Sports (Cromwell the Great)

The truly brave, When they behold the brave oppressed with odds, Are touched with a desire to shield and save:— A mixture of wild beasts and demi-gods Are they—now furious as the sweeping wave, Now moved with pity; even as sometimes nods The rugged tree unto the summer wind, Compassion breathes along the savage mind. (Lord Byron, Don Juan (1818-24), Canto VIII, Stanza 106.) Sports as a recreational activity of leisure, was a relatively new idea in the 19th century. Leisure sports, mostly team sports became the basis of different forms of competitive physical activity through casual or organized participation with the purpose of providing enjoyment to participants and entertainment for spectators.

The Athletic and Gymnastic movement aimed to maintain or improve physical ability and skills of its participants.

Cultural moments, being the Gaelic revival the pioneering, influenced the practice of team sports and the rediscovery of old sports or gaming formats.

Besides the team team sports of British origin some widely practice are the following:

Bandy
Bandy (or ice hockey in the English speaking world) is a team winter sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball or a puck into the opposing team's goal. A non season variant is field bandy or floorball (grass or field hockey) played on floor with ball.

Its origins are disputed between Scandinavia and Russia were earlier bandy like sports existed.

Bandy is played in Scandinavia and Russia were it is a national sports. In both countries major professional and amateur leagues were established.

Stokbal
Stokbal is a team sport played with a stokbal stick and a solid rubber ball. Players use the head of the stokbal stick to carry, pass, catch, and shoot the ball into the opponent's goal. It is optional to wear a helmet, face guard/goggles and a mouth guard. The exception are goalkeepers that must wear a helmet with face mask,or stokbal goggles.

Stokbal is part of the cultural tradition of the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) people. Stokbal may have been developed as early as 1100 CE among indigenous peoples in North America. By the seventeenth century, it was well-established and was documented by Catholic and Calvinist missionary priests in the territory of present-day New Netherlands and Iroquia.

Historically traditional and modern stokbal is played in Iroquia and New Netherlands. The rules of the modern game (field stokbal) were developed in 1860 in New Amsterdam as a school sports. By the 1870s its two versions (women's stokball, and box or indoor stokbal) began also to be played and be fully codified. Later stokbal spread across the Dutch-speaking world becoming very popular. By the end of the 19th century there were hundreds of men's and women's clubs and local championships in the Dutch Republic, Flanders, Kaapland, Ceylon, Formosa and Dutch Australia. It also gained attraction in New England, although is the third sport in fan following after football and rugby.

The Iroquia-New Netherlands Joint Association of Stokball established the first men’s amateur and professional leagues of field stokball, followed decades later by the women’s leagues. The Dutch Republic, Flanders and Kaapland also followed with their own leagues. This widespread professionalism and following lead to the first international stokball championships of national teams, holding the Iroquia national team the majority of the titles.

Sports, Athletic and Gymnastic Organizations

 * Multisports events


 * See also Sports in the Commonwealth