NATURE OF

SPORTS
ACTIVITIES
KEZIAH MAE D. TAYANES
SPORTS
an activity that requires physical actions and skills where
individuals or teams compete under a set of rules.
Sport is classified into individual sports, dual sports and team
sports.
◦ Individual sports foster a higher amount of discipline, self-confidence,
focus and passion.
◦ While team sports considered many variables in determining the success
or failure of the team, it would still depend on the performance and
collective effort of the players in the team.
LESSON 1: NATURE OF
SOME INDIVIDUAL
SPORTS
A. Brief History of Gymnastics
◦ Gymnastics activities were mainly calisthenics and exercises to prepare
for war in the early as 2000 B.C. One of the types of the earliest
gymnastics activities was bull-leaping wherein a contestant ran toward
a charging bull and grabbed his horns and tried to get tossed in the air by
the bull and perform acrobatic stunts before landing on the bull’s back
and dismount from the bull with a flips. Friedrich Jahn (1778-1852)
known as the ‘Father of German Gymnastics” was credited with his
work for developing heavy apparatus. Today, gymnastics were used as a
conditioning training to improved physical fitness needed for efficient
athletic performance.
 B. Meaning of Gymnastics
◦ It is a sport which requires considerable level of physical strength,
flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance to perform gymnastics
skills. This sport is a self-motivating activity which requires focus and
discipline so that one can manipulate the different parts of their body into
different movement skills both static and dynamic stunts and tumbling.
◦ In gymnastics, some events require athletes to perform routines using
heavy equipment, such as a balance beam or parallel bars and light
apparatus such as ribbon and ball. Other events involve tumbling,
leaping, or balancing on the floor without equipment.
C. Some Benefits of Gymnastics
To enhance and maintain a physically fit body and
improve gracefulness and efficiency of movements
through poise, form, and rhythm.
To develop and improve creativity through the exploration
of new movements and movements combinations
To practice self-discipline and enhance courage, initiative,
and perseverance
D. GYMNASTICS EVENTS
GYMNASTICS EVENTS
WOMEN’S EVENTS MEN’S EVENTS
◦ Balance beam ◦ Vault
◦ Pommel horse
◦ Uneven bars ◦ Rings
◦ Vault ◦ Parallel bars
◦ Floor exercise ◦ Horizontal bar
◦ Floor exercises
WOMEN’S
EVENTS:
BALANCE BEAM
◦The balance beam, or beam, is an
event in women’s gymnastics
where a gymnast performs artistic
tumbling feats on a narrow
horizontal beam. The wooden
beam is only four inches in width,
sixteen feet and five inches in
length, and stands four feet above
the ground.
WOMEN’S EVENTS:
ENEVEN BARS
The Uneven Bars, or “Bars” is one of the four
women’s Olympic Gymnastics events. In
general, bar routines are composed of
elements on both the high and low bars, along
with release moves to move from bar to bar.
However, lower gymnastics levels will only
do skills on the lower bar. Bars requires
extreme upper-body strength and
coordination. Good bar routines will flow
from one movement to the next without
pauses or extra swings.
WOMEN’S EVENTS: VAULTS
The Vault is one of the 4 Olympic gymnastics
events–along with Bars, Beam and Floor. Vault
is an event that requires speed and strength.

The apparatus itself was first called a “horse”

or a “vaulting horse”. The apparatus has
changed over the years and is now a table shape,
called the “vault table”. The vault table is about
3.9 feet long and about 3.1 feet wide. The height
is adjustable. To perform a vault, gymnasts run
down the runway, jump onto a springboard, put
their hands on the vault and then land on the
other side of the vault table. Depending on
what element the gymnast performs depends on
how she gets from one side of the vault table to
the other.
WOMEN’S EVENTS:
FLOOR EXERCISE
◦In gymnastics, the floor is a
specially prepared exercise
surface, which is considered an
apparatus. It is used by both male
and female gymnasts. The
gymnastics event performed on
the floor is called floor exercise.
 MEN’S EVENTS: POMMEL
HORSE
◦The pommel horse event is part of the men’s
competition in the modern Olympic Games. The
gymnast supports himself with his hands by
holding the pommels over the horse and performs
movements with his trunk and legs, such as single
or double leg circles and crosses of the legs
(scissors), without stops. These are combined with
turns and changes of the hands’ grasp to the
forward part of the horse (neck), the centre
(saddle), and the rear (croup). It is necessary to
vary the movements and also to perform them both
to the left (clockwise) and to the right.
 MEN’S EVENTS: RINGS

◦Rings, gymnastics apparatus

consisting of two small circles that
are suspended by straps from an
overhead support and grasped by the
gymnast while performing various
exercises.
 MEN’S EVENTS: PARALLEL
BAR

◦The horizontal bar is a men’s

gymnastics apparatus. The
horizontal bar, or high bar,
refers to an event where a
gymnast executes his skills on
a single bars
◦ Women gymnastic events
include Rhythmic
gymnastics which requires
the gymnast to used light
apparatus while
performing her elegant
routine with the music.
◦ HOOP, RIBBONS,
ROPES, BALLS
LESSON 1.2 NATURE OF
THE SPORT
(SWIMMING)
 A. HISTORY OF SWIMMING
◦ In the southwestern part of Egypt there was a cave of swimmers near Wadi Sora
as stated in the Stone Age. The world literature found evidences of the existence
of swimming through the written references date from 200B,C. including
Gilgamesh, the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Bible, the Beowulf, and other Sagas.
Nicolas Wynman in 1538, German professor wrote the first swimming book.In
1800, swimming competition started in Europe mostly using breaststroke. John
Arthur Trugen, introduce Front Crawl in 1873 called trugen stroke copying it from
the Native American. In 1896 Swimming was part of the first modern Olympic in
Athens.
◦ Swimming has been considered as survival skills and people created new
challenges and thrills such as scuba diving, synchronized swimming, and
acrobatic diving and swimming competition. It is also part of the number one
recreational past time.
B. Seven Fundamental Principles in Swimming
1. The secret of the effortless swimming lies in the relaxation of the muscles not
necessary to the performance of the skill at any given moment.
2. The breathing rhythm of swimming differs from the rhythm of normal breathing.
3. The position of glide is one of rest.
4. Recovery of the arms and legs should be performed slowly and in a relaxed
manner.
5. Each countermotion, against the forward movement, should be so performed that
a minimum of resistance results.
6. There should be a minimum of over water recovery
7. The body, in smooth water and when ease rather than speed is the desire
C. Benefits of Swimming
◦ Swimming is widely recognized by health and fitness professionals as a
nearly perfect activity to improve aerobics fitness, flexibility, body
strength, muscle tone, and coordination. And it is also one of the best
rehabilitations for minor Wear and tear on the muscles since your body
is suspended in the water that results to less impact when doing physical
exercises.
◦ 1. Cardiovascular Conditioning Any exercise that raises your heart rate
higher than 120 beats per minute for longer than 20 minutes improves the
condition of the cardiovascular system. When you swim, your pulse rate
increases even more than 120bpm especially if you swim fast.
2. Muscular Strength Swimming is excellent for improving strength and
tone in several muscles, especially torso, shoulder, and arm muscles.
3. Muscular System Aerobic Conditioning Swimming properly
involves a greater percentage of your body’s muscle mass in
aerobic exercise than any other popular activity. Aerobic
conditioning of any specific muscle occurs only when the exercise
you are doing causes that muscle to contract repeatedly and
consistently throughout your work out like swimming.
4. Flexibility Because of the large ranges of motion swimmers used
during the propelling movements, evidently an individual who swim
regularly becomes more flexible and supple.
5. Body Composition Since swimming is an aerobic conditioning,
regular practice makes the body leaner and tone since the energy
system involve the burning of fats and calories converting it into
energy.
D. Mechanics of Execution of the Four
Competitive Swimming Strokes
SWIMMING STROKE BODY ARM ACTION LEG ACTION
POSITION

FREESTYLE PRONE Alternating High Flutter kick

elbow Recovery
BREASTSTRO PRONE Bilateral Chest-level Frog Kick
KE under water recovery
BACKSTROK SUPINE Alternating Straight Inverted Flutter
E elbow recovery Kick
BUTTERFLY PRONE Bilateral straight elbow Dolphin Kick
recovery
NATURE OF SOME
DUAL SPORTS
LESSON 2.1 NATURE OF
THE SPORT (TABLE
TENNIS)
 A. HISTORY
◦ The origin of Table Tennis is believed to have originated in the early 1880s as a
miniature version of tennis in England. In the past few years, Hollow, banjolike
rackets, rectangular millboard rackets, and rubber and cork balls were used as
equipment in playing the game. James Gibbs, an Englishman introduced the
lively celluloid ball in 1890 permitting increased control of it by the player. E. C.
Goode of London introduced the rubber-faced racket in 1902 permitting an
increased variety of strokes and spins. In 1926, the first world tournament held in
London was sponsored by International Table Tennis Federation wherein rules
and regulations was standardized and followed. This federation was form in 1926
in Berlin. With the encouragement of the Parker Brothers Salem of
Massachusetts which is the only manufacture of official ping pong equipment, the
American Ping Pong Association was formed in 1930. For a couple of year, other
manufactures of official ping pong equipment sponsored the formation of the
United States Table Tennis Association which was adopted in 1934 when the two
associations merged.
B. GENERAL DISCRIPTION OF THE
GAME
◦ Two (singles) of four (doubles) players can play table tennis. The
player who initiates the play is called the server and the player
who receives the serve is called the receiver or striker-out. To
begin play, the server so strikes the ball with his racket that it
lands first on his side of the net. The receiver, in turn, strikes the
ball with his racket after the ball has bounced once on his side of
the table. The two players endeavor to keep the ball in play until
one or the other fails to make a valid return to a ball that cross
over the net and land on the opponent’s side. The opponent
scores a point when a player fails to make a legal (good return or
service).
 C. ETIQUETTE
◦ The following rules of etiquette are generally followed among table tennis
players.
 The server should see to it that the opponent is ready to receive.
Unsportsmanlike conduct to upset your opponent shall not be done.
Let your opponent know if he/she is not aware of infraction of the rules that you
have commit.
If there are interferes from another tables, play the point over and in retrieving a
stray ball from another table, you need to wait until the players completed a point.
Abusive language or other unsportsmanlike conduct should be avoided
Be generous to say “sorry” if a point is won by a lucky shot.
 Do not make a loud noise or moving around during actual play that may distract
the players from another table.
 NATURE OF THE
SPORT (BADMINTON)
A. HISTORY
◦ In the late 1800s, Badminton was very popular in
England wherein palyers wore tuxedos and gowns
to play. The game spread to Canada and then
United States in 1925. It was included as official
sport in Olympic Games with full-medal Olympic in
1992. Today, there are over 45 countries accredited
in the International Badminton Federation.
What is Badminton
◦ Badminton is a racket sport played in an indoor in the
rectangular court that is divided by a net which will be
played by two (singles) or four (Doubles) players. The
players attempt to score a point by striking a
shuttlecock with their racket so that it passes over the
net and lands in their opponents’ half of the court or
when the opponents make an error and cannot play
back the shuttlecock back across the net.
RULES OF PLAY
◦ To determine who get the serve or side, players spin a racket or toss a coin.
◦ A match is best of three. In one game match is over when it reaches to 21 points while
doubles is up to 15 points.
◦ The serve should be on his/her court and a point is won only by the serving team and
shall announce his/her score first prior to serving
◦ In serving, the shuttle must be hit underhand into the serving court and passes
diagonally to the opponent’s court.
◦ Shuttle must land in the short, wide court in doubles event and the first serve is always
started in the right court whenever a team acquires the serve from its opponents and the
entire court will be used after the serve has been return.
◦ The rally is good even the shuttle may hit the net and land in the proper court.
◦ Service court should be alternate each time a point is made until the service s lost.
◦ All returns are must be made before the shuttle hits the ground.
◦ Changes of sides shall be done in each game and the winner of the previous game