Sports are not a novelty; they have been around since ancient times. The Olympic Games (776 BC)were around before the birth of Christ. The two main areas of the world that we have studied in terms of sport are Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.
First, Ancient Greece: the site of the Olympic games. In Greece, sport and religion went hand-in-hand. Although anyone was allowed to participate in the games, they were pushed physically in order to become the "perfect human specimen". I think of Hercules when I think of Ancient Greece and sports. Hercules, the son of Zeus was celebrated for his strength and physical ability, similar to the athletes that competed in the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece.
In Ancient Rome, sport and religion were not related. Instead, sport served as a form of entertainment. The gladiators still were held to high standards and had to be successful, but the connotation of a "god" was not on the line.
Today, we still hold athletes to extremely high standards. We expect them to have perfect bodies and to be in the best shape. We want them to continually strive to surpass records and be ultimate winners.
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