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Sports

Athletics, competition, and the games we play — rules, history, and the science of physical performance.

85 articles — Page 2 of 3

Judo is a Japanese martial art focused on throws and grappling, now an Olympic sport
Sports 3 min

What Is Judo?

Judo is a Japanese martial art focused on throws and grappling, now an Olympic sport. Learn about techniques, belt rankings, and its founding philosophy.

A person in military gear, wearing a helmet and goggles, is aiming a rifle at the camera
Sports 4 min

What Is Marksmanship?

Marksmanship is the skill of accurately shooting firearms or other projectile weapons. Learn about techniques, disciplines, competitions, and training.

A man dressed in a black martial arts uniform with a red belt, who is performing a fighting stance in a martial arts studio
Sports 4 min

What Is Martial Arts?

Martial arts are structured systems of combat practices — techniques for fighting, self-defense, and (in many traditions) personal development.

A man playing miniature golf in a park with trees, flowers, and a green course
Sports 3 min

What Is Miniature Golf?

Miniature golf is a scaled-down version of golf played on short courses with creative obstacles. Learn about its history, design, and cultural appeal.

A person wearing leather gloves is working on a motorcycle engine
Sports 3 min

What Is Motorcycle Maintenance?

Motorcycle maintenance covers the routine care and repair of motorcycles to ensure safety and performance. Learn about essential tasks, tools, and schedules.

A motorcycle rider wearing a black and yellow racing suit
Sports 3 min

What Is Motorcycle Racing?

Motorcycle racing is competitive motorsport on two-wheeled vehicles, encompassing everything from grand prix circuit racing at 220 mph to motocross riders.

A mountain biker riding on a trail through a forested area
Sports 3 min

What Is Mountain Biking?

Mountain biking is the sport of riding specially designed bicycles on off-road terrain — dirt trails, forest paths, mountain tracks, rock gardens.

A person wearing a red jacket and a white helmet is climbing up a rocky mountain
Sports 4 min

What Is Mountaineering?

Mountaineering is the sport of climbing mountains using specialized skills and equipment. Learn about techniques, gear, famous peaks, and how to start.

Paragliding is a recreational flying sport using a lightweight fabric wing launched from hillsides
Sports 4 min

What Is Paragliding?

Paragliding is a form of free flight where the pilot sits in a use suspended below a lightweight fabric wing, launching from hillsides, mountains.

A group of young men in a gymnasium, with one man in a blue tank top standing in the foreground
Sports 4 min

What Is Physical Education?

Physical education teaches movement skills, fitness, and healthy habits through structured activity in schools. Learn about its goals, benefits, and methods.

A man driving a blue pontoon boat on a body of water, with a forested shoreline in the background
Sports 4 min

What Is Pontoon Boating?

A pontoon boat is a flat-decked watercraft supported by two or three aluminum tubes (pontoons) that keep it floating.

Powerlifting is a strength sport where athletes compete in the squat, bench press, and deadlift
Sports 4 min

What Is Powerlifting?

Powerlifting is a strength sport built around three lifts: the squat, the bench press, and the deadlift.

A person wearing a racing helmet and gear, sitting in the driver's seat of a race car
Sports 4 min

What Is Race Car Driving?

Race car driving is the competitive sport of operating purpose-built or modified vehicles at high speeds.

A man playing racquetball in a gymnasium
Sports 4 min

What Is Racquetball?

Racquetball is an indoor racquet sport played in an enclosed court where a hollow rubber ball can bounce off any wall, the floor, and even the ceiling.

Rafting is a water sport where groups ride inflatable rafts through river rapids
Sports 3 min

What Is Rafting?

Rafting — usually called whitewater rafting — is the recreational activity of riding an inflatable raft through sections of a river that have varying degrees.

A man wearing sunglasses and a leather jacket, sitting in the cockpit of an airplane and looking out the window at the sunset
Sports 3 min

What Is Recreational Flying?

Recreational flying is piloting an aircraft — airplane, glider, ultralight, helicopter, or balloon.

A brown horse with a white blaze on its face, standing behind a wooden fence
Sports 3 min

What Is Riding (Horse)?

Horse riding — also called horseback riding or equestrianism — is the practice of sitting on and directing the movement of a horse.

A man riding a bicycle on a road
Sports 3 min

What Is Road Cycling?

Road cycling is the practice of riding lightweight bicycles on paved roads, either competitively or recreationally.

A man climbing a rocky cliff face wearing a white helmet and backpack
Sports 4 min

What Is Rock Climbing?

Rock climbing is the sport of ascending natural rock formations or artificial climbing walls using your hands, feet, and body.

A young man who is actively engaged in rope jumping or rope skipping, as he is holding a rope in his hand and appears to be
Sports 4 min

What Is Rope Skipping?

Rope skipping (jump rope) is a fitness activity where you swing a rope under your feet while jumping. Learn techniques, benefits, and competitive forms.

A man in a black wetsuit is rowing a boat on a body of water at sunset
Sports 4 min

What Is Rowing?

Rowing is a water sport where athletes propel boats using oars. Learn about the techniques, equipment, and competitive side of this demanding endurance sport.

A rugby player in a blue jersey runs with his arms outstretched, appearing to be in the midst of a powerful play
Sports 4 min

What Is Rugby?

Rugby is a full-contact team sport played with an oval ball on a rectangular grass field.

A woman running on a track
Sports 4 min

What Is Running?

Running is the act of moving on foot at a speed where both feet are momentarily off the ground during each stride.

Sailing is the practice of using wind to propel a boat across water
Sports 4 min

What Is Sailing?

Sailing is the art and science of using wind to move a boat across water.

Scuba diver exploring a vibrant underwater coral reef
Sports 4 min

What Is Scuba Diving?

Scuba diving lets you breathe underwater using portable air tanks. Learn about equipment, certification, safety, and what it's like below the surface.

A man in a black jacket and headphones is aiming a rifle at a target in an indoor shooting range
Sports 4 min

What Is Shooting Sports?

Shooting sports are competitive and recreational activities involving firearms or air guns for target accuracy. Learn about disciplines, safety, and history.

Skateboarding is a sport and culture built around riding and performing tricks on a skateboard
Sports 4 min

What Is Skateboarding?

Skateboarding is a sport and culture built around riding and performing tricks on a skateboard. Learn about its history, techniques, and cultural impact.

A skier in a black jacket and pants is carving down a snowy mountain slope, leaving a trail of snow behind them
Sports 4 min

What Is Skiing?

Skiing is the sport of gliding across snow on a pair of long, narrow boards (skis) attached to specialized boots.

A person in a yellow jacket and safety gear is seen jumping out of an airplane and flying through the air, with their arms
Sports 4 min

What Is Skydiving?

Skydiving is the sport of jumping from aircraft and freefalling before deploying a parachute. Learn about training, safety, and what the experience is like.

Snorkeling lets you observe underwater life while floating on the surface with a mask, snorkel, and fins
Sports 3 min

What Is Snorkeling?

Snorkeling is the practice of swimming at the water's surface while wearing a diving mask, a breathing tube (snorkel), and usually swim fins.