Lesson 1: Introduction to Sports

Nature of Different Sports

- Sports is a part of human civilization. Whereas in the past, people, or whole armies would
do battle upon each other, the practice of sending the “champion” of the other group
eliminated deaths of hundreds or thousands. Eventually sports became a form of
entertainment, as well as an avenue to practice and show physical prowess and skill.

Early Sports
- Although it is impossible to know for sure, it is usually considered that wrestling and
boxing were the first sports every played. Competitions using the simple mode of human
transport, running, would also have been among the first sports played.

- Competitions involving hitting, kicking, throwing a ball like object, as well as sports
related to hunting and throwing would also be expected to have be played in early times.
There are many sports that have developed as competitions from means of early
transportation, such as horse riding and canoeing, and from military activities such as
archery.
Ancient Olympics Games
- The first recorded ancient Olympic Games were held in 776 BC. They continued to be
celebrated about every four years, until the emperor Theodosius I suppressed them in 394
AD. The games were always held at Olympia instead of moving around to different host
cities every time as in the modern Olympic Games.

- At the first recorded ancient Olympic Games, there was only one event - the stade (foot
race). The stade was a unit of measurement (about 600 feet) that also became the name of
the footrace because it was the distance run. Since the track for the stade (race) was a
stade (length), the location of the race became the stadium.

- The winner of the first recorded Olympic Games (776 BC) was Coroebus of Elis a baker
from Eleia (the region in which Olympia was found). Instead of winning a gold medal he
received an olive branch.
The Nature of Sports
Sports, by nature, are made up by rules. These rules are put in place for several reason.
- Rules are put up for the sport to be safe. Skills, strength, speed, power, agility, reaction
time, competitive acumen - these characteristics can be shown as competitors try to best
each other given a set of parameters that will minimize, if not totally eliminate, harm to
each other to everyone.

- Rules are set up for a sport or game to be playable. Boundary lines are usually put in
place to eliminate players running away. If there are no time constraints, then a basketball
team will not have need to drive the ball to the other side of the court and shoot the ball.
Time and boundary lines are examples of rules to make the sports playable.

- Rules exist so that the sport is marketable. A sport that is not understood by audience
alienates that audience. If the spectator is watching and knows the rules, then the
spectator is drawn into the game. The audience will then become a fan base for the sport
who will want to watch more, or who will want to engage in it, and the sport will gain
popularity.

Types of Sports
Sports is an activity that requires physical actions and skills where individuals or teams
compete under a set of rules. It is classified into individual, dual or team sports.
• Individual sports are played with one participants on each competing side.
• Dual sports are played by two competing pairs
• Team sport are played with three or more players.

Types of Sports
- Some popular individual and dual games include badminton, bowling, boxing, lawn
tennis, track and field, table tennis, skating, swimming and beach volleyball. Team sports
include basketball, football, softball and volleyball. However, there are some individual
and dual sports that can be played in teams, depending on the tournament and sponsoring
sports organization.

- Individual sports foster a higher amount of discipline, self-confidence, focus and

passion. The individual player is solely responsible for winning or losing; succeeding or
failing.
 - In team sports, many variables are considered to determine the success or failure of the
team. Although individual qualities and skills are helpful, performance will not rely on a
single talent. A team's performance or success depends on the collective effort of all its
players.

One Needs to Know in Playing Sports

- Individual sport relies on the individual while team sports rely on teammates. In playing
any type of sports, it is important to have focus, clear understanding of the game, and
work ethics in mastering skills.

One Needs to Know in Playing Sports

Some of the important aspects to consider in learning a sport are:

1. History – the inventor of the sport, country of origin, and development of the game.

2. Court Dimension/Venue - where the games are played (indoor, outdoor, or both), size,
different designs for male or female, and safety procedures for the players.

3. Equipment and Gear - proper protective gears, uniforms and outfits which also involve safety
of players and the officials.

4. Technical and Tactical Skills - technical skills are the basics of the game (e.g., Basketball -
dribble, shoot, pass) while tactical skills are the strategies to take advantage of the game (e.g.,
side-step, screen, backs-out for basketball).

5. Rules of the game - set of rules on how the game is played, violations, penalties, how to score
points, how many players are allowed, etc.

6. Officiating - officials of the game, their duties and responsibilities of calling for violations,
penalties, and regulating fair game.

Lesson 2: Athletics

Athletics

- Athletics is composed of sports involving walking, running, jumping and throwing. It is a

group of sports, or events divided mainly in what is known as “track and field.” Running,
jumping and throwing are all military and hunting skills. As these became identified as
games, related or variation skills such as the long jump, javelin throw, hammer throw,
hurdles and triple jumps were invented.
ATHLETIC EVENTS

Track Events

100 meters 5000 meters 400 meters hurdles

200 meters 10000 meters Half marathon

400 meters 4x100 meters Full marathon

800 meters 4x400 meters

1500 meters 100 meters hurdles

Track Events

Sprints anything up to 400m

Middle distance 800m- 3000m

Long distance events 3000m+

Athletic Events

Sprints

- Athletes use starting blocks to begin a race

- The starter will say ‘Take your marks', ‘set.... Then fire the starting gun.
- Athletes must remain in their own lane at all times.
- The first runner to pass the finishing line with their torso wins.
- Starting a race before the gun has went off will result in a false start. A race is only
allowed 1 false start, whoever causes the 2nd false start will be disqualified.
- 200m and 400m races start staggered to allow for the curve of the track.

Athletic Events
Sprints Technique
• On balls of feet
• Push hard off the ground • High knees
• Fast stride
• Arms backwards and forwards action
• Drive elbows back
• Elbow bend 90 degree
• Appearance of being tall, relaxed and smooth with maximum drive.

Athletic Events
Middle Distance
Competitors do not use starting blocks. Runners may not touch the ground with their hands at the
start. In the 800, starting positions are staggered to equalize the length of each lane on the curved
track. Runners must remain in their lanes until the end of the first turn. Stamina is important in
all middle distance events, as is strategy, as runners must conserve some energy in order to finish
strong.

Athletic Events
Long Distance
• Is all about pacing yourself
• Having enough energy to last for a long period of time. Arm action slower
• It is important to have a comfortable stride and rhythm
•The foot strikes the ground less on the ball of the foot and more to the back of the foot.
• The knee has some flex.
• Leg movement is smooth.
• Swing arms from shoulders in a comfortable back and forward movement. Arms and shoulders
should be relaxed.
• Head straight; focus ahead ten to fifteen meters.
Athletic Events
Hurdles Event
• Athletes who compete in hurdle races need a sprinter's speed as well as the technical ability to
clear the hurdles.
•Runners typically take seven to eight strides before hurdle one, then use a three-stride pattern
between the rest.
• The trailing leg, which initially drives a runner's body at the hurdle, also must sweep over the
hurdle rather than around it.
•The placement of the hurdles depends on the length of the race and the sex of the athlete. Ten
hurdles are used in the 100-meter, 110meter and 400-meter hurdle races. Men run the 110 races
with 9.14 meters between hurdles and women run the 100 races with 8.5 meters between hurdles,
according to IAAF rules.

Athletic Events
Hurdles Set-up
• 400 meter and steeplechase hurdles both use the same height 91.4cm in men's events, and
76.2cm in women's events, where as the sprint hurdles(110 and 100) meter use height of the
106.7cm for men's event and 83.8cm for women's event respectively.

Athletic Events
Field events
Jumps
a. Pole vault b. High jump
c. Long jump d. Triple jump
Throws
a. Shotput b. Hammer throw
c. Discuss throw d.Javelin throw

Lesson 3: Badminton

History of Badminton
•BADMINTON was invented long ago; a form of sport played in ancient Greece and Egypt.

•The game was called "POONA" in India during the 18th Century, and British Army Officers
stationed there took the Indian version back to England in the 1860's.

• Badminton was first contested as an official Olympic sport at the 1992 Olympic games in
Barcelona, Spain.

History of Badminton
- Badminton is a sports very much like tennis, and is played using rackets specific for that
sport. A shuttlecock or a feathered cork acts as a missile that is rallied back and forth over
a high net. The racket is used with a lot of wrist movement, as the material is light. The
court is 44 feet long and 17 feet wide for singles and 20 feet wide for doubles.

Badminton Equipment and Facilities

Racket
- The badminton racket is one of the most important tools a player has in the game.
Badminton rackets are much lighter than most other sports rackets because they are made
from materials such as carbon fiber or lighter metals such as aluminum. Parts of the
racket include the head, throat, shaft and handle with a maximum length of 27.77 inches
and a width of 9 inches. It Strings that are stretched across the opening of the racket in a
checkerboard pattern, which acts as the hitting surface. Badminton rackets can vary
widely in cost depending on whether they are purchased as part of a basic backyard set or
as more expensive professional models.

Shuttlecock

- The badminton shuttlecock, also referred to as a shuttle or birdie, acts similarly to a ball
in other racket sports. However, the design of the birdie creates more drag as it is
 propelled through the air due to its feathered shape. The shuttlecock is made up of a
cone shape with a hard cork at its tip. Shuttlecocks can be made from a variety of
materials -- more expensive models are actually made from feathers, and less expensive
models are made from plastic feathers. The shuttle has 16 feathers attached to the base
and the length of the feathers range between 2.44 and 2.75 inches.

Net

A mesh net divides the badminton court into two sides. A badminton net is placed lower than a
volleyball net at five feet and one inch high on the sides and five feet high in the center. The
length may vary depending on whether doubles or singles are playing, with singles reaching 17
feet and doubles reaching 22 feet. The net is 30 inches wide with a 3-inch white tape doubled
over the top.
4 techniques in badminton

1. The Clear - a lob, where the shuttlecock is hit to go high over the opponent.

2. The Drop - a strike that allows the shuttlecock to go over the net gently.

3. The Drive – a strike that shoots the shuttlecock forward in a straight line.

4. The Smash - shoot the shuttlecock downward.

4 strokes in badminton

1. Forehand stroke - hitting from the racket side.

2. Backhand stroke - hitting opposite the racket side.

3. Underhand stroke - used when the shuttlecock is coming in low.

4. Overhand stroke - used when the shuttlecock is coming in high. And goes past overhead.

Rules of the Game Serving and Receiving Courts

•At the start of the rally, the server and receiver stand in diagonally opposite service courts. The
server hits the shuttlecock so that it would land in the receiver's service court.

•Badminton is similar to tennis, except that a badminton serve must be hit below waist height
and with the racket shaft pointing downwards and the shuttlecock is not allowed to bounce.
•The server will continue to serve until they have a fault. In Doubles, the partner who did not
previously serve will serve after the opponents' fault.

Rules of the Game Scoring and Serving

• Coin Toss or shuttlecock toss at the start of the match; winner get the choice of serving first or
choosing side of court.

• At the beginning of the game, you shall serve or receive in the Right Service Court.

• Serving thereafter, service court is determined by opponent's points:

Even Points = Right Service Court

Odd Points = Left Service Court

Rules of the Game Serving Errors

• Service Court Error has been made when

-a player has served out of turn,

-a player has served from the wrong service court, Or

- a player is standing on the wrong service court to receive the serve and the serve has been
delivered.

Rules of the Game

Calling a Let

• Let shall be called by the umpire, or by a player (if there is no umpire), to halt play.

• Lets: if a let is called, the rally is stopped and replayed with no change to the score. Lets may
occur due to an unexpected disturbance; another shuttlecock landing on court, receiver is not
ready when the service is delivered

• **If the shuttlecock hits the top of the net it is NOT a let.
Rules of the Game Faults

The rules of badminton consider the following as faults:

If the shuttle

• lands outside the boundaries of the court,

• passes through or under the net,

• fails to pass the net,

• touches the ceiling or side walls,

• touches the person or dress of a player, or

• touches any other object or person.

• If the initial point of contact with the shuttle is not on the striker's side of the net. (The striker
may, however, follow the shuttle over the net with the racket in the course of a stroke.)

• If a player touches the net or its supports with racket, person or dress, invades an opponent's
court over the net with racket or person except as permitted.

Rules of the Game Faults

The rules of badminton consider the following as faults:

• If a player invades an opponent's court under the net with racket or person such that an
opponent is obstructed or distracted or obstructs an opponent, that is prevents an opponent from
making a legal stroke where the shuttle is followed over the net.

• If a player deliberately distracts an opponent by any action such as shouting or making

gestures.

• If the shuttle is caught and held on the racket and then slung during the execution of a stroke.

• If the shuttle is hit twice in succession by the same player (two hits in a row)

• If the shuttle is hit by a player and the player's partner successively or touches a player's racket
and continues towards the back of that player's court.

• If a player is guilty of flagrant, repeated or persistent offences under Law of Continuous Play,
Misconduct, Penalties.

• If, on service, the shuttle is caught on the net and remains suspended on top, or, on service,
after passing over the net is caught in the net.
Rules of the Game

Rally

• A rally is won when a shuttle is hit over the net and onto the floor of the opponent's court.

• A rally is lost if the shuttle is hit into the net, or over the net but outside of the opponent's court.
A rally is also lost if the shuttle touches the player's clothing or body, or if it is hit before it
crosses over the net.

Rules of the Game Scoring

• Matches comprise of the best of three games. Each game starts at 0-0 (traditionally called
"love-all").

• If the serving side wins a rally, it scores a point, and serves again but from the alternate service
court. If the receiving side wins the rally, the score remains unchanged and the service passes to
the next player in turn. In singles, this is the opponent: in double it's either the partner or, if both
players have just had a turn of serving, one of the opponents.

Rules of the Game

Scoring

-Players change ends at the end of a game and when the leading score reaches 8 in a game of 15
points (or 6 in a game of 11 points) in the third game. A five minute interval is allowed prior to
any third game.

Vocabulary

• Balk: Any deceptive movement that disconcerts an opponent before or during the serve.

• Baseline: Back boundary line at each end of the court, parallel to the net.

• Drive: A fast low shot that makes a horizontal flight over the net.

• Drop: A shot hit softly and with finesse to fall rapidly and close to the net on the opponent's
side.

• Fault: A violation of the playing rules, either in serving, in receiving, or during play.

•Flick: A quick wrist and forearm rotation to change a soft shot into a faster one; usually used as
a serve at the net.
•Flight: The path or trajectory of the birdie.

• Kill: A fast downward shot that cannot be returned.

• Rally: An exchange of shots while the shuttle is in play.

• Service Court: The area into which the serve must be delivered.

• Smash: A hard hit overhead shot which forces the birdie sharply downward, the chief attacking
stroke.

Lesson 4: Table Tennis

History

Like many other sports, table tennis began as a mild social diversion. Descending, along with
lawn tennis and badminton, from the ancient medieval game of tennis. It was popular in England
in the second half of the nineteenth century under its present name and various trade names such
as Gossima and Whiff-Whaff.

After the name Ping-Pong (an imitation of the sound made by the ball striking the table and the
vellum bats that were used) was introduced by J. Jaques & Son, the game became a fashionable
craze.

The game was popular in Central Europe in 1905, and over the next 60 years developed into a
major worldwide sport, played by millions and millions people. It is popular today.

DEFINITION

1. Rally is the period during which the ball is in play.

2. A let is a rally of which the result is not scored.

3. A point is a rally of which the result is scored.

4. The racket hand is the hand carrying the racket.

5. A player strikes the ball if he touches it in play with his racket, held in the hand or with his
racket hand below the wrist.

6. A player obstructs the ball if he, or anything he wears or carries, touches it in play when it is
above or travelling towards the playing surface and has not passed beyond his end line, not
having touched his court since last being struck by his opponent.
7. The server is the player due to strike the ball first in a rally.

8. The receiver is the player due to strike the ball second in a rally.

9. The ball shall be regarded as passing over or around the net assembly if it passes anywhere
other than between the net and playing surface.

10. The end line shall be regarded as extending indefinitely in both directions.

Equipment and facilities

•Table Tennis Racket

- Also called a "paddle" or "bat".

- Is used by table tennis players.

- The racket may be of any size, shape or weight but the blade shall be flat and rigid.

•Table Tennis Ball

- The ball shall be spherical, with a diameter of 40mm.

- The ball shall weigh 2.7g.

Equipment and facilities

- The playing surface shall be divided into 2 equal courts by a vertical net running parallel with
the end lines, and shall be continuous over the whole area of each court.

- For doubles, each court shall be divided into 2 equal half-courts by a white centre line, 3mm
wide, running parallel with the side lines: the centre line shall be regarded as part of each right
half-court.

- The upper surface of the table, known as the playing surface, shall be rectangular, 2.74m long
and 1.525m wide, and shall lie in a horizontal plane 76cm above the floor.

- The playing surface shall not include the vertical sides of the tabletop.
- The playing surface may be of any material and shall yield a uniform bounce of about 23cm
when a standard ball is dropped on to it from a height of 30cm.

Grips in table tennis

Penhold - as the name implied, the paddle is being hold as if your holding a pen.

Shakehand - as the name implied, the paddle is being hold as if your shaking a hand.

V-grip - when the forefinger and the middle finger sandwiches the blade.

Seemiller grip - named after Danny Seemiller, is when the thumb and the forefinger is place on
the same side.

Rules: Service

- Shall start with the ball resting freely on the open palm of the server's stationary free hand,

-As the ball is falling the server shall strike it so that it touches first his court and then, after
passing over or around the net assembly, touches directly the receiver's court; in doubles, the ball
shall touch successively the right half court of server and receiver

Rules: The Order of Play

- In singles, the server shall first make a good service, the receiver shall then make a good return
and thereafter server and receiver alternately shall each make a good return
- In doubles, the server shall first make a good service from the right service box diagonally, the
receiver shall then make a good return, the partner of the receiver shall then make a good return
and thereafter each player in turn in that sequence shall make a good return.

Rules: A Let

- The rally shall be a let if the ball, in passing over or around the net assembly, touches it,
provided the service is otherwise good or the ball is obstructed by the receiver or his partner

- If the service is delivered when the receiving player or pair is not ready, provided that neither
the receiver nor his partner attempts to strike the ball;

- Because the conditions of play are disturbed in a way which could affect the outcome of the
rally.

Rules: A point

- Unless the rally is a let, a player shall score a point

- In doubles, If his opponent fails to make a good service;

- In doubles, If his opponent fails to make a good return;

- If, after he has made a good service or a good return, the ball touches anything other than the
net assembly before being struck by his opponent;

- If the ball passes beyond his end line without touching his court, after being struck by his
opponent

Rules: A point

- If his opponent obstructs the ball;

- If his opponent strikes the ball twice successively;

- If his opponent strikes the ball with a side of the racket blade whose surface does not comply
with the rules.

- If his opponent, or anything his opponent wears or carries, touches the net assembly

- If his opponent's free hand touches the playing surface

- If in doubles, a opponent strikes the ball out of sequence established by the first server and first
receiver;
Rules: Scoring

- A match is played best 3 of 5 games (or 4/7 or 5/9), For each game, the first player to
reach 11 points wins that game, however a game must be won by at least two point
margin, A point is scored after each ball is put into play (not just when the server wins
the point as in voleyball)

Rules: Flow of the Match

- Each player serves two points in a row and then switch server, However, if a score of 10-
10 is reached in any game, then each server serves only one point and then the server is
switched, After each game, the player switch side of the table, In the final game(i.e. 5th
game), the players switch side again after either players reaches 5 points.