LEARNING MODULE 2: The Origin and History of Sports and Its Development
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Due Date of Deliverables:
Intended Learning Outcomes:
Identify the historical events of sports development timeline
Learn and appreciate the origin and the history of different sports
Create realizations or insights about the history of sports
HISTORY OF SPORTS
In the beginning, sports often involved the preparation for war or training as a hunter, which
explains why so many early games involved the throwing of spears, stakes, and rocks, and sparring
one-on-one with opponents.
Sport in Prehistory
Wrestling was depicted in cave paintings in the Lascaux caves in France around 173,000
years ago.
Around 6000 BC Neolithic Rock art was found at the cave of swimmers in Wadi Sura, near Gilf
Kebir in Libya showing the evidence of swimming and archery being practiced.
A polished bone implement found at Eva in Tennessee, United States and dated to around
5000 BC has been found as a possible sporting device used in a "ring and pin" game.
Around 2500 BC, The Mayan ballgame of Pitz is believed to be the first ball sport played.
In Egypt, Monuments to the Pharaohs found at Beni Hasan around 2000 BC indicate that a
number of sports, including wrestling, long jump, weight lifting, swimming, rowing, ,shooting
flying, fishing and athletics, as well as various kinds of ball games were well-developed.
The first Olympic Games was instituted in Greece in 776 BC in Olympia which were
celebrated until 393 AD. The prizes for the victors were wreaths of laurel leaves.
Origin Stories of Modern Sports
American Football
American Football was existed in the 1800s before Walter Camp, at Yale University, began to help
establish rules that made the game appear much as it does today. Football’s evolution primarily took
place in college, as college football was far more popular than its professional counterpart until the
late 1950's. 26 October 1863 was marked the birth of The Football Association. The first football
competition in the world, the FA Cup, was established in 1872.
Baseball
Baseball was invented by Alexander Cartwright of
New York in America in 1845. People in England in
1600’s only played a game called rounders a similar
to that of baseball. This sport in popularity was
known as America's "national pastime." The first
recorded baseball game was held in 1846. In 1871
the first professional baseball league, the National
Association of Professional Base Ball Players was
established.
Basketball
The game of basketball as we know it today was
created by Dr. James Naismith who was teaching
physical education in December 1891 in Springfield,
Massachusetts to condition young athletes during cold
months. The first professional league was founded in
1898. In the 1920s and 1930s, Eastern Basketball
League (founded in 1909), Metropolitan Basketball
League (founded in 1921) and American Basketball
League (founded in 1925) were the most important
leagues. In 1936 Olympics played in Berlin, Germany,
Basketball became an official Olympic sport.
Hockey
Historical records show that a crude form of the
game was played in Egypt 4,000 years ago and in
Ethiopia around 1,000BC. The modern game of
hockey emerged in England in the mid-18th century.
The first Hockey Association was formed in the UK in
1876 and drew up the first formal set of rules. The
inaugural Olympic Hockey Competition for men was
held in London in 1908. In 1927, the International
Federation of Women's Hockey Associations
(IFWHA) was formed. After celebrating their
respective Golden Jubilees - the FIH in 1974 and the
IFWHA in 1980 - the two organizations came together in 1982 to form the current FIH. Today, the
International Hockey Federation consists of five Continental Associations, 132 National Associations
and is still growing.
Tennis
In 1874, Major Walter C. Wingfield patented in
London the equipment and rules for a game very
similar to modern tennis. In 1877, the All England
Club held the first Wimbledon tournament. By 1882,
the specifications had evolved to their current form
with rules as per today.
Soccer
Soccer, widely considered the world’s most popular
sport, traces it modern roots in England in the mid-
1800s, leading to the creation of the Football
Association in London in 1863. The current governing
body in international soccer is the Fédération
Internationale de Football Association, or FIFA, which
was formed in 1904 although the rest of Europe did not
take up the game till the mid1920s.
Volleyball
The game of volleyball, originally called
“mintonette,” was invented in 1895 by William G.
Morgan. Volleyball is a combination of basketball,
baseball, tennis, and handball. The USVBA (United
States Volleyball Association) was formed in 1928.
The first beach volleyball association appeared in
California (1965), and the professional players
united under the auspices of the AVP (American
Volleyball Professionals) in 1983. During the 1984
Los Angeles Olympics, American men and women
took gold and silver medals in indoor volleyball competitions. Starting in 1996, two-man beach
volleyball was officially introduced to the Olympics.
Golf
The modern game of golf originated in Scotland in the
15th century. Golf spread globally throughout the 19th
century. The Professional Golfers Association of
America, today the governing body of golf was formed
in 1916. Golf was introduced in Olympics in 1900.
Rugby
Rugby which is popular is invented by William Web Ellis
in 1823 at Rugby School in England. The Rugby
Football Union, the sport’s governing body, was formed
in London in 1871.
Ice Hockey
Ice Hockey origin history is traced to Canada as early as
the 1810s. The modern sport emerged in the late 1800s
in Montreal, with the National Hockey League forming in
1917. Hockey is another sport in which early
development took place as much in college as it did in
professional leagues.
Swimming
10,000-year-old rock paintings of people swimming were
found in the Cave of Swimmers near Wadi Sura in
southwestern Egypt. Competitive swimming in Britain
started around 1830. Swimming was part of the first
modern Olympic games in 1896 in Athens. In 1908, the
world swimming association, Fédération Internationale
de Natation (FINA), was formed.
Cricket
Cricket, the modern game began to emerge in the 1770s.
The first test match was played in 1877 between
Australia and England. The International Cricket Council,
the governing body of the sport, was founded in 1909,
then called the Imperial Cricket Council and consisting
only of England, South Africa and Australia. The
organization today consists of 10 full members.
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SPORTS DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE
YEAR EVENT
776 BC The first Olympic Games is held at Athens.
1829 The first Oxford-Cambridge rowing race was held on the Thames River, London
1839 The Grand National horse race was first run
1846 The first recorded game of organized baseball was played at Elysian Fields, New Jersey.
1851 The first America's Cup yacht race was held
1855 The first modern game of ice hockey was played in Kingston, Ontario
1858 The first match of Australian Rules Football was played
1860 The first ever British Open golf tournament for men was held
1861 the first Melbourne Cup horse race was run
1874 The first American football game was played between McGill University and Harvard.
1875 The Kentucky Derby was held for the first time.
The first organized ice hockey game is played in Montreal, ON, Canada.
1876 Baseball's National League in the US started
1877 The first Wimbledon tennis event was held
The first Test match was played, between Australia and England.
1881 The first year that the men's US National Tennis Championships was held (the precursor to the US Open)
1887 The first year that the women's US National Tennis Championships was held (the precursor to the US Open)
1895 The first ever US golf open was held
1897 the first Boston marathon was run.
1896 the first Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece.
1903 The Tour de France was held for the first time
The Baseball World Series was played for the first time
1905 the first year that the Australian Open Tennis Championship was held
1916 the USPGA was held for the first time
1920 The first game of the National Football League (NFL)
1922 the first year that a women's event was held at the Australian Open tennis
1925 the first year that the French Tennis tournament that was open to all amateur players
1934 The first ever US Golf Masters was held.
1967 the first year that the Super Bowl was held.
References:
https://bit.ly/2VvBTwE
https://thapos.com/sports-library/articles/13/sports-history
https://www.topendsports.com/world/timeline/firsts.htm
CONCEPTION ACTIVITY: (20 points)
1. What can you say about the Sports Development Timeline?
2. For you, which sport has an amazing history? Why?
QUIZ:
I. Fill in the blank with the correct answers. (2 points each)
1. American Football was existed in the _____s before Walter Camp, at _____ University.
2. Swimming was part of the first _____ games in 1896 in _____.
3. Rugby is invented by _____ in 1823 at Rugby School in _____.
4. The game of basketball was created by _____ who was teaching physical education in
December 1891 in _____.
5. People in _____ in 1600’s only played a game called _____ a similar to that of baseball.
II. Encircle T if the statement is correct, F if otherwise.
T F 1. The first Olympic Games was instituted in Greece in 776 BC in Olympia which
were celebrated until 393 AD.
T F 2. Around 2500 BC, The Mayan ballgame of Pitz is believed to be the first ball
sport played.
T F 3. The prizes for the victors were wreaths of basil leaves.
T F 4. The game of volleyball, originally called “mintonette,”.
T F 5. The modern game of golf originated in Scotland in the 16th century.
T F 6. Today, the International Hockey Federation consists of five Continental
Associations, 132 National Associations and is still growing.
T F 7. The modern game of hockey emerged in Netherlands in the mid-18th century.
T F 8. The first football competition in the world, the FA Cup, was established in 1827.
T F 9. In 1936 Olympics played in Berlin, Germany, Basketball became an official
Olympic sport.
T F 10. Wrestling was depicted in cave paintings in the Lascaux caves in France
around 173,000 years ago.
PERFORMANCE TASK: (30 points)
1. Create your own realizations or insights about the history of sports.
2. What is the essence of History in the world of Sports?
