Leisure sports

Leisure sports. Badminton Badminton is a game played with rackets on a court divided by a net. It is distinguished from other racket sports, all of which use a ball of some size, by two intriguing features the use of a shuttlecock and the fact that the shuttlecock must not touch the ground during a rally.

The flight characteristics of the shuttlecock and the pace created by constant volleying combine to make badminton one of the most exciting sports to play and to watch. Badminton has a long and fascinating history. With roots in China over two thousand years ago, it was purely recreational until a competitive version was developed in India and England in the mid- and late-nineteenth century.

Since that time, the game has gained tremendous popularity in many countries. It is a major sport in most countries of northern Europe and Southeast Asia and is considered virtually the national sport in Indonesia and several other countries. Denmark, England, Sweden, and West Germany lead the European nations in their interest. The game spread in the 1870s to Canada and the United States, where national organizations similar to those of other countries were formed in the 1930s. The International Badminton Federation was formed in 1934 with nine member countries and grew to the more than 85 nations currently affiliated in the 1980s 4, p.1 . In 1878, two New Yorkers-Bayard Clarke and E. Langdon Wilks-returned from overseas trips to India and England, respectively, having been exposed to badminton on their travels.

With a friend, Oakley Rhinelander, they formed the Badminton Club of the City of New York, the oldest badminton club in the world in continuous existence. Badminton was primarily a society game for New York s upper crust until 1915, when intercity competitions with Boston s Badminton Club, formed in 1908, created a serious rivalry that continued through the 1920s. By 1930, the game was spreading across the country and had become a serious, demanding sport for women and men alike.

Clubs mushroomed on the Eastern seaboard, in the Midwest, and on the Pacific Coast. The Hollywood movie colony took to the game eagerly, under the encouragement of a touring professional, George Jess Willard, who played exhibitions in movie houses across the country to packed houses and thereby did much to bring the game to the American people.

Willard was followed on the national circuit by Ken Davidson, a Scotsman whose badminton comedy routines entertained millions in exhibitions in the 1930 s and 1940 s, and by Davidson s early partner, Hugh Forgie, a Canadian whose badminton-on-ice shows became world famous in the 1950 s and 1960 s. These three men combined great badminton talent with superb showmanship to spread the game in the United States and worldwide.

Through the leadership of some of Boston s leading players, the American Badminton Asssociation was formed in 1936, and the first national championships were held in 1937 in Chicago. One of the most famous names in world badminton appeared at the 1939 championships held in New York. An 18-year-old Pasadenan, David G. Freeman, upset the defending champion Walter Kramer in the men s singles final to begin a winning streak that would last his 10-year badminton career.

In 1949 he won the U.S. Championship, the All-England Championship, and all his matches in the first Thomas Cup competitions. He then retired to continue his career as neurosurgeon, and he is still considered perhaps the finest player the game has seen. Following World War II, the first national junior championships were held in 1947, and the development of badminton in schools and colleges led to the first national collegiate championships in 1970. The United States men s team made the Thomas Cup final rounds throughout the 1950s, and the women s team held the Ьber Cup from 1957 until 1966 but the rapid development of the game across the world soon left the United States behind.

Badminton continued to grow in the United States but at a much slower pace than during the pre-war years. Golf, tennis, and the major professional sports came to the fore, while the popular misconception of badminton as only a leisurely recreation proved difficult to overcome. With the addition of badminton to the Olympic Games as of 1992, it seems only a matter of time before the game will once again become a sport of great national popularity and recognition.

The governing body for badminton in the United States is the United States Badminton Association USBA . Through its regional and state associations and member clubs, the USBA administers competitive badminton play and promotes the development of badminton in this country. The Board of Directors of the USBA establishes national policies for badminton, and the USBA office is responsible for the day-to-day administration of national badminton activity.

The USBA was founded as the American Badminton Association in 1936, and the current name was adopted in 1978. The general purposes of the USBA are these 1. Promotion and development of badminton play and competition in the United States, without monetary gain. 2. Establishment and upholding of the Laws of Badminton, as adopted by the International Badminton Federation. 3. Arrangement and oversight of the various United States National and Open Championship tournaments. 4. Sanctioning of other tournaments at the local, state, and regional level. 5. Selection and management of players and teams representing the United States in international competitions, including the Olympic Games and the Pan American Games. 6. Representation of the United States and of the USBA s interests in activities and decisions of the International Badminton Federation and the United States Olympic Committee 4, p.87-89 . Badminton can be played indoors or outdoors, under artificial or natural lighting.

Because of the wind, however, all tournament play is indoors.

There may be one player on a side the singles game or two players on a side the doubles game. The shuttlecock does not bounce it is played in the air, making for an exceptionally fast game requiring quick reflexes and superb conditioning.

There is a wide variety of strokes in the game ranging from powerfully hit smashes over 150 mph! to very delicately played dropshots. Badminton is great fun because it is easy to learn-the racket is light and the shuttlecock can be hit back and forth rallies even when the players possess a minimum of skill. Within a week or two after the beginning of a class, rallies and scoring can take place. There are very few sports in which it is possible to get the feeling of having become an instant player. However, do not assume that perfection of strokes and tournament caliber of play is by any means less difficult in badminton than in other sports.

A typical rally in badminton singles consists of a serve and repeated high deep shots hit to the baseline clears, interspersed with dropshots. If and when a short clear or other type of set-up is forced, a smash wins the point. More often than not, an error shuttle hit out-of-bounds or into the net occurs rather than a positive playing finish to the rally.

A player with increasing skill should commit fewer errors and make more outright winning plays to gain points. A player who is patient and commits few or no outright errors often wins despite not being as naturally talented as the opponent, by simply waiting for the opponent to err. In doubles, there are fewer clears and more low serves, drives, and net play. All of these terms are described in the following text. Again, the smash often terminates the point.

As in singles, patience and the lack of unforced errors are most desirable. Team play and strategy in doubles are very important, and often two players who have perfected their doubles system rotating up and back on offense and defense and choice of shots can prevail over two superior stroke players lacking in sound doubles teamwork and strategy. As leisure time increases, badminton will no doubt play a more important role in the fitness and recreational programs so vital to the American citizen.

It can be played by men, women, and children of all ages with a minimum of expense and effort. The game itself is stimulating mentally and physically, and it combines the values of individual and team sports. The fact that it can be learned easily makes it enjoyable from the outset. Basic techniques are easy to learn, yet much practice and concentration are required to perfect the skills needed for becoming an excellent badminton player 4, p.1-2 . 2.2.2. Bowling Bowling was a very popular sport in New York City in the middle of the nineteenth century.

A newspaper said there were more than 400 alleys in the city in 1850. It then declined for a time. One reason may have been that the larger pins made it too easy. The prevalence of gambling was another factor. Bowling, like billiards, was considered semi-respectable, at best. When nine clubs from New York City and Brooklyn formed the National Bowling Association NBA in 1875, one of its purposes was to standardize rules.

Just as important, though, the clubs wanted to eliminate gambling among their members. The NBA didn t last long, but the rules its member clubs established are still the basic rules of bowling. A similar New York-based organization, the American Amateur Bowling Union, established in 1890, was also short-lived. Meanwhile, German immigrants helped to popularize the sport in the Midwest, especially in Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, St. Louis, and Milwaukee.

With inter-club and inter-league bowling on the increase, equipment and rules had to be standardized nationally. As a result, the American Bowling Congress ABC was founded as a genuine national federation of clubs at Beethoven Hall in New York City on September 9, 1895. In 1901, 41 teams from 17 cities in 9 states competed in the ABC s first National Bowling Championships in Chicago. There were also 155 singles and 78 doubles competitors. Under the leadership of the ABC, bowling quickly became both popular and respectable.

Gambling was virtually eliminated partly because of prize money offered not only by member leagues, but also in ABC-sanctioned regional and national competition. With the sport cleaned up, women were attracted to bowling in large numbers. The Women s National Bowling Association, founded in 1916, conducted its first national championship the following year. The association was renamed the Women s International Bowling Congress WIBC in 1971. Approximately 60 million people in the U. S. go bowling at least once a year. More important, about 7 million of them compete in league play sanctioned by the ABC and or WIBC. A steady stream of young bowlers has been a major reason for the sport s continuing popularity throughout this century.

Bowlers of high school age and younger originally came under the jurisdiction of the American Junior Bowling Congress, an ABC affiliate. That organization was replaced in 1982 by the autonomous Young American Bowling Alliance YABA , which sanctions league and tournament play of bowlers through college age. Although collegiate bowling is rarely mentioned in the media, many conferences offer team competition and championship tournaments.

National championships have been conducted since 1959 by the Association of College Unions ACU and since 1962 by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics NAIA . Bowling was an exhibition sport at the 1988 Olympic Games in South Korea 9, p.23-24 . 2.3. Sport for the disabled Disabled Sports USA was founded in 1967 by disabled Vietnam veterans.

It was then called the National Amputee Skiers Association. In 1972 the National Amputee Skiers Association NASA was broadening its mission. No longer solely serving skiers, NASA needed a new name. They chose to call themselves the National Inconvenienced Sportsmen s Association. In 1976, NISA became the National Handicapped Sports and Recreation Association. The NHSRA name stuck until 1992 when the organization was renamed to National Handicapped Sports.

In October 1994, after polling the organization s 80 chapters and affiliates, the National Board of Directors approved the most recent name change to Disabled Sports USA. According to Executive Director Kirk Bauer, Disabled Sports USA was selected for the following reasons 1. The word disabled brought the organization in line with current language used by the federal government. Disabled has become more universally accepted than handicapped. 2. Disabled Sports USA has become an organization of global importance.

Disabled Sports USA fields teams to compete in the World Championships for track and field, cycling, volleyball, and swimming. It is now necessary to use USA rather than National to reflect this change in scope. 3. Almost all of the US Olympic Committee-member National Governing Bodies for able-body sports have US or USA within their name such as USA Basketball, US Skiing, and USA Volleyball. Disabled Sports USA is a Disabled Sports Organization member of the U. S. Olympic Committee.

DS USA now offers nationwide sports rehabilitation programs to anyone with a permanent disability. Activities include winter skiing, water sports, summer and winter competitions, fitness and special sports events. Participants include those with visual impairments, amputations, spinal cord injury, dwarfism, multiple sclerosis, head injury, cerebral palsy, and other neuromuscular and orthopedic conditions.

Disabled Sports USA is a nation-wide network of community-based chapters offering a variety of recreation programs. Each chapter sets its own agenda and activities. These may include one or more of the following snow skiing water sports such as water skiing, sailing, kayaking, and rafting cycling climbing horseback riding golf and social activities. Rehabilitation professionals and even the Federal Government recognize the importance of sports and recreation in the successful rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities.

When first faced with the reality of a disability, many experience a loss of confidence, depression, and believe their lives have ended. They are often alienated from family and friends because there are no shared positive experiences. Sports and recreation offers the opportunity to achieve success in a very short time period to use this success to build self-confidence and focus on possibilities instead of dwelling on what can no longer be done. The ability to participate in a sport, such as cycling skiing and sailing, to name a few, provides the opportunity to reunite with family and friends in a shared activity. As an extension of the rehabilitation process, Disabled Sports USA offers competitive programs in summer and winter sports.

Competition improves sports skills. It allows individuals to experience the excitement of competition and the thrill of victory, as well as the agony of defeat. These experiences help prepare individuals after rehabilitation to face the adversity of a disability in their lives and to learn to bounce back in the face of challenge and change.

As a member of the United States Olympic Committee, DS USA sanctions and conducts competitions and training camps to prepare and select athletes to represent the United States at the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games. The Paralympic Games are the Olympic equivalent competitions for individuals with disabilities and are recognized by the International Olympic Committee.

For those who want to achieve their highest potential, opportunities are available for national and international competitions in alpine and Nordic skiing, track and field, volleyball, swimming, cycling, powerlifting, and other sports. The highest achieving athletes in each sport can qualify for the Paralympics 12, www.dsusa.org about . 2.4.