The history of Canadian sports falls into five stages of development: early recreational activities before 1840; the start of organized competition, 1840–1880; the emergence of national organizations, 1882–1914; the rapid growth of both amateur and professional sports, 1914 to 1960; and developments of the last half-century.[1] Some sports, especially ice hockey, lacrosse, curling, and ringette enjoy an international reputation as particularly Canadian.[2] Although typically thought of as American, the origin of the sport of baseball began the Canadian town of Beachville, Ontario,[3] and American football was initially developed by Canadians at McGill University before two different playing styles emerged, American football and Canadian football. Canadian sports attract large numbers of participants and huge audiences; hockey, played by 1.4 million Canadians, has become part of the national identity.
In the 21st century the major team sports played in Canada are ice hockey, baseball, softball, Canadian football, and basketball.[citation needed] Women actively compete in most of these sports. Historically, team sports often involved informal gambling and more formal, bigger-stakes wagering and prize competitions were particularly characteristic in the sports of horse racing and boxing. In Canada, individual sports such as figure skating, skiing, golf, paddling, swimming, and track and field have long been important. In recent years, there has been an increase in the popularity of more "extreme" sports such as snowboarding, rollerblading, and mountain climbing.
In many modern nations including Canada, sports have faced a number of challenges in recent decades such as violence, racism, illegal drug therapies, ridicule of women, the disproportionally high salaries of professional athletes, and the exorbitant costs of newly built stadiums. Such problems stand in contrast to the fundamental values of sports including personal health, teamwork, striving for responsibility, loyalty, equality, winning, pleasure, and freedom.
^Barbara Schrodt, "Problems of Periodization in Canadian Sport History," Canadian Journal of History of Sport (1990) 21#1 pp 65-76.
^Heather Mair, "Curling in Canada: From Gathering Place to International Spectacle Archived 2016-05-05 at the Wayback Machine," International Journal of Canadian Studies (2007), Issue 35, pp 39-60
^"There's No Joy In Beachville: The True Story of Baseball's Origin". sportsnet.ca. SportsNet. 30 August 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
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