Sports are an important part of USA culture. Some of the famous sports in world from USA are Baseball, Soccer, Basketball, Ice Hockey, motor Sports and Tennis. USA has a rich history in Olympics games with its huge participation. Thomas Burke was the first athlete to represent the United States at the Olympics. Michael Phelps is the most-decorated Olympic athlete of any nation, with 22 Olympic medals.
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Popular Team Sports in America
The popular team sports in America are:
Baseball
USA Baseball organizes the United States national baseball team and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). It was founded in 1978, and is the governing body for amateur baseball in the United States of America. USA Baseball is also responsible for promoting and developing the game of baseball on the grassroots level, both nationally and internationally.
Professional Teams (including the World Baseball Classic Team)USA Baseball has been choosing teams of professional-level Minor and Major League players since 1999 to symbolize the United States in various international competitions, including the World Baseball Classic.
The 2000 U.S. Olympic Baseball team was managed by Tommy LasordaIn 2008, a Davey Johnson-led U.S. team featuring Dexter Fowler, Matt LaPorta and Stephen Strasburg won the bronze medal from the Beijing Games. In 2009 of WBC, players like Jimmy Rollins, Dustin Pedroia, and Jeter donning the red, white and blue, the U.S. team finished fourth, losing to Japan in the semifinals. In 2013, World Baseball Classic Team was managed by Joe Torre and led by the likes of Joe Mauer , David Wright, and Rollins.
Collegiate National TeamThe USA Baseball Collegiate National Team (CNT) consists of the top baseball players from the colleges in the country.
18U National TeamIt consists of the nation's top players ages 16 to 18.
15U National TeamIUSA Baseball formed it’s first-ever 15U National Team in 2012. The club consists of some of the most talented young players across the county.
Women's National TeamEstablished in 2004, the USA Baseball Women's National Team (WNT) is an 18-player team. The team won its first gold medal in the first-ever IBAF Women's Baseball World Cup in Edmonton, Canada. In 2006, team USA won Bronze at IBAF World Cup gold medalists in 2006 in Taiwan, before taking home the bronze medal at the 2008 World Cup in Japan and again in 2010 in Venezuela. In 2012, the WNT won a silver medal at the World Cup in Edmonton, Canada.
Some notable American baseball player include: Babe Ruth, Cy Young, Ty Cobb, Honus WagnerLou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, , Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Sandy Koufax, Hank Aaron, Yogi Berra, Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, Cal Ripken, Derek Jeter and Jackie Robinson,
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Basketball
The United States joined the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) as a member in 1934 and it was the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) that FIBA first recognized as the organization that was responsible for USA teams in international competitions.
Until 1974 when the Amateur Basketball Association of the United States of America (ABAUSA) which later became USA Basketball was formed, various basketball organizations within the U.S. wrestled for control and recognition from FIBA and the U.S. Olympic Committee.
U.S. Men's Olympic Team Selection ProcessThrough the years, the group responsible for the selection of the U.S. Olympic basketball teams has changed, as has the process for selecting the teams.Although the AAU established a Basketball Committee, beginning with the 1936 Olympics, the first Olympic Games to feature men's basketball as an official medal sport, the selection of the USA Olympic teams and coaching staffs was handled by the U.S. Olympic Basketball Games Committee (originally known as the American Olympic Committee Basketball Committee).
U.S. Women's Olympic Team Selection ProcessWomen's basketball became a medal sport at the 1976 Olympics and the Olympic Women's Basketball Committee, chaired by Mildred Barnes, was responsible for selecting team members. Following five regional tryout camps, which were held in April, 34 players were invited to the Olympic Trials which were held in May at Central Missouri State University.
Some popular American basketball players are: Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell , Bob Pettit , Bob Cousy , Walt Frazier, Jerry West, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird , Michael Jordan, John Stockton , Karl Malone and Chris Paul.
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Soccer
In the recent years, Soccer has been increasing in popularity in the United States. Soccer is the third most played sport in America. Governed by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer), the men's national team and women's national team of the United States, as well as a number of national youth teams, represent the United States in international soccer competitions. Since 1990, the U.S. men's team is one of only seven teams in the world to have qualified for every World Cup. Major League Soccer is the premier soccer league palyed in the United States. Other professional men's soccer leagues in the United States are the Division II North American Soccer League and the Division III United Soccer League.
United States Women's professional soccer has not seen sustained success. The professional women's leagues in the United States are the Women's United Soccer Association and Women's Professional Soccer. U.S. Soccer also formed a new professional league, the National Women's Soccer League, which began in 2013.
The notable American male soccer players include: Bert Patenaude, Cobi Jones, Alexi Lalas, Eric Wynalda and Tony Meola, Claudio Reyna. Notable female American players include: Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain, Kristine Lilly, Julie Foudy and Michelle Akers.
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United States Soccer Federation
Ice Hockey
Ice hockey also simply referred to as hockey, is another popular sport in US. In the United States, the game is most played in the regions with a cold winter climate. The major professional hockey league in North America is the National Hockey Leagues. Some other professional leagues in the U.S. include the American Hockey League and the ECHL
Some popular American hockey players are Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Guy Lafleur, Steve Yzerman, Chris Chelios, Gordie Howe, Nicklas Lidstrom, Bobby Hull, and Bobby Orr. Famous NHL players today include Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, and Claude Giroux.
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Ice Hockey
American Football
American football also simply known as football has the maximum number of participants of any sport at both high school and college levels. The national Football League (NFL) is the preeminent professional football league in the US. Football fans, during football season have the chance to watch high school games on Fridays and Saturdays, college football on Saturdays, and NFL games on Sundays. Indoor American football is also another form of football played in indoor arenas. It has several professional and semi-professional leagues.
Some notable NFL players include: Jim Kelly, Roger Staubach, Joe Montana, Joe Greene, Dick Butkus, Bart Starr, Walter Payton, Johnny Unitas, Steve Young, Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, and Ray Lewis
Other Team Sports in United States
Apart from the above mentioned team sports, there are few other team sports played in United States. The sports include:
- Volleyball
- Rugby
- Lacrosse
- Australian rules football
- Ultimate and disc sports (frisbee)
- Cricket
- Curling
- Gaelic football
- Team handball
- Inline hockey
- Water polo
- Field hockey
Individual Sports in United States
Apart from the team sports the people of America also play some individual sports. Mentioned below are the names of individual sports played in United States:
- Motor sports
- Indianapolis 500
- NASCAR
- Golf
- Disc Golf
- Boxing
- Mixed martial arts
- Wrestling
- Rodeo – Bull riding
- Skateboarding
- Horse racing
- Swimming
- Bowling
Sports Association in United States
The sports association in America looks after all the sports related activities. Following are the Sports Association in America.
Olympics
The US has taken active part in the Olympics. The United States Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee for the US. The American athletes have won several medals at the Summer and winter Olympic Games. More medals have been won in athletics (track and field) and swimming. Thomas Burke first represented the United States at the Olympics while American swimmer Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time. The US has won more gold and overall medals than any other country in the Summer Games and overall. The US is also the only country to have won at least one gold medal at every Winter Olympics. The United States set a record for most total medals of any country at a single Winter Olympics during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.
Sports Leagues in the US
The following is a list of major sports leagues in the US:
