Bare Feet to Sweet Cleats

NATE GARCIA
Sports Editor

Over the course of history, humans have learned how to create fire, cultivate land and adapt to different harsh climates. Along with evolution, humans began to use their skills sets to demonstrate their physical capabilities in athletic events.

Sports are one of mankind’s first forms of entertainment. The earliest forms of sport, depicted in thousand-year-old cave paintings in the Middle East, included activities such as swimming, sprinting and wrestling. Over time, more sporting events were created. In ancient Greece, the first recorded Olympic Games were held in 776 B.C.
“It is the inspiration of the Olympic Games that drives people [to] not only to compete but to improve, and to bring […] inspiration to those lucky enough to witness the athletic dedication”, 1960 Olympic gold medalist Herb Elliot said.

Different parts of the world have their own versions of athletic events. In England, peasants played violent ball games, while the royalty enjoyed watching equestrian events and medieval jousts.

Children and adults alike began to find creative ways to play the games to develop beloved sporting games. In fact, most of today’s sports were created during the 1800s. According to a legend, the modern game of rugby was created when William W. Ellis picked up a football during a match and began to run with it. The game of baseball was invented in 1845 by Alexander Cartwright and is known as America’s national pastime. The game of basketball was first played with a soccer ball and peach basket.
For the next century, athletics underwent many developments that shaped them into the games we enjoy today. Rubber bladders would become Adidas soccer balls. Converse would become Air Jordans. However, the future of athletics is uncertain as new technologies introduced to the sports world.

Sports are humanity’s way of creating friendly competition while building character and dedication. They help people gain a sense of accomplishment and establish a lasting impact on future generations.