The term "sports" describes competitions that involve an offense and a defense. Competitive sports can be fun and exciting with hard-hitting action and nail-biting finishes, but they always have rules. In fact, the goal of most non-professional sports is to foster character, fitness, and sportsmanship.
Football, basketball, baseball and ice hockey are the most popular sports in the US, while soccer is the most popular sport in the world. Although these sports are favorites in American schools and colleges, professional games garner the most attention and fan interest. Many professional sports icons have emerged from the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. Among the most notable are Brett Favre, Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth, and Wayne Gretzky.