Sports and games in the USA / Спорт и игры в США

Americans love to participate in and watch all different kinds of sports. Most Americans are introduced to sports at an early age, because all schools offer some physical education program. These programmes teach rules organization, history and popularity of many American sports and games inside and outside the country.

Since the late nineteenth century, baseball has been regarded as the national sport the USA. Football, basketball, and ice hockey are the country's three other leading professional team sports. Football is now by several measures the most popular spectator sport in the United States. College football and basketball also attract large audiences.

Boxing and horse racing were once the most watched individual sports, but they have been eclipsed by golf and auto racing, particularly NASCAR. Soccer is played widely at the youth and amateur levels. Tennis and many outdoor sports are also popular. While most major U.S. sports have evolved out of European practices, basketball, volleyball, skateboarding, and snowboarding are American inventions Lacrosse and surfing arose from Native American and Native Hawaiian activities.

Universities offer the same kinds of sports as high schools. But they are more competitive. A person should be very talented to play on a university team. Often playing for a university team leads to a career in professional sports. Professional high school athletes may be given a special scholarship to a particular university (or Olympic training. In fact, eight Olympic Games have taken place in the United States The United States has won 2,191 medals at the Summer Olympic Games, more than any other country, and 216 in the Winter Olympic Games, the second most. Nearly all people of America get glued to their TV screens to watch the final competitions each year.

Словарь

to participate in smth — участвовать в чем-либо

by several measures — по некоторым подсчетам

to be eclipsed by smth — быть в тени чего-либо

to attract large audiences — привлекать много зрителей

at an amateur level (s) — на любительском уровне

to evolve out of smth — развиваться из чего-либо

lacross — лакросс

to get glued to one's TV screen — быть «приклеенным» к телевизору