10 Sport

Imprezy sportowe, dyscypliny sporu

Ćwiczenie 1.

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Some Olympic facts

• The Olympic symbol consists of five circles or rings. These five circles stand for the five continents. The colours in the circle are green yellow, blue red and black.

• In 1900 Australian Donald Macintosh came third in the live pigeon shooting event, the first and only time animals were killed on purpose in an Olympic event. Donald won by killing 21 of the birds.

• The Olympic flame is a practice continued from the ancient Olympic Games. In Olympia (Greece), a flame was ignited by the sun and then kept burning until the closing of the Olympic Games. The flame first appeared in the modern Olympics at the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam. The flame itself represents a number of things, including purity and the endeavor for perfection. In 1936, the chairman of the organizing committee for the 1936 Olympic Games, Carl Diem, suggested what is now the modern Olympic Torch relay. The Olympic flame is lit at the ancient site of Olympia by women wearing ancient-style robes and using a curved mirror and the sun. The Olympic Torch is then passed from runner to runner from the ancient site of Olympia to the Olympic stadium in the hosting city. The flame is then kept alight until the Games have concluded. The Olympic Torch relay represents a continuation from the ancient Olympic Games to the modern Olympics.

• In 1932 the flagbearer for the Chinese team at the opening Olympic ceremony was sprinter Cheng Chun-liu who was the solitary participant from China.

• In order for a sport to be considered for inclusion in the Olympics it must be 'widely practiced by men in at least 75 countries and on four continents, and by women in at least 40 countries and on three continents'.

1. In what ways do the facts presented in the text - the Olympic symbol, the Olympic flame, the torch relay, the opening ceremony, etc. - reflect the so-called Olympic spirit?

2. Which one element of the opening ceremony represents the character of the Olympic Games in the best way?

3. Why do you think modern Olympic events do not include some of those from the ancient Games, for example chariot racing to commemorate the Olympic past?

4. In the Olympic Games, the number of games is increasing. Why are they being added? Think of any games that will never become part of the Olympics. Will darts ever be included? Why (not)?

The ancient Olympic events:

• boxing

• equestrian events: chariot racing and riding

• pankration: a combination of boxing and wrestling

• pentathlon: discus throw, javelin throw, long jump, running, wrestling

• running

• wrestling

Pytania do dyskusji

Some sports in the modern Olympic Games:

• synchronized swimming

• water polo

• fencing

• handball

• gymnastics

• modern pentathlon

• beach volleyball

• tag of war* (1900-1920)

*tug of war - a sport in which two teams pull at opposite ends of a rope (przeciąganie liny)

Paralympic Games

In 1948, Sir Ludwig Guttmann organized a sports competition involving World War II veterans with a spinal cord injury in Stoke Mandeville, England. Four years later, competitors from the Netherlands joined the games and an international movement was born. Olympic style games for athletes with a disability were organized for the first time in Rome in 1960, now called Paralympics. The name 'Paralympics' comes from the words 'Parallel' and 'Olympics'. In Toronto in 1976, other disability groups were added and the idea of merging together different disability groups for international sport competitions was born. In the same year, the first Paralympic Winter Games took place in Sweden.

Today, the Paralympics are elite sport events for athletes from six different disability groups. They emphasize, however, the participants' athletic achievements rather than their disability.

The Paralympic Games have always been held in the same year as the Olympic Games. Since the Seoul 1988 Paralympic Games and the Albertville 1992 Winter Paralympic Games they have also taken place at the same venues as the Olympics. On 19 June 2001, an agreement was signed between IOC (International Olympic Committee) and IPC (International Paralympic Committee) securing this practice for the future. From the 2012 bid process onwards, the host city chosen to host the Olympic Games will be obliged to also host the Paralympics.

The Special Olympics is an international organization dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competition. The Special Olympics offers children and adults with intellectual disabilities year-round training and competition in 26 Olympic-type summer and winter sports. There is no charge to participate in the Special Olympics.

Children and adults with intellectual disabilities who participate in the Special Olympics develop improved physical fitness and motor skills, greater self-confidence and a more positive self-image. They grow mentally, socially and spiritually and, through their activities, exhibit boundless courage and enthusiasm, enjoy the rewards of friendship and ultimately discover not only new abilities and talents but 'their voices' as well.

Dyscypliny sportu, sprzęt sportowy

Ćwiczenie 2.

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The most common view is that tennis was a crude courtyard ball game invented by 11th or 12th century French monks. The name tennis is said to come from the French word 'Tenez!'. It means 'take this', which the monks would yell as they served the ball with their hand. The game became popular as rich aristocrats learned the game from the monks. The nobles modified their courtyards into indoor courts and developed gloves and then bats to hit the ball, which were made of cork wrapped in string or cloth and later, leather. By 1500, a wooden frame racket laced with gut strings made from sheep's intestines was in common use - together with a cork ball weighing around three ounces.

In 1877 the All England Club Croquet decided to hold a tennis tournament in Wimbledon. They decided to use a rectangular court,

similar to that used in the game of croquet which was very popular at the time. The club was renamed the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club (still its official title) and effectively took over development of die game. By 1882 the committee had made many changes to the game: lowering the net, allowing overarm serving, reducing the size of the service box. The rules have remained virtually the same ever since - the only major change being the introduction ofthetiebreakruleinl971.

By the start of the 21st century tennis had become a multi-billion pound industry and one of the most widely played sports in the world. The professional tour has four major tournaments; the Australian Open which starts in January, the French Open which starts in May, Wimble­don which starts in June and the US Open which starts in August. The best players can also compete for their countries in the Davis Cup for men and Fed Cup for women.

Scoring - A legal goal is made when a live ball enters the basket from above and
remains in or passes through the net. The shooter must have at least one foot on the
floor outside the three-point field goal line prior to the attempt. j

Timing - All periods of regulation play in the NBA will be twelve minutes. All overtime periods of play will be five minutes. Fifteen minutes will be permitted between halves of all games. A team is permitted 30 seconds to replace a disqualified player.

Regular Timeout-100 Seconds - A player's request for a timeout shall be granted only when the ball is dead or in control of the team making the request. A request at any other time shall be ignored. A team is in control when one of its players has possession of the ball on the floor, in the air or following a successful field goal by the opposing team. A request at any other time is to be ignored. Timeouts are considered regular unless the player calls '20-second timeout'.

Football: some laws of the game

* infringement - an act of breaking a law or rule (pogwałcenie, naruszenie)

The Field of Play - The field of play must be rectangular. The length of the touch line must be greater than the length of the goal line.

Field Markings - The field of play is marked with lines. These lines belong to the areas of which they are boundaries. The two longer boundary lines are called touch lines. The two shorter lines are called goal lines. The field of play is divided into two halves by a halfway line.

Goals - Goals must be placed on the centre of each goal line. They consist of two upright posts equidistant from the corner flagposts and joined at the top by a horizontal crossbar.

Players - A match is played by two teams, each consisting of not more than eleven players, one of whom is the goalkeeper. A match may not start if either team consists of fewer than seven players.

Periods of Play - The match lasts two equal periods of 45 minutes, unless otherwise mutually agreed between the referee and the two participating teams. Any agreement to alter the periods of play (for example to reduce each half to 40 minutes because of insufficient light) must be made before the start of play and must comply with competition rules.

Half-Time Interval - Players are entitled to an interval at half-time. The half-time interval must not exceed 15 minutes.

Goal Scored - A goal is scored when the whole of the ball passes over the goal line, between the goalposts and under the crossbar, provided that no infringement* of the Laws of the Game has been committed previously by the team scoring the goal.

The Penalty Kick - A penalty kick is awarded against a team which commits one of the ten offences for which a direct free kick is awarded, inside its own penalty area and while the ball is in play. A goal may be scored directly from a penalty kick.

Pytania do dyskusji

1. What do you think determines whether or not a sport or a game is popular among spectators or amateur players? Consider tennis, football, basketball and any other sport.

2. What, in your opinion, decides about the character of football as a game or sport?

3. Football is a popular spectator sport because it is a team game and as such it is always unpredictable. Would you agree or disagree with this opinion? Why?

Sport wyczynowy

Ćwiczenie 3.

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Drugs in sport

• Canada's national bobsleigh champion Kendra Herbert has been banned for three months and stripped of the gold medal she won with Helen Upperton after testing positive for ephedrine. Herbert's positive result came during a random test at the national champion­ships in Calgary last November.

• The title of women's world 100 and 200 metres champion is turning out to be a poisoned chalice. After Kelli White was forced to give up her gold medals because of her admission that she had used banned performance-enhancing drugs, the woman' who inherited her 100m title faces a dope ban. It was revealed yesterday that Torri Edwards, runner-up to White in Paris last August, tested positive for nikethamide, a powerful stimulant that has been used for doping race horses, at a meeting in Martinique in April.

• On another dramatic day for American athletics Regina Jacobs, the world indoor¹ 1500 m champion who faced a hearing on Sunday over a positive drug test, announced her retirement from the sport. Jacobs, who was due to compete in the US Olympic trials that day, tested positive in last year's US Championships for tetrahydrogestrinone (THG), the steroid at the centre of the Balco doping scandal.

The war against doping will not be won until researchers devise tests that can detect not only the known banned substances but also physiological changes that may indicate that some newfangled way of cheating has been devised. (New York Times)

Every sport has its rules. Doping is foul play, nothing more or less. The head of the World Anti-Doping Agency Dick Pound has the right idea in his effort to impose common drug restrictions across all sports and all countries. It's not just a matter of fairness or of protecting the health of competitors. It's important to set the,right example. Shame on those who would condone* doping and criticise the effort to stop it now. (Chicago Tribune)

Pytania do dyskusji

I simply assume that in some athletic events, notably the explosive sprints, the majority of competitors are not running unaided. Why not make performance-enhancing drugs legal, and may the fastest junkie* win? (Scotsman)

There are really only two arguments made against doping. One is that it harms athletes - or that it harms them unneces­sarily. The other is that it is against the spirit of the sport. Neither is wholly convincing. Suppose that the only conse­quence of doping is enhanced perfor­mance. Would that really be against the spirit of sport? Athletes do all sorts of things to improve their performance, to give them an edge, including things with similar physiological effects to steroids: training at high altitude*, or spending long hours in an altitude chamber.

*junkie - a drug addict (ćpun)

*altitude - the height (of a place) above sea level (wysokość) *condone - accept or allow a morally wrong action to happen (tolerować, godzić się na coś)

1. Do you think that some disciplines are threatened with doping scandals more than others? Why (not)?

2. What are the reasons why so many sportspeople are involved with doping? Do they always have the choice of whether to fall victim to it or not? What dangers are the sportspeople and/or their coaches faced with?

3. Which of the opinions presented above would you agree (disagree) with? Why?

Sporty ekstremalne

Ćwiczenie 4.

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Extreme sports (also known as action sports) is a general term for a collection of newer sports involving adrenaline-inducing action. They often feature a combination of speed, height, danger and spectacular stunts. Levels of danger vary widely, but there is always an element an 'extreme' factor that causes an adrenaline rush which keeps participants loyal to their sport. Some participants termed 'adrenaline junkies' develop an obsession with their sport. The term gained popularity with the advent of the X Games, a made-for-television collection of such events. Examples of extreme sports include bungee jumping, free diving, mountain biking, paragliding, skateboarding, snowboarding, whitewater kayaking. Some others are defined below.

BASE jumping is the sport of using a parachute to jump from fixed objects. 'BASE' is an acronym that stands for the four categories of objects from which one can jump: Building, Antenna (an uninhabited tower such as an aerial mast), Span (a bridge, arch or dome), and Earth (a cliff or other natural formation). BASE jumping is much more dangerous than regular skydiving and is currently a fringe extreme sport.

Bouldering is climbing without a rope on large boulders.

Free running is an extreme urban sport, consisting of running and jumping through cities over rooftops, walls, and using other unconventional routes.

Skysurfing is a kind of skydiving in which the skydiver wears a board attached to their feet and performs surfing-style aerobatics during freefall. The boards used are generally smaller than actual surfboards, and look more like snowboards or large skateboards. The attachment to the feet is normally made removable, so that if the skydiver loses control or has difficulty opening their parachute, the board can be jettisoned.

Pytania do dyskusji

1. Extreme sports have become quite popular in recent decades. There is even a tele­vision channel devoted entirely to them. Why do you think people engage in dangerous sports like supercross, snow-mobiling, jet-ski racing, mountain-biking, windsurfing and others?

2. Why are some enthusiasts of extreme sports called 'adrenaline junkies'?

Sprzęt sportowy, sport wyczynowy

Ćwiczenie 5.

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Research shows that nearly 30 percent of kids participate in organized sports, and still more children participate in recreational activities such as bicycling and in-line skating. Children and teens are considered resilient in battling illness and injury. Why are they more susceptible to sports injuries than adults?

• Children are still growing and gaining motor and cognitive skills.

• They are inexperienced and unable to assess the risks involved in sports and recreation.

• Growing children have less coordination, slower reaction times and less accuracy than adults.

That is why it is important to encourage children to:

• Be in proper physical condition before they play a sport

(a pre-participation physical, especially for older children, is important to screen for undiagnosed heart ailments and other limitations).

• Know and follow the rules of the sport.

• Wear appropriate protective gear - such as shin guards for soccer,

a hard-shell helmet in baseball, a helmet and body padding for ice hockey, and properly fitting shoes, whatever the sport.

• Always warm up before playing.

• Avoid playing when tired or in pain.

Hydration and diet are also important injury prevention tools. Children and teens will usually grab sweet drinks or sodas or the hottest new sports drink. Energy boosting juices and sodas may give them that extra kick short-term, but do they really provide the nutrition your children need? Teaching children the benefits of water over sugary sports drinks and juices is vital. Kids need to drink eight ounces of fluid every 20 minutes, plus more after playing, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease (NIAMS). Water should be the first choice (juices and sports drinks follow).

*dumbbells - two weights connected with a bar in the middle, used for physical exercise (hantle)

*bridles with reins - a set of narrow leather bands used for controlling a horse (uzda, lejce)

We provide anything for anyone ...

For basketball enthusiasts: basketball goals, with nets and rings attached if

requested.

For football players: corner posts and flags, football goals with nets or without,

football boots, goalkeeper gloves.

In health and fitness department: digital scales, blood pressure monitors,

electronic body fat counters, hand grips, dumbbells" and hand weights,

skipping ropes, aerobic stretch mats and a large selection of other equipment.

Horse riding for you and your horse: riding gloves and hats, riding whips,

bridles with reins*, stainless steel stirrups, body brushes.

For rock climbing purposes: ropes, ice axes, headlamps, helmets, emergency

shelters (for 2 to 12 persons).

... and that's just for starters.

Pytania do dyskusji

1. How can proper sports equipment prevent injuries?

2. Give reasons for the particular ways of preventing injuries presented in Sports and Safety. What may be the unwelcome consequences of not observing these guide­lines?

3. What precautions should be taken by people who engage in dangerous or extreme sports? Consider proper training, protective gear and any other measures you can think of.

Dodatkowe zagadnienia do dyskusji

1. Why are such sports as, for example, football, tennis or ski-jumping, so popular? Would you agree or not that it is rather because people doing them are professionals who have achieved celebrity status in the media? Justify your opinion.

2. Why do you think certain sports have become well-known and are played inter­nationally, e.g. football, tennis, golf? Give examples of sports which are known and played locally, for example only in certain parts of the world or only in some countries. How could they become widely popular, if at all?

3. Give examples of competitive and non-competitive sports. What personality traits do you think people who engage in them possess? To what extent does the sport a person chooses to play or do depend on his or her personality? Justify your opinion.

4. Some sports are more expensive to play (or do) than others. Give examples of those which require considerable financial means and those which do not. In what ways are some of these sports a reflection of snobbery on the one hand and genuine sporting pleasure on the other?

5. What are the general rules of fair play in sport? Are they difficult to observe or not? Why? Give reasons why fair play is more desirable than foul play.

6. No one seems to deny that doing sports helps us to keep fit and healthy. Does doing sports depend only on people themselves? How can the authorities encourage people to be more active? What could be the role of educational institutions like primary and secondary schools?

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