Top 10 Greatest Sports

A sport is any competitive physical activity or game with organized rules, meant to improve physical ability and sometimes provide entertainment for spectators.
The Top Ten
1 Basketball Basketball is a sport played by two teams of five players on a rectangular court. The objective is to shoot a ball through a hoop 18 inches in diameter and 10 feet high mounted to a backboard at each end.

Back in 9th grade, I was the best at basketball. I had so many girls after me. But in 10th grade, I took what I thought would be a break. I didn't play basketball after that. I was still known for being the best until 11th grade when some other guy stole my thunder. However, I really couldn't care less. I love this sport and sometimes play it with my friends.

By the time 12th grade came around, no one saw me as the best anymore. I genuinely felt like I could have gone on to be in the NBA. I'm serious. I think I held a record in the school for the most dunks, which was 12. I participated in many basketball-themed events and was called "Michael Jordan," "Quick Hoop," and most of all, "The Best Basketball Player Ever." While I feel that Michael Jordan takes that last nickname, I think I deserved the other two. I felt really cool back then.

Now, I'm in my second year of college and don't really play basketball anymore. All my friends still think I should get back into it. If I were to do something like that, I would want it to be in front of everyone. However, I can't really attract that big of a crowd because I'm ranked 19th in popularity. I still love this sport and watch it every night, just like I did when I was 9 years old.

2 Soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players each. It is played with a spherical ball. The objective is to score the ball in the other teams goal.

Soccer is the best sport ever. For all of you who say it's easy, boring, or any of that nonsense, it's likely because you've never played competitively. We engage in a lot of fitness training and have practice six days a week. It's not like hockey, where you get a substitution every 45 seconds. Our games last 90 minutes, and sometimes you don't get a single substitute.

You have to run hard for the full 90 minutes. Want to call us weak now? And it is a contact sport. For those of you who claim it's not, you simply don't know anything about the game. I'm on the best team in my state, and it's incredibly fun. The sport requires a ton of endurance, strength, individual skills, and teamwork. It's not a game where you score every 30 seconds. You actually have to work hard to score.

3 Football American football is a sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end.

In Grade 9, I was selected for Team Canada as one of the best defensive tackles in the game. At 6'4" and 320 lbs, I was a force to be reckoned with. However, concussions came into play, causing me to take Grade 10 off. I bounced back in Grade 11, making the league all-star team as the only Grade 11 player. Later, I tried out for Team Ontario in an attempt to re-enter the elite level. My lack of commitment, coupled with injuries, became my downfall. I met people who were slightly better than me, failed to make the team, and eventually switched to basketball. Now in college and weighing 230 lbs at 6'4", I hope to make the team next year after being cut this year. How the mighty have fallen - football is not an easy sport. You must stay committed to remain the best.

4 Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of nine players each who take turns batting and fielding.

I chose baseball because it's my favorite, but I won't argue with anyone's opinion since this list is a matter of personal preference. I will say that soccer's worldwide popularity is a weak argument for the sport. It gained popularity because it's cheap to play, requiring only something to use as a ball, and is extremely easy to learn at the most fundamental level. Don't get me wrong. Playing soccer at a high level demands an enormous amount of skill and knowledge. However, the basis of the game couldn't be simpler: kick the ball through the goal. Any group of poor kids who have even five minutes' exposure to the game can immediately find something to use as a ball and start a rudimentary game. Basketball is similar but requires a ball that bounces and a way to hang a goal.

5 Ice Hockey Ice hockey is a contact team sport played on ice, usually in a rink, in which two teams of skaters use their sticks to shoot a vulcanized rubber puck into their opponent's net to score points.

Full contact like football, fast pace like basketball, hand-eye coordination requirement like baseball, and the main goal is to put something past the goalie into the back of the net. What's not to love about a sport that is like a combo of four other sports? Not to mention, it's all done on ice! It's an incredible sport to play and watch. There's so much history in the books about this sport as well. And who doesn't love the suspense of what Don Cherry will be wearing on Hockey Night in Canada? As a proud Canadian, I love this sport and I cannot think of a way that any other sport is better or more entertaining than ice hockey. Remember, this is MY OPINION, so for all you soccer fans out there, please don't flip out on me. Peace out.

6 Tennis Tennis is a racket sport that can be played individually against a single opponent or between two teams of two players each.

I love tennis! I've been playing since I was 5, and now I'm 13. Tennis is a great sport to play. It requires arm strength, good footwork, and mental skills, such as deciding where to hit the ball. Many people think it's just hitting a ball, but to be good at it, you need to swing that racket like your life depends on it.

Let's be honest, dancing - although it takes skill - isn't a sport. I don't see dancing competitions on ESPN. My sister is a dancer, but I haven't seen a competition yet! While dancing is hard, it isn't a sport in my view.

Another sport I like is swimming. I'm on the swim team, and I can say that swimming gets you in good shape. You'll sweat, but you always have cool water surrounding you. I love swimming, tennis, football, basketball, softball, volleyball, and much more. Just not dance, cheer, and gymnastics.

7 Swimming Swimming is an individual or team sport and activity. Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic sports, with events in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly.

This sport is great for exercising all muscle groups. While it is definitely not a "non-contact sport," a session in the pool burns more calories and leaves less sweat on your body after you get out. The feeling you get after swimming hard with a purpose and touching the wall is exhilarating. This applies to all sports, but swimming helps you focus on multiple skills occurring simultaneously. It also helps you work on your work ethic and self-motivation. In conclusion, swimming is one of the only sports where you are a team and cheer for others but compete individually, with occasional group bonding races.

8 Bowling

Bowling is possibly one of the top 10, or even top 5, most participated sports in the world. Young and old, male or female, can compete on equal footing, and it takes both mental and physical skill.

My favorite sport to play requires lots of mental focus. The best part is that you don't have to mess up your body like those people with too much testosterone do.

I'm a bowler. It's a lot of fun and great even for people who aren't athletic, like me. You do need some physical skill. It also involves math.

9 Boxing Boxing is a martial art and combat sport in which two people wearing protective gloves throw punches at each other for a predetermined set of time in a boxing ring..

Boxing is an accessible sport that allows less privileged kids to escape the struggles of living in a difficult environment. Equipment is affordable and minimal, making it the perfect sport for most people. Maturity, dedication, and drive are improved in the process. Boxing is also extremely helpful in combating depression, anxiety, and other issues since it's such a physically draining sport. Boxing is also fun.

I did lots of sports until I started boxing. It's hands down the most epic thrill you get when you achieve your goal of becoming the person you want to be. As boring as the training is, it still comes in handy for fighting in matches. It is also helpful for your fitness.

10 Dodgeball

Dodgeball is awesome. I don't know why it's so underrated, but I just love hitting people with balls, especially in the head.

What could be better than chucking balls at people's heads? I mean, seriously, just think about it.

Dodgeball is one of the funniest sports to play, yet it's still underrated. It should have a league like the NDL or MLB.

The Contenders
11 Archery Archery is the sport, practice or skill of using a bow to propel arrows. The word comes from the Latin arcus.

While it can be boring to watch, especially for those who are new to the sport, it is incredibly fun to do. The feeling of shooting an arrow into the center of the target never gets old. It's a perfectionist's sport. An error of a few millimeters in your form can make you lose a few points.

I am on the archery team at my school. It is a sport that requires changes and adjusting with every shot. It is graceful and calm, most of the time. One kid on my team shot our coach's jacket! Don't worry, she was not harmed.

I played archery back when my fifth-grade class went, and while it takes some learning, nothing compares to the thrill of firing an arrow.

12 Volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.

I play volleyball on the 13s Fatchmo team. Trust me, volleyball is not easy, but it's a lot of fun and overall my favorite sport. Volleyball should definitely be in the top ten! We can bump, hit, serve, and dig. Volleyball includes a lot of hustling, but it's worth it. No running in volleyball? When was the last time you ran ten feet in one second, threw yourself on the ground, and got back in position all within three seconds? I'll quit competing when my heart stops beating. A lot of us miss 100% of the shots we don't take.

Volleyball is so much fun! It's a game that everyone can play at any level, year-round, and have a blast! Volleyball is everywhere - schools, beaches, community ed, and bar leagues. Clearly, people have fun playing. It's a great sport to play with your friends, casually or competitively. If you've never smashed that ball to the ground for a big kill or aced a serve, you're missing out! It's such an awesome feeling!

13 Wrestling Wrestling is a combat sport involving grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds.

You have to have a great attitude and passion to do this sport. Skill is also required. You can't just go out there and run after a ball. You have to actually watch another person to see what their next move is going to be. It takes endurance - lots of it. And passion.

THIS IS NOT WWE WRESTLING! Wrestling deserves to be up there. Individual sports are a challenge of their own. Unlike team sports, there's nowhere to hide. Once you step out on the mat, it's you and one other person, and it will show how much you've put into it. Anybody can be a wrestler. We come in all shapes and sizes, so it gives opportunity to everybody. Hard work will be the difference, not size.

14 Auto Racing

An F1 driver's heart rate averages 180 bpm (about 80% of maximum) for the entire race. No other sport places such strain on the cardiovascular system. But that's just the beginning. Such a fit cardiovascular system is essential for what the sport essentially is - precisely controlling a hyper-sensitive vehicle at speeds generating G-forces experienced by astronauts, all while maintaining 100% unbroken concentration for the entire two-odd-hour race. Nothing I said is exaggerated, and all these facts can be found through googling. There is no other sport which requires so much from its participants. It is astounding how unappreciated F1 and indeed all forms of motor sport are.

15 Golf Golf is a club and ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes from a range of 80 to 600 yards on a course in as few strokes as possible.

It should definitely be in the top ten. So many different skills are needed, along with various shots like low draw, low fade, high draw, high fade, high hook, and a 300-yard drive, to name a few. Shooting in the 60s on a course like Oakmont has to be considered one of the great sporting achievements. It's mentally taxing as well. If you don't have it together mentally, then you're finished. Tiger Woods excelled in the past because he was fit and had a good mental state.

Best sport ever created. I used to think it was lame and boring. Then I tried it and found it to be the most fun game ever invented and a true test of skill. It requires not only extreme coordination but also involves an intense mental game.

16 Cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a cricket field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard-long pitch with a wicket, a set of three wooden stumps sited at each end.

What more is there to say? Cricket is the Gentleman's sport. And yes, it is a sport - an incredibly vigorous, athletic, intense sport. Bat under a sweltering hot Perth sun and have hard leather balls thrown at your head at 95 mph, and then talk about how this sport doesn't require bravery, determination, grit, and skill. There are so many pieces of the puzzle, so many tactics and captaincy decisions that actually matter, that cricket may well be the physical sporting equivalent of chess. It's much, much more interesting and fun to watch!

17 Badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" and "doubles".

At top levels, badminton requires an enormous amount of fitness. Players must endure games that can last over 90 minutes and must constantly twist, turn, and move explosively.

Furthermore, badminton has been recorded as the fastest sport in the world, with the fastest smash being 493 km/h. Anyone who claims that it isn't a sport has obviously never played it properly, lacks the required skill or fitness, or has never seen it played professionally. It's a fantastic sport.

I love this sport so much. It should be #1. You can play it in your backyard easily or take lessons, which usually don't cost much or don't cost anything at all. For a lot of people, it takes years to get to the intermediate level. I've done it for less than a month and now practice with beginners and intermediates. I love badminton.

18 Dance

What!? Dancing should be first on this list! It's the hardest sport (especially ballet!). I'm glad it is here, though. Dancing involves major passion and motivation! It's the best feeling and way to express yourself! I love dancing! It's the best sport ever and should definitely beat some of the other sports! Dancers unite...vote!

I absolutely love dance. For those who say it isn't a sport, you should really try it before forming an opinion. Anything that makes you sweaty and sore is most likely a sport, unless you're a lazy person who never gets off the couch and has to mow the lawn or something. I play soccer, basketball, and volleyball, so I know what sweaty and sore means. Nevertheless, I can still come home after a 4-hour dance practice with ultra-sore legs.

The best thing about dancing is that there are so many different types, all unique in their own way! The stereotype that dance is a "girly" thing is a lie. I've been Greek dancing since I was 3 years old. For those who don't know what Greek dancing is, look it up. There will always be a boy leading the dances and doing crazy tricks on beat. So, you can't say that dance is a girly thing anymore, right?

Anyway, I was surprised to see dance ranked so high. Most people think of physically tiring sports as the best, so I won't try to change anyone's opinion. But you should know that dance is not just about ballet and girly girls. It's mostly about concentration, memorization, skill, staying on beat, and staying in sync. Sorry if this comment was too long, but I had a lot to say!

19 Gymnastics Gymnastics is a sport involving the performance of exercises requiring strength, flexibility, balance and control.

Gymnastics is one of the greatest sports in the world. I've been a competitive gymnast since the age of 7, and I have fallen completely in love with it. The sport is challenging, and that's what makes it fun. It requires strength, power, flexibility, agility, and stamina. Watching Olympians flip in the air is amazing. It takes a lot of skill and dedication to get that far, and very few make it.

Gymnasts have an incredible awareness of their bodies. They know exactly where they are in the air during a somersault or twist, and when to open out to land perfectly. However, it doesn't always go perfectly. The sport is hard, and you will fall time and time again. Gymnastics gives you the resilience to not give up and to try your hardest to master a skill. In many ways, it teaches you more than school does. I love flying through the air. That's why I love it so much and find it so fun. I will never lose my love for this sport, no matter what anyone says. If someone claims gymnastics is bad, they don't know what they're talking about.

20 Mixed Martial Arts Mixed martial arts is a full-contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, from a variety of other combat sports and martial arts.

This teaches you self-defense. This teaches you how to be a real warrior in all sports. Soccer is the first, and Ibrahimovic learned karate to get to soccer.

Great sport for humans of any age! From schoolyards to elderly nursing homes, anyone can participate!

This should be #1. It is the ultimate sport that needs every muscle of the body to do.

21 Biking

I do biking, and I love it. It really keeps your whole body moving. This sport is better than cycling.

Biking and cycling are the same thing, so why did you put this on here?

22 Ping Pong Ping-pong, or table tennis, is a sport where players hit a lightweight ball back and forth across a table.

Surprised by some of the comments:

"Ping Pong is not a sport. It's a game": Probably written by someone who never trained to become a great Ping Pong player. It requires not only a great amount of practice but also a lot of concentration because everything happens so fast. Anyway, by definition, any kind of activity that requires movement of any sort is a sport.

"Ping Pong is pointless": No sport is pointless. Ping Pong enhances your ability to concentrate as well as your overall reflexes. The table is small, so everything around you happens very quickly, and you have to be able to keep up. Not to mention that footwork has a major role to play.

"Ping Pong is Asian. They should stick to maths and eating dogs": Troll 101.

23 Skateboarding Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard. Skateboarding can also be considered a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation.

It's not a sport. It's a lifestyle. Lance Mountain, a pro skateboarder, says, "Riding a skateboard doesn't make you a skater. Being unable to stop riding a skateboard is what makes you a skater." It's the most independent activity because you set your own goals, and you get to decide what you want to do with your skateboard. Whether it's dropping in on huge bowls or kickflipping 12 stairs, you can do what you want. You just have to build yourself up to those levels.

Dude, without skateboarding, I don't know what I would do in life. I mean, come on, it's really fun. Even when it is competitive, it really isn't. It's just a couple of friends skating together and not arguing like in all the other sports. Plus, you can practically skate everywhere you go.

24 Skiing Skiing can be a means of transport, a recreational activity or a competitive winter sport in which the participant uses skis to glide on snow.

It's so fun! Skiing is thrilling and you can make it as easy or as difficult as you want. Go Aspen!

Skiing is so fun! I personally love racing. I really, really love it!

This should be higher on the list. It is a very good sport.

25 Running Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. Running is a type of gait characterized by an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground.

Running is the best sport ever. It is a test of human endurance and a mind sport. Your will and speed are both critical in running, as is a good attitude. You can run with a friend, with many people, or by yourself. It is an inspirational sport. Running has also changed the lives of many people. Everyone knows what running is, and so many people run on a daily basis. The satisfaction you get after running is priceless, and you know you've worked out after running. Running is also required in almost every sport. It's a classic, basic building block of sports.

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