SPORTS TRADITIONS IN NORTH AMERICA BEFORE THE 19 TH CENTURY

OVERVIEW AGRARIAN SOCIETIES AND SPORTS MESOAMERICAN BALL GAME BALL & STICK TRADITIONS NATIVE AMERICAN SPORTS SOUTHWESTERN HISPANIC SPORTS TRADITIONS COMMON FEATURES IN PREINDUSTRIAL SPORTS ACTIVITIES

AGRARIAN SOCIETIES AND SPORTS PHYSICAL COMPETITIONS IN PREINDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES WERE CONSISTENTLY CONNECTED TO RELIGIOUS FESTIVITIES AND RITUALS SPORTS EVENTS IN AGRARIAN ENVIRONMENTS WERE CONSIDERED PART OF RELIGIOUS RITUALS AND TOOK PLACE AS A WAY TO PARTICIPATE IN A SACRED TRADITION

SPORTS TRADITIONS IN THE AMERICAS NATIVE AMERICAN PARTICIPATED IN PHYSICAL COMPETITIONS ON REGULAR BASIS, AND SPORTING ACTIVITIES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH RELIGIOUS FESTIVITIES, MANLINESS AND TRAINING FOR BATTLE. NATIVE AMERICAN SOCIETIES HAD A WIDE VARIETY OF SPORTING COMPETITIONS INVOLVING “STICK & BALL” COLLECTIVE GAMES.

NATIVE AMERICAN SPORTS THE MOST IMPORTANT TEAM SPORT IN THE AMERICAS BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF EUROPEANS WAS THE MESOAMERICAN BALL GAME. THE MESOAMERICAN BALL GAME WAS PLAYED IN WHAT IS TODAY MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA AND PARTS OF THE U.S. SOUTHWEST. IT WAS A FULLY ORGANIZED TEAM SPORT MAYA, TOLTEC, AZTEC URBAN CENTERS HAD FIELDS TO PLAY THE GAME. THE MOST IMPORTANT CITIES PARTICIPATED: CHICHEN-ITZA, TEOTIHUACAN, TIKAL, PALENQUE. IT WAS ALSO SEEN AS A RITUAL CONTEST, I-SHAPED FIELD, RUBBER BALL, VERTICAL BASKET-RING, REFEREES, TEAMS, UNIFORMS, TOURNAMENTS. PHYSICAL CONTEST AS RITUAL RECREATION TO IMITATE THE DIVINE CREATION OF THE WORLD GAMBLING PURPOSES, MERCHANTS, NOBLE CLASSES PARTICIPATION RESERVED FOR THE WARRIOR CLASS DIFFERENT TOURNAMENTS, WINNERS SACRIFICED SOMETIMES.

MESOAMERICAN BALL GAME CREATION OF THE WORLD: INTERACTION BETWEEN DIFFERENT AND OPPOSITE CREATIVE GODS. BALL GAME: TO RECREATE, COMMEMORATE THE ORIGINS OF THE WORLD. WINNERS, CHOSEN BY THE CREATIVE DEITIES. GAME: RITUAL/RELIGIOUS/PHYSICAL CONTEST.

MESOAMERICAN BALL GAME URBAN AREAS ORGANIZED TOURNAMENTS ACCORDING TO RELIGIOUS CALENDAR ON THE MOST IMPORTANT FESTIVITIES SOME OF THE PLAYERS COULD BE SACRIFICED AFTER THE GAME MANY VARIATIONS OF THE SPORT CAN STILL BE FOUND IN PRESENT DAY MEXICO

STICK AND BALL SPORTS IN THE REST OF NORTH AMERICA MANY OTHER SPORTS WERE ALSO PRACTICED ON REGULAR BASIS LACROSSE WAS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT HOCKEY IS ALSO CONSIDERED A NATIVE AMERICAN TRADITION SOME HISTORIANS THINK BASEBALL COULD ALSO BE CONSIDERED A VARIATION OF THESE NATIVE AMERICAN TRADITIONS THESE SPORTS WERE PLAYED UNDER MULTIPLE VARIATIONS OF THE BALL&STICK TRADITION PLAYERS PERFORMED RITUAL/RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE GAMES.

OTHER NATIVE AMERICAN SPORTS FOOT RACES WRESTLING STICK FIGHTS COMMON CHARACTERISTICS: RITUAL MEANING RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES SACRED SPACES COMMUNITY/TRIBAL ORIENTED SEPARATE MEN FROM BOYS.

SOUTHWESTERN HISPANIC TRADITIONS MANY SPORTS TRADITIONS WERE PRACTICED IN THE AREA BEFORE ITS ANNEXATION TO THE U.S. IN BULLFIGHTING WAS A COMMON EVENT IN FESTIVALS IN THE URBAN AREAS RODEO WAS A FAVORITE ACTIVITY COCKFIGHTING WAS ALSO PRESENT HORSERACES WERE EXTREMELY POPULAR FRONTON (HANDBALL) GREASED POLE

SOUTHWESTERN HISPANIC TRADITIONS COMMUNITY FESTIVITIES FOLLOWING THE CATHOLIC LITURGY CALENDAR SAINT’S DAY, CHRISTMAS, EASTER REGIONAL FAIRS BULLFIGTHERS, FRONTON PLAYERS, RODEO COWBOYS, COULD BECOME SEMIPROFESSIONAL/FULL TIME OCCUPATIONS

CLASS ACTIVITY: THINK OF TEN EXAMPLES OF RELIGIOUS INFLUENCES ON PRESENT-DAY PROFESSIONAL AND COLLEGE SPORTS.