anywhere else where there’s either grass or sand. Its fast-paced nature and has a low barrier to entry. Volleyball can be a recreational sport, or for the more serious, competitive.

Formerly known as ‘Mintonette’, volleyball began in American universities where the physical education director, William G Morgan developed the game. The first set of rules was published in 1895 when it became an international sport. Nowadays, it’s an Olympic sport and has been for over 50 years.

The rules of volleyball are intricate with many nuances but as a rule of thumb, there are six players on each team with one player designated as a ‘libero’ (or defensive specialist) that can only play within their own court area. Teams score points by hitting or touching the ball back over a net into their opponents’ side after they have served it across their net and before it touches the ground twice. If the ball touches the ground twice, the opposing team wins a point.

The libero player can only play within their own side of the court and cannot attack or touch a serve. In exchange, they are allowed to make plays from any position on the floor, as well as have more freedom in blocking around the net.

There are techniques, moves and strategies necessary for playing volleyball.  For example, you should dig (or jump) hard when receiving serves, so you’re not toppled over by an opponent. When jumping high, it’s best to do two things: first, take off with your legs. Second, simultaneously rotate your arms up after; also be sure not to lean too far forward because this will cause you to land awkwardly and fall out of bounds. Digging is done less aggressively than spiking but at a much faster speed!

It sounds complex because in some ways the rules are but that’s all part of the game.  It’s all part of the joy that comes with playing the game.

Ultimate Frisbee

Ultimate frisbee (also known as ‘Ultimate’) is a sport that originates from the late 60s. The game has gone through some changes over the years, but it retains its defining characteristics of being fast-paced and self-officiating. Players call their own fouls and make quick decisions with a disc as they advance downfield on defence or offence. Ultimate frisbee is often played in teams of seven players, but two people can also play.

There are many variations of rules, which are simple in theory but challenging in practise. Most games involve two teams playing against each other over three periods of 20 minutes each. Switching sides for half-time between periods one and two, and halfway through period three. The team scoring the most points at the end wins!

The object of an ultimate game is to score more goals (called ‘points’) than your opponent. And do so by catching discs in goals defended by opposing players; throws must be made from behind the goal line.

Similar to touch football, players can pass the disc back and forth, but they cannot run while holding the disc. Although they may pivot around one foot (called ‘stalling’). When not stalling, offensive players must throw from behind their own goal line.

A True Sign Of Sportsmanship

The most notable aspect of Ultimate is the focus on the spirit of sportsmanship and fair play. While the game is incredibly competitive, and these competitive traits are encouraged, it is never at the expense of the mutual respect and bond between players on the same teams or the opposing teams. Adhering to these qualities, according to those who play ultimate, encourages a basic ‘joy of play’. A sign of true sportsmanship.