Every game has its own rules. And every one is a kind of contest. Winning and losing are always a part of playing a game.
No list could be made of all the games people play. For new ones are being thought up all the time.
Games that take a great deal of athletic skill are often called sports. Baseball, football, jai alai, tennis, and polo, for instance, are sports. Some games are especially popular in some parts of the world, others in other parts. There are also sports that are not games. Fishing and hunting and mountain climbing are good examples.
Most sports call for special equipment. There are many sporting goods stores.
Many sports that are fun to watch as well as to play are called spectator sports. A hundred thousand people may watch a single football game or a boxing match.
Games and sports are more than fun. Team games help the players learn to get along with one another. All games help the players learn to be good winners and good losers. And many games and sports help in building strong bodies.
The ancient Greeks believed so much in athletic contests that they started the Olympic games. Americans believe in athletics so much that almost every school now has a program of sports and games.
