Sports are an important part of American culture. The most popular sports are American football, basketball and baseball with professional teams in many large cities and college teams at most colleges and universities. From August through March of each year, sports play an important role in American life for many people. Games are televised on cable and regular television and many people go to see the games played live at stadiums and arenas throughout the country and on many different college campuses. Even if a person does not watch these sports himself or herself, the person surely has someone in their family or a good friend who does watch the major games.
In many American families, one or more children also play sports such as football, basketball, or soccer. Children can start playing football or soccer on teams as young as three years old in most areas. Basketball is offered for children a few years older, and elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools almost all have teams that students can try out to be on. Some children also play baseball by age five called T-ball since the baseball is hit off of a stand that is shaped like a T. Older boys play baseball while girls play with a larger ball called a softball.
Baseball is very popular as a spring and summer sport, and playoff games run into the autumn. Soccer is played in the spring and fall seasons, and football is a fall and winter game. Basketball generally starts in the autumn and runs through the month of March. Besides playing some sports like soccer, baseball, and football outside, there are also indoor options for these sports that are at health clubs or sports clubs throughout America. Indoor sports allow players to play a sport they love year round, regardless of inclement weather.
