How 9 Major Sports Actually Got Their Start
People build stadiums in their names and careers on their stats, but rarely do we stop to wonder: where did sports actually come from? Before million-dollar contracts and highlight reels, today’s games had wild, winding, and often weird origin stories. These early versions were often messy and barely recognizable.
Let’s explore these origin stories to learn how some of the world’s most popular sports truly began.
Lacrosse Started as a Spiritual and Diplomatic Tradition
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Lacrosse wasn’t invented in a gym or playground. It was already played by Eastern Woodlands Native Americans centuries ago, both for training and tribal bonding. The game, which could stretch across miles, helped forge alliances and honor their gods. Modern rules weren’t written until the 1860s by a Canadian dentist named George Beers.
Modern Golf Rests on an Ancient Dutch Dispute
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Yes, Scotland gave us the modern version of golf, with its rolling fairways and love of plaid. But rewind to 1297, and you’ll find the Dutch whacking wooden balls across icy canals in a game they called “colf.” The Scots later sculpted the sport into something resembling what we know today, but the question of who invented it still stirs historical debate.
Ice Hockey May Have English Roots Despite Canada’s Claims
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Sure, the first official hockey match took place in Montreal in 1875, but England may have beaten them to the ice by nearly a century. Late 1700s records describe stick-and-ball games played on frozen ponds, with participants ranging from peasants to royals. As for the word “hockey”, some say it came from “hock ale,” a seasonal brew with corks used in early puck-like fashion.
Rugby’s Founding Myth Doesn’t Hold Up Under Scrutiny
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According to legend, a boy named William Webb Ellis got bored during soccer, picked up the ball, and ran, thus inventing rugby. Cute story, but completely made up. In reality, the sport evolved gradually at Rugby School in England under the strict (but sport-loving) eye of headmaster Thomas Arnold. Rules were first jotted down in 1845, and by 1884, adult clubs were duking it out in inter-county games. Sorry, Ellis—history tackled your legend.
Cricket Began With Shepherds and Crooked Sticks
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Cricket’s earliest version likely came from English shepherds in the 13th century. They used a paddock gate as a wicket and defended it with bent staffs. By 1697, organized matches were underway in Sussex. The first inter-county game occurred in 1705, and the sport’s oldest known rulebook was penned in 1744.
Tennis Was First Played by French Monks Slapping Balls
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Before rackets and courts, monks in 11th-century France played a handball game across monastery courtyards. They yelled “tenez,” or “take it,” when serving. By the 13th century, indoor courts were widespread. Modern tennis emerged after 1873, and Wimbledon’s first tournament in 1877 set standards that shaped today’s game.
Basketball Began With a Peach Basket and a Group of Bored Boys
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In 1891, James Naismith—an inventive Canadian working at a YMCA in Massachusetts—was handed a winter problem: restless boys and no good way to burn their energy indoors. His solution was a soccer ball, two peach baskets, and a few scribbled rules. The first game was clunky, but it caught on fast. Naismith lived to see it become an Olympic sport in 1936.
Baseball’s Doubleday Origin Is Entirely Fictional
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Contrary to popular myth, Abner Doubleday didn’t invent baseball in 1839. The sport’s roots lie in English games like rounders and cricket. Alexander Joy Cartwright, a bank clerk and founding member of the Knickerbocker Club, codified the first official rules in 1845, including the three-strike rule and diamond-shaped infield.
American Football Evolved Through Ivy League Improvisation
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The 1869 Princeton vs. Rutgers game looked more like soccer. Yale’s adaptation, shaped by its captain, Walter Camp, transformed it. After being inspired by a Canadian university’s rugby-like version, Camp added innovations like the quarterback role and the downs system. His vision ultimately birthed the structure of today’s football.
Soccer’s Origins Stretch Back to Ancient Festivals and Military Drills
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Soccer-like games have popped up everywhere—cuju in ancient China, kemari in Japan, and even ball-chasing in Egyptian festivals. But the real turning point came in 1863, when England’s Football Association drew a line in the mud and said, “No more hands.” Thus, soccer officially parted ways with rugby.
The Olympics Began as a Religious Footrace
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The first Olympic Games occurred in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece, to honor Zeus. Events included foot races, wrestling, and chariot races. Athletes competed nude, representing city-states in displays of physical prowess and national pride. The term “Olympiad” even became a unit of time in the ancient calendar system.
Gymnastics Developed as Structured Movement in Germany
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People have been tumbling and balancing since forever, but gymnastics became a proper sport in early 19th-century Germany. Educator Friedrich Ludwig Jahn introduced it as a way to build strong bodies and strong patriots. His “Turnen” movement brought us apparatuses like the parallel bars and pommel horse. The military-style training grew into a global competition of flips and form.
Skiing Started as Survival, Not Sport
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Long before ski lifts and resorts, skiing helped Scandinavian communities travel over snow-covered terrain. Archaeological evidence dates it back over 4,000 years. By the 1840s, Norwegians began organizing competitions with athletic equipment and launching the sport.
Surfing Was Spiritual Long Before It Was Sport
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Polynesians had been carving wooden boards and riding waves before the rest of the world caught on. For them, surfing was a spiritual and social ritual. Chiefs often surfed the biggest waves, and skill in the water could boost one’s status. When colonialism swept through the islands, surfing nearly vanished. But its revival in 20th-century Hawaii turned it into the sun-soaked sport we currently know around the world.
Wrestling Predates History Books and Written Language
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Before people invented writing, they invented wrestling. Cave paintings from over 15,000 years ago show early humans locking limbs and grappling for dominance. The sport made it into the original Olympic Games, flourished in military training across cultures, and still needs no gear, no field—just two people and a will to win.