Hledejte v chronologicky řazené databázi studijních materiálů (starší / novější příspěvky).

DRUGS IN SPORTS

Many kinds of drugs are used in sports all over the world. Some are used to build muscles or give extra energy. Others kill the pain of injuries or calm nerves, but many are illegal.
• Anabolic steroids - are used to build up muscles, they resemble male hormones. Bodybuilders use anabolic steroids to look good in competitions. These drugs can cause health problems: liver cancer in men and infertility in women. You can become very aggressive.
• Stimulants - make you feel full of energy and confidence, and you have the bigger stamina. Its amphetamines and cocaine, they are used by cyclists and basketball and football players. Problems: they dont create energy - they take it from your body. Users feel exhausted and washed-out. There is a danger of having a heart attack (collapse).
• Beta-blockers - are drugs, which are normally prescribed by doctors for people with high blood pressure or heart problems. They help calm you down and relieve stress. Users: snooker players and archers - who need steady hands and cool nerves. Problems: with heart and blood pressure.

Individual games

Swimming
- does not require much at all, just a swimming pool (or a lake or the sea) and a swimming suit
- the best sport for the developing muscles on the whole of the body
- there are many different strokes you can use in swimming, depending on your skill and stamina: breaststroke, crawl, backstroke, etc
- if you like extreme sports, you can always take a jump off the high dive
- other water sports are snorkelling, canoeing, rowing, sailing, padding, motorboat ride, rafting, yachting, surfing, and water polo
Cycling
- an excellent way of keeping fit
- road bikes - used for riding on paved surfaces
- they are very light with thin tires, and have many gears
- the lower gears are for riding up hills, while the higher gears are for going downhill and along flat areas
- can be seen in races like the Tour de France.
mountain bikes - are versatility
- their fat tires and strong frames make them ideal for travelling down mountains
bicycle Motocross - used on ramps and other obstacles
- they are small and light with strong frames and only one gear, so they are very easy to take care of
- but though they are small, the price for these bikes is very large
Tennis
- an extremely popular sport which is simple to learn but difficult to master
- it can be played outdoors on sunny days, or if the weather isn't good on indoor courts as well
- to play it, you should have a good pair of shoes and a racket.
On-line skating
- the first skates that had the wheels in a line actually appeared in the 18th century
- for years the most popular roller skates were those with two wheels in front and two in back
- it is quite fun and great exercise and it can be done outside in the park
- also, it is good to buy pads and a helmet

Winter sports

Skiing
- you need is a pair of skis, skiing boots, bindings to attach your boots to the skis, ski sticks and warm clothing
1. downhill skiing - if you like to go down the slope at lightning speed
2. cross-country skiing - if you prefer to move round flat countryside
3. slalom
4. ski jump
Snowboarding
- people attach a board to their feet and slide down the slope
Ice skating
- it is travelling on ice with skates
- it can be practised on frozen ponds and lakes, and also at skating rinks with artificial cooling
- figure skating - individuals, couples or groups perform various spins and jumps on the ice, usually to music
Ice hockey
Boblesledding
Sledding




hiking paths
play-ground
tennis-court
golf court
summer stadium
ice-ring
swimming pool
gym
bowling
ski slope
running track
cycling trace

The Olympic Games

The Olympic Games

- every four years athletes from around the world come together to compete in the Olympic Games, called the Olympus, in short
- the first Olympics were held in 776 BC and then every four years – the venue was the Greek town Olympia; the event was to let the best sportsmen – the ideal was the type of person who was perfect in all aspects; however, women were banned from the Games
- athletes competed in races, boxing and wrestling matches, gymnastics and weightlifting; they also threw spears and discuses, and jumped for distance
- winners were crowned with wreaths of olive or palm leaves
- in 1896 the first modern Olympics were held in Athens in Greece - the games were a huge success, and it was up to that time the biggest sporting events ever held; only nine countries participated and all the athletes were male.
- the first Winter Olympics were held in France in 1924; the events included speed-skating, figure-skating, ice hockey, curling, bobsledding, cross-country skiing, ski jump and Northern combinations
- the first women were allowed to compete in the 1928 games in Amsterdam
- nowadays, the games are usually watched on television by nearly four billion people
- there are 28 sports represented in the 2008 Olympics - participants will compete in:


• swimming
• diving
• cycling
• boxing
• canoeing
• baseball
• basketball
• football
• gymnastics
• judo
• tennis
• shooting
• weightlifting...


- The Olympics symbols are Olympic flag and the Olympic fire. Olympics flag is white with five circles (yellow, red, green, blue and black) - the circles representing five continents of the competing nations
- today the Olympic games are held biannually (Summer and Winter Olympic Games and in different cities around the world

America sports

America sports

Sports play an important part in the lives of Americans. Some sports are popular all over America, while other sports, such as lacrosse or ice-hockey, are popular in certain regions. However, the big three sports still are American football, baseball, and basketball.

American football (soccer)
- two teams, wearing helmets and pads, throw and run with an oddly-shaped ball (similar to a rugby ball)
- they block with their bodies and try to help other players on their team gain more ground
- if they cross a goal line at the end of the field, they score a touchdown
- it is a very strategic game, and also very rough; many players become injured each year

Baseball
- it is similar to the English game of cricket
- it is the most popular sport in the US
- nine players on each team take turns, trying to hit a leather ball with a wooden bat
- after the ball is hit, the player runs, stepping on bases, before he returns to where he was when he hit the ball, and scores a run (point) for his team
- if the other team touches him with the ball, he is "out" and must leave the field (until his next turn)
- it is played on a special field called diamond and uses a bat and ball, as well as gloves

Basketball
- the idea is to put a ball through a hoop
- the game is played on a basketball court
- teams usually consist of five players each
- hand coordination is essential and the ability to dribble (bounce) the ball while running at the same time

Horseshoes
- very popular in the south
- the object of the game is to throw a curved piece of metal at an iron stick planted in the ground
- the rules are very similar to petanque

Ice hockey
- though it was invented in Canada, this game is now very popular around the world (including in the Czech Republic)
- the game is played on an ice rink by two teams of six players each
- players wear ice skates and use long sticks to try to hit a small rubber puck into their opponent’s net
- it requires good eye, hand coordination and the ability to skate well - it is one of the world's fastest sports
- it can be played both indoors or outdoors, on artificial or natural ice
- the game also requires a lot of equipment, like pads, helmet, skates, and a stick
- the world’s most well known trophy it the Stanley Cup – the names of the wining team are engraved onto the trophy

Lacrosse
- the national sport, the most popular summer sport
- it is a field game where each player carries a long-handled racket, called a "crosse" (a stick with a net on the end)
- a team sport played by ten men or twelve women
- though the game originated with Native Americans, it is known by its French name


New Zealand
Ball-oriented sports are very popular here

Netball
- was traditionally a women's game
- it's similar to basketball but the rules are stricter and not as much movement is allowed
- the New Zealand team is the best in the world at the moment

Golf
- this sport was invented in Scotland, but it is extremely popular in New Zealand

Rugby
Cricket


Canada
All Canadians play and love hockey
Curling
- this game is in the Winter Olympics
- the object is to push large stones along the ice and get them as close to the target as you can
- you can also knock away your opponent’s stones
- brooms are used in this sport to help control the direction of the stone
- there are usually four players on a team
- Lacrosse
- Ice hockey


Australia
Because of the climate, water sports are popular in Australia - sailing and surfing in coastal areas and water-skiing on rivers and lakes. Summer is the time for tennis, cricket and golf. In winter cricket is played.

Surfing
- this is an individual water sport
- the participant stands on a fiberglass board and tries to ride it on waves without falling off
- it is a very difficult and dangerous sport

Scuba diving
- it is usually done for recreation rather than competition
- you should use tanks of compressed air to breathe from, swim fins and wet suits

Rugby
Golf
Cricket


Článek podporuje:
inline hokej, nordic skating, helmy levně

Athletics

- is a sport you can practise all the year round but the most important championships usually take place in summer
- it is made up of many different disciplines:
Running:
- there are two main types of runners in athletics - sprinters and distance runners.
1. sprinting - run short distances as fast as they can
- the shortest spring in outdoor athletics is 10 meters
- to be a good sprinter you need to be muscular to produce the burst of speed, and lean
2. distance running - you should be slim and have great stamina
- important is endurance - the ability to keep a steady pace over a long distance
- the longest race in athletics is marathon – participants must run a road race 42,195 km long
3. relay races - each member of the four-person team must run either 100 or 400 meters
- when the runners finishes, he must hand a baton to his teammate who then continues
4. hurdles - is another sprint, but the big differences is athletes must jump over hurdles
Jumping:
1. high jump - ideal for people who are tall and slim and with long, powerful legs
- it is very important to accelerate quickly, so short distance speed is essential
- try to make the highest jump over a bar
2. pole vault – athletes use a long pole to vault over a bar
- you should have very strong arms, be slim, and it also helps if you are a little bit crazy
3. long jump - for this discipline you need very strong legs
4. triple jump
Throwing:
- you can throw the discus, javelin, shot put (a metal ball), or hammer
- you must be muscular, have wide shoulders, be heavy (but not fat), and have strong legs
- strong arms, shoulders, and legs are needed to put power into the throw, and weight is used to add momentum
Decathlon:
- it consists of ten events - 100 me, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400m, 110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, and 1500m
- Roman Šebrle

SPORTS AND GAMES

Sports are one of the most popular leisure time activities. It has positive effect on the body and soul as well as our self-confidence. Sport help you stay healthy, relax, develop and train your muscles, keep fit, and increase your immunity.
People do sports in a passive or active way or at the top level.
Doing sport passively means watching favourite sports on TV or during contests and matches
Doing sport actively means regular exercising, jogging, going to the fitness-centres etc. Sports centres are popular too, and they usually include solariums, saunas, workout gyms and swimming pools
Those who do sports at the top level are professionals. They are paid for training and performance. They do their best to get the best possible results and be invited to international contests and competitions. The greatest success lies in going to the Olympic Games and winning a medal.
Usually all sports are further differentiated into two groups according to where they can be practised. Indoor sports include for example all combat sports, gymnastic, table tennis etc. On the other hand, among outdoor sports are skiing, cycling, jogging, golf, horse riding and some aquatic sports. But most sports and almost all games can be done both indoors and outdoors.
Also, we can do collective sports as a football or volleyball or individuals sports like a tennis or golf.
Every sport is different and requires different personal qualities. You need to be competitive to play games like football, co-operative to do team sports, accurate to do archery, daring and brave to do bungee jumping, careful to do skiing, supple for gymnastics, fat for sumo wrestling, patient for fishing, determined for running, graceful for dancing and agile for fencing.

Great Britain -sports

The British are great lovers of completive sports. England was also the first home of many popular modern games. Among these football is the most wide spread.

Football
- one of the most popular spectator sports today
- in this collective game two teams of 11 members play with a ball on a grass playing field
- stamina is a must for this game
- the purpose is to kick the ball into the opposite goal
- teams: Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal
- stars such as David Beckham and Michael Owen play for England

Taekwondo
- is increasingly popular
- together with judo is an Olympic sport
- competitors blend grace and agility with explosive power
- they wear protective helmets and body padding
- the contest lasts for three rounds, each of which lasts three minutes
- judges decide the winner according to the number of technically correct kicks or blows to the head and body

Rowing
- they contest in boats designed for two, four or eight people
- rowers can reach speeds of up to 36km/h
- each year in March, Cambridge and Oxford university’s compete on the River Thames

Cricket
- it is the second most popular team sport in England
- every year there is a big contest between England and Australia.
- two teams of eighteen players kick or punch the oval-shaped ball to each other, but they may not throw it
- when a player is running with the ball it has to touch the ground every fifteen meters or it will be given to the other team
- the idea behind this game is to hit the ball with a bat and score runs

Darts
- this is a pub game in most countries around the world, but in the UK they take it quite seriously
- the idea is to throw a small, sharp piece at a target
- each section of the target is worth a different amount of points, and the points depend on what rules are used for that particular game

Snooker
- this game is played on a table measuring six feet by twelve feet
- at the beginning of the game there are 15 red balls on the table, and one each of yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black
- a stick is used to hit a white ball which should, if your aim is good, hit one of the balls of your choice
- points are scored by hitting the correct balls and also when your opponent fouls
Horse-racing
- it is essentially for the rich
- a popular pastime is betting on the results of horse races

Golf
- it is of Scottish origin
- the game is simple: put a small white ball into a small hole in the ground
- you must hit the ball with a special stick, called a club
- the game is played on a field called a course, and usually has 18 holes

Rugby
- involves all the aspects of ball play - catching, running and kicking
- the most popular team sport in New Zealand
- there are 15 players on each team, and the game is played with an oval ball
- the aim of the game is to try to get the rugby ball across to the other side of the field, between the goalposts - players can carry the ball, kick the ball, or throw it
- you have to be strong physically for this game - there are lots of knocks and spills
- the only thing they cannot do is throw the ball forwards (throwing is legal only if the ball goes backwards or laterally)
- the game is played in two 40-minute halves

Ireland sports

Gaelic football
- this is the most popular sport in Ireland
- it is played on a grass pitch by two teams of 15 players each
- the idea is to score more goals than the other team by the ball which is similar to a volleyball
- the game is played in two 30 or 35-minute halves

Hurling
- a game similar to hockey
- played with a small ball and a curved wooden stick
- it is Europe's oldest field game
- was brought to Ireland by the Celts