A sport is an organized, competitive, entertaining, and skilful activity requiring commitment, strategy, and fair play, in which a winner and loser can be defined by objective means. Generally speaking, a sport is a game based in physical athleticism. Activities such as board games and card games are sometimes classified as "mind sports," but strictly speaking "sport" by itself refers to some physical activity. Non-competitive activities may also qualify, for example though jogging or playing catch are usually classified as forms of recreation, they may also be informally called "sports" due to their similarity to competitive games.

Sports are governed by a set of rules or customs. Physical events such as scoring goals or crossing a line first often define the result of a sport. However, the degree of skill and performance in some sports such as diving, dressage and figure skating is judged according to well-defined criteria. This is in contrast with other judged activities such as beauty pageants and body building, where skill does not have to be shown and the criteria are not as well defined.

Records are kept and updated for most sports at the highest levels, while failures and accomplishments are widely announced in sport news. Sports are most often played just for fun or for the simple fact that people need exercise to stay in good physical condition. However, professional sport is a major source of entertainment.

While practices may vary, sports participants are expected to display good sportsmanship, and observe standards of conduct such as being respectful of opponents and officials, and congratulating the winner when losing.

Etymology and meaning

"Sport" comes from the Old French ''desport'' meaning "leisure". American English uses the term "sports" to refer to this general type of recreational activity, whereas other regional dialects use the singular "sport". The French word for sport is based on the Persian word ''bord'', meaning "winning" or "win". The Chinese term for sport, ''tiyu'' (体育; 體育) connotes physical training. The modern Greek term for sport is Αθλητισμός (''athlitismos''), directly cognate with the English terms "athlete" and "athleticism".

The oldest definition of ''sport'' in English (1300) is of anything humans find amusing or entertaining. Other meanings include gambling and events staged for the purpose of gambling; hunting; and games and diversions, including ones that require exercise. Roget's defines the noun sport as an "activity engaged in for relaxation and amusement" with synonyms including diversion and recreation.

History

There are artifacts and structures that suggest that the Chinese engaged in sporting activities as early as 2000 BC. Gymnastics appears to have been a popular sport in China's ancient past. Monuments to the Pharaohs indicate that a number of sports, including swimming and fishing, were well-developed and regulated several thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt. Other Egyptian sports included javelin throwing, high jump, and wrestling. Ancient Persian sports such as the traditional Iranian martial art of Zourkhaneh had a close connection to the warfare skills. Among other sports that originate in ancient Persia are polo and jousting.

A wide range of sports were already established by the time of Ancient Greece and the military culture and the development of sports in Greece influenced one another considerably. Sports became such a prominent part of their culture that the Greeks created the Olympic Games, which in ancient times were held every four years in a small village in the Peloponnesus called Olympia.

Sports have been increasingly organized and regulated from the time of the ancient Olympics up to the present century. Industrialization has brought increased leisure time to the citizens of developed and developing countries, leading to more time for citizens to attend and follow spectator sports, greater participation in athletic activities, and increased accessibility. These trends continued with the advent of mass media and global communication. Professionalism became prevalent, further adding to the increase in sport's popularity, as sports fans began following the exploits of professional athletes through radio, television, and the internet—all while enjoying the exercise and competition associated with amateur participation in sports.

In the New Millennium, new sports have been going further from the physical aspect to the mental or psychological aspect of competing. Electronic sports organizations are becoming more and more popular.

Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship is an attitude that strives for fair play, courtesy toward teammates and opponents, ethical behaviour and integrity, and grace in victory or defeat.

Sportsmanship expresses an aspiration or ethos that the activity will be enjoyed for its own sake. The well-known sentiment by sports journalist Grantland Rice, that it's “not that you won or lost but how you played the game", and the modern Olympic creed expressed by its founder Pierre de Coubertin: "The most important thing... is not winning but taking part" are typical expressions of this sentiment.

Violence in sports involves crossing the line between fair competition and intentional aggressive violence. Athletes, coaches, fans, and parents sometimes unleash violent behaviour on people or property, in misguided shows of loyalty, dominance, anger, or celebration. Rioting or hooliganism are common and ongoing problems at national and international sporting contests.

Professional sports

The aspect of sports, together with the increase of mass media and leisure time, has led to "professionalism" in sports. This has resulted in some conflict, where the paycheck are more important than recreational aspects, or where the sports are changed simply to make them more profitable and popular, thereby losing certain valued traditions. Indeed, since sport by definition is a leisure activity, "professional sport" does not and cannot exist. However the term is commonplace and accepted to mean a game or other activity, regarded by the general population as sport, which is performed by persons for reward with the intent to entertain spectators. The entertainment aspect also means that sportsmen and women are often elevated to celebrity status in media and popular culture. For this reason, many journalists have suggested that sports should not be reported by the general media but only by specialist magazines.

Politics

Sports and politics can influence each other greatly.

When apartheid was the official policy in South Africa, many sports people, particularly in rugby union, adopted the conscientious approach that they should not appear in competitive sports there. Some feel this was an effective contribution to the eventual demolition of the policy of apartheid, others feel that it may have prolonged and reinforced its worst effects.

The 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin was an illustration, perhaps best recognised in retrospect, where an ideology was developing which used the event to strengthen its spread through propaganda.

In the history of Ireland, Gaelic sports were connected with cultural nationalism. Until the mid 20th century a person could have been banned from playing Gaelic football, hurling, or other sports administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) if she/he played or supported football, or other games seen to be of British origin. Until recently the GAA continued to ban the playing of football and rugby union at Gaelic venues. This ban is still enforced, but was modified to allow football and rugby to be played in Croke Park while Lansdowne Road was redeveloped into Aviva Stadium. Until recently, under Rule 21, the GAA also banned members of the British security forces and members of the RUC from playing Gaelic games, but the advent of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 led to the eventual removal of the ban.

Nationalism is often evident in the pursuit of sports, or in its reporting: people compete in national teams, or commentators and audiences can adopt a partisan view. On occasion, such tensions can lead to violent confrontation among players or spectators within and beyond the sporting venue, as in the Football War. These trends are seen by many as contrary to the fundamental ethos of sports being carried on for its own sake and for the enjoyment of its participants.

Physical art

Sports have many affinities with art. For example, figure skating, drum corps, skateboarding, artistic gymnastics, dancesport, and Tai chi can be considered artistic spectacles. Similarly, there are other activities that have elements of sport and art in their execution, such as bodybuilding, free running, martial arts, professional wrestling, performance art, yoga, dressage, and culinary arts. Perhaps the best example is bull-fighting, which in Spain is reported in the arts pages of newspapers.

All sports involve physical and mental activities that are pursued for more than simply utilitarian reasons. For instance, running, when done as a sport, occurs for reasons beyond simply moving from one place to another. Value is gained from this activity when it is conducted simply for its own sake. This is similar to the concept of aesthetic value, which is seeing something over and above the strictly functional value coming from an object's normal use. For instance, an aesthetically pleasing car is one which doesn't just get from A to B, but which impresses with its grace, poise, and charisma. In the same way, a sporting performance such as jumping doesn't just impress as being an effective way to avoid obstacles. It impresses because of the ability, skill, and style that is demonstrated in its performance.

Art and sports were clearly linked at the time of Ancient Greece, when gymnastics and calisthenics invoked admiration and aesthetic appreciation for the physical build, prowess and ''arete'' displayed by participants. The modern term ''art'' as skill, is related to this ancient Greek term ''arete''. The closeness of art and sport in these times was revealed by the nature of the Olympic Games, which were celebrations of both sporting and artistic achievements, poetry, sculpture and architectures.

Technology

Technology has an important role in sports, whether applied to an athlete's health, the athlete's technique, or equipment's characteristics.

As sports have grown more competitive, the need for better and fancier equipment has arisen. Such as Golf clubs, bicycles, American footballs and helmets, tennis rackets, baseball and cricket bats, hockey skates.

Ranging from nutrition to the treatment of injuries, as the knowledge of the human body has deepened over time, an athlete's potential has been increased. Athletes are now able to play to an older age, recover more quickly from injuries, and train more effectively than previous generations of athletes.

Advancing technology created new opportunities for research into sports. It is now possible to analyze aspects of sports that were previously out of the reach of comprehension. Being able to use motion capture to capture an athlete's movement, or advanced computer simulations to model physical scenarios has greatly increased an athlete's ability to understand what they are doing and how they can improve themselves.

Terminology

In British English, sporting activities are commonly denoted by the mass noun "sport". In American English, "sports" is more used. In all English dialects, "sports" is the term used for more than one specific sport. For example, "football and swimming are my favourite sports", would sound natural to all English speakers, whereas "I enjoy sport" would sound less natural than "I enjoy sports" to North Americans.

The term "sport" is sometimes extended to encompass all competitive activities, regardless of the level of physical activity. Both games of skill and motor sport exhibit many of the characteristics of physical sports, such as skill, sportsmanship, and at the highest levels, even professional sponsorship associated with physical sports. Air sports, billiards, bridge, chess, motorcycle racing, and powerboating are all recognized as sports by the International Olympic Committee with their world governing bodies represented in the Association of the IOC Recognised International Sports Federations.

Highly recognized definition of "sport" on EU level is established by the Council of Europe: "all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels.

Grassroots sport

Grassroots sport is a popular phrase which is used in most of the articles about sport and sport for all. Czech Sports Association defines Grassroots sport as synergy of population active in "sport", sport organisations on the most basic level, essential infrastructure and suitable environment, where the main driving force is joy of "sport" itself. ("Sport" defined by Council of Europe)

Spectator sport

As well as being a form of recreation for the participants, much sport is played in front of an audience. Most professional sport is played in a theatre of some kind; be it a stadium, arena, golf course, race track, or the open road, with provision for the (often paying) public. Large television or radio audiences are also commonly attracted, with rival broadcasters bidding large amounts of money for the rights to show certain fixtures. The football World Cup attracts a global television audience of hundreds of millions; the 2006 final alone attracted an estimated worldwide audience of well over 700 million. The Cricket World Cup is another sporting event which attracts a global audience. The 2007 Cricket World Cup attracted about 2.3 Billion viewers all over the world. In the United States, the championship game of the NFL, the Super Bowl, has become one of the most watched television broadcasts of the year. Super Bowl Sunday is a ''de facto'' national holiday in America; the viewership being so great that in 2007 advertising space was reported as being sold at $2.6m for a 30 second slot.

The benefits of playing youth sports may include:

Better grades

Less risk of drug or alcohol use

Chance at sports scholarships

Health Benefits

The biggest risk for youth sports is the increased risk of injury, including concussions and gym class injuries.

Gender and sports opportunities

The rise of organized sports opportunities for girls has increased dramatically since the passage of Title IX in 1972. The number of female participants continues to rise as variables such as opportunity for involvement, valuing of sports as part of total development and overall fitness for girls and women has increased.

Despite the tremendous gains in sports participation made by girls and women during the last 30 years, there is still a persistent gap in the enrollment figures between males and females. The participation of girls is currently only 39% of the total participation in interscholastic athletics. There has been a slow but steady climb toward gender balance in the percent of female participants, from 32% of the males’ participation in 1973–74 to 63% in 1994–95. Hessel (2000).

See also

Outline of sports

List of sportspeople

List of sports attendance figures

List of professional sports leagues

;Related topics

Athletic sports

Combat sport

Disabled sports

Electronic sports

Fandom

Mind sport

Most popular sport by country

Multi-sport events

National sport

Nationalism and sports

Olympic Games

Paralympic Games

Spectator sports

Sponsorship

Sport in film

Sport governing bodies

Sports broadcasting

Sports club

Sports coaching

Sports equipment

Sports injuries

Sports league attendances

Sports marketing

Sport Psychology

Sports terms named after people

Women's sports

References

European Commission (2007), ''The White Paper on Sport''.

Council of Europe (2001), ''The Europien sport charter''.

Further reading

''The Meaning of Sports'' by Michael Mandel (PublicAffairs, ISBN 1-58648-252-1).

Journal of the Philosophy of Sport

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playername	Mario Clive Balotelli
fullname	Mario Clive Balotelli
dateofbirth	August 12, 1990
cityofbirth	Palermo
countryofbirth	Italy
height
position	Striker
currentclub	Manchester City
clubnumber	45
youthyears1	2001–2005
youthclubs1	Lumezzane
years1	2005–2007
clubs1	Lumezzane
caps1	2
goals1	0
years2	2006–2007
clubs2	→ Internazionale (loan)
caps2	0
goals2	0
years3	2007–2010
clubs3	Internazionale
caps3	59
goals3	20
years4	2010–
clubs4	Manchester City
caps4	17
goals4	6
nationalyears1	2008–2010
nationalteam1	Italy U21
nationalcaps1	16
nationalgoals1	6
nationalyears2	2010–
nationalteam2	Italy
nationalcaps2	3
nationalgoals2	0
club-update	16 May 2011
nationalteam-update	10 August 2011 }}

Mario Clive Balotelli (born 12 August 1990) is a professional Italian footballer who plays as a striker for English team Manchester City and the Italian national team.

At the age of three he was fostered by Francesco and Silvia Balotelli after his parents asked social services for help with Mario because of their cramped living conditions. As Balotelli's reputation as a footballer grew his biological parents, the Burwuahs, asked for him back. Balotelli later said that his parents only wanted him back because he had become famous and described them as "glory hunters".

He started his professional football career at Lumezzane and only played for the first team twice before having an unsuccessful trial at FC Barcelona, and subsequently joining Internazionale in 2007. Roberto Mancini brought Balotelli into the first team but, when Mancini left, Balotelli's disciplinary record fell away. Balotelli had a strained relationship with new head coach José Mourinho and in January 2009 he was suspended from Inter's first team after a number of disciplinary problems. His problems deepened in March 2010 when he came under heavy criticism by the Inter fans after he appeared on the Italian TV show ''Striscia la Notizia'' wearing an A.C. Milan jersey. This damaged the prospect of him having a long career at Inter, but he did make several appearances after that. He again caused controversy by throwing his Inter jersey on the floor when he was booed off by his own supporters in the UEFA Champions League semi-final tie with Barcelona.

Despite disciplinary problems he earned his first call-up for the Italian national football team for a friendly match against the Côte d'Ivoire after gaining Italian citizenship. He earned his first cap in that game, partnering Antonio Cassano and Amauri in attack.

Early life

Balotelli was born in Palermo, Sicily, to Ghanaian immigrants Thomas and Rose Barwuah. The family moved to Bagnolo Mella in the province of Brescia, Lombardy, shortly after Balotelli was born. As an infant Balotelli had life-threatening complications with his intestines which led to a series of operations, although his condition had improved by 1992. Mario's health problems and the family's cramped living conditions meant the Barwuahs decided to ask for the help of social services who recommended that Mario be fostered. In 1993 Mario was three years old when the Barwuah family agreed to entrust him to Francesco and Silvia Balotelli, with the legal move formalized by the Court of Brescia. When Mario Balotelli became famous his biological parents asked for his return. He later accused his biological parents of "glory hunting", stating that they only wanted him back because of the prominence he had gained. According to Law 91 of 5 February 1992, Balotelli had to wait until his 18th birthday in order to request Italian citizenship, as the Balotellis had not adopted him, and he officially gained citizenship on 13 August 2008.

Club career

Lumezzane

Balotelli began his career with Lumezzane. At the age of 15 he was promoted to the first team, making his first team debut in a Serie C1 league match against Padova.

Internazionale

Having had an unsuccessful trial with FC Barcelona at the age of 15 Balotelli was signed by Internazionale in 2006 on a loan deal with an option to purchase. He made his first team and Serie A debut on 16 December 2007 replacing David Suazo in a 2–0 win against Cagliari. Three days later he featured in the starting lineup in a Coppa Italia match against Reggina, scoring two goals in a 4–1 win. Balotelli gained national attention after he scored two goals against Juventus in the return leg of the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, being instrumental in a 3–2 away win for Internazionale. His first Serie A goal then came in April 2008 in a 2–0 away win against Atalanta. Inter went on to win the 2007–08 Serie A. Balotelli was a substitute in the 2008 Supercoppa Italiana final against A.S. Roma. He came on as a replacement for Luís Figo, scoring in the 83rd minute. Inter went on to win the final 6–5 on penalties after the match ended 2–2.

In November 2008 he scored his first Champions League goal in a 3–3 draw against Cypriot side Anorthosis Famagusta, becoming the youngest Inter player (at 18 years and 85 days) to score in the Champions League. This beat the previous record set by Obafemi Martins at 18 years and 145 days. In April 2009 Balotelli scored Inter's goal in a 1–1 draw with Juventus and was racially abused by Juventus fans throughout the game, including chants such as "Black Italians do not exist". This led to Massimo Moratti saying that he would have pulled the team off the pitch if he had been present. The racist chants were also condemned by Juventus chairman Giovanni Cobolli Gigli and Juventus were given a one game home-fan ban because of the incident. Inter won Serie A for the fourth time in a row.

In his second season with Inter, Balotelli had a number of disciplinary problems, most notably involving head coach José Mourinho who excluded him from the first team in the second half of January 2009. Earlier that season Mourinho had accused Balotelli of showing a lack of effort in training stating "as far as I'm concerned, a young boy like him cannot allow himself to train less than people like Figo, Córdoba, and Zanetti." Balotelli continued to be the subject of racist chants throughout the season, becoming the focus of Juventus fans even during games not involving Internazionale, leading to Juventus being fined twice and the club ultimately punished with a partial stadium closure.

Balotelli's disciplinary problems, and his difficult relationship with Mourinho, continued in the 2009–10 season. In November Inter drew 1–1 against Roma and Mourinho criticized his players, even going as far as saying that Balotelli "came close to a zero rating". The young striker again incurred the wrath of Juve (Juventus) fans in the heated Derby d'Italia away encounter with Juventus on 5 December 2009 which Inter lost 2–1. When he was elbowed by Juve midfielder Felipe Melo in the shoulder he fell on the pitch clutching his face and was promptly booked, while Melo was sent off for a second yellow card. The incident sparked a fiery altercation between teammate Thiago Motta and Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. The tension between player and manager reached its peak on the eve of the UEFA Champions League second leg against Chelsea after the young striker was not called-up, following an altercation with Mourinho. Despite Inter's 1–0 win at Stamford Bridge, London, Balotelli was criticized by several senior players including captain Javier Zanetti and veteran defender Marco Materazzi as well as his own agent. In March he came under heavy criticism from fans after he publicly sported an A.C. Milan (Inter's cross-town rivals) jersey on the Italian show ''Striscia la Notizia''.

Balotelli released a statement of apology in Internazionale's official website that read:

After a spell out of the team, Balotelli was recalled for the match against Bologna and he marked his return with a goal in their 3–0 win. He soon caused controversy again in the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona on 20 April as he threw his jersey on the ground after the final whistle, in response to Inter fans who had booed him for his poor performance. This led to an attempt by a small group of supporters to physically attack Balotelli after the end of the game. His behaviour brought disapproval from fans, team-mates and football pundits.

Manchester City

After weeks of speculation Inter reached an agreement for Balotelli's transfer to Manchester City on 12 August 2010, believed to be for around £24 million. However Inter reported it received €21.856 million, net of solidarity contribution to Inter and to other club, which in total about €22.6 million (as about 3.29% as solidarity contribution, payment to former club he spent in 9 years and a month). At Manchester City Balotelli reunited with his former boss, Roberto Mancini. who said, "his style of play will suit the Premier League, and because he is still so young there is a big chance for him to improve. He is a strong and exciting player, and City fans will enjoy watching him".

On 19 August 2010 Balotelli came on as a substitute to score in his debut against FC Timişoara in a 1–0 away win in the Europa League. Unfortunately he injured the lateral meniscus in his right knee in the match and on 8 September he underwent surgery that saw him sidelined until October. Balotelli eventually made his Premier League debut on 24 October as a substitute in a 0–3 home defeat to Arsenal and made his full debut on 30 October in a 2–1 away defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Balotelli scored his first and second Premier League goals on 7 November in a 2–0 away win to West Brom. In the same game Balotelli received a red card for violent conduct as the result of a clash with Youssuf Mulumbu, which his manager Roberto Mancini described as unfair. Balotelli scored the first two of City's three goals in the 3–0 win over FC Red Bull Salzburg in Manchester City's Europa League group stage match.

On 21 December 2010 Balotelli won the Golden Boy Award, saying that only one of the past winners was slightly better than he was – Lionel Messi. He also claimed not to know of Arsenal's Jack Wilshere, the player he narrowly beat to the award. On 28 December 2010 Balotelli scored his first Premier League hat-trick in a 4–0 win over Aston Villa. Despite this Balotelli still had problems and in March 2011 he was sent off in the second-leg of Manchester City's Europa League tie with Dynamo Kiev. On 14 May 2011 Balotelli was man of the match in the 2011 FA Cup Final as Manchester City defeated Stoke City 1-0 to win their first trophy in thirty-five years.

International career

Balotelli was unable to answer call-ups to the Italian national under-15 and under-17 teams as he was still considered to be a Ghanaian immigrant.

On 7 August 2007, five days before his 17th birthday, Balotelli received his first senior International call-up for Ghana from their coach Claude Le Roy for a friendly against Senegal at the New Den stadium in London, England, on 21 August 2007. He declined the offer citing once again his willingness to play for Italy when he became eligible. He also stated his willingness to represent Italy at international level once he acquired an Italian passport.

Italy U-21 coach Pierluigi Casiraghi stated his intention to call up Balotelli once he obtained Italian citizenship. On 13 August 2008 Balotelli was finally given Italian citizenship and Casiraghi called him to join the Italy national under-21 football team "Azzurrini" on 29 August for the matches against Greece and Croatia. In his debut on 5 September 2008 he scored his first international goal in a 1–1 draw with the Greek U-21's.

Balotelli was named in the final 23-man squad for the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championships and scored the opening goal against the hosts Sweden in the 23rd minute. Barely 15 minutes later he was shown a red card for retaliating against a Swedish defender Pontus Wernbloom.

Balotelli received his first call-up for the Italian senior team, as part of the squad announced by new head coach Cesare Prandelli, for a friendly match against Côte d'Ivoire - the first match after the 2010 World Cup. On 10 August 2010, two days before his 20th birthday, he made his debut in that match partnering Cassano and Amauri in a 0–1 loss.

Style of play

Balotelli is credited with pace and technical ability, but criticised for a petulant attitude.. His failed back-heel shot against LA Galaxy in July 2011 led to accusations of "showboating" by his own manager and club . He is often nicknamed "Super Mario" and can play anywhere along the front line. Balotelli is also a set-piece (dead ball) specialist and is regarded as a promising but difficult young striker.

Career statistics

3 8 9 6 0

Club	Season	League	Cup	Europe	Other	Total
!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
rowspan="4"	Internazionale		11	|	4	4	0	0	0	0	15	7
Serie A 2008-09	2008–09	22	|	2	0	6	1	1	1	31	10
Serie A 2009-10	2009–10	26	|	5	1	8	1	1	0	40	11
!Total	!59!!20!!11!!5!!14!!2!!2!!1!!86!!28
rowspan="3"	Manchester City		17	|	5	1	6	3	0	0	28	10
2011-12 Premier League	2011–12	0	|	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0
!Total	!17!!6!!5!!1!!6!!3!!1!!0!!29!!10
Career Total	!76!!26!!15!!6!!21!!5!!3!!1!!115!!38

Other - League Cup & National Super Cup

Honours

Club

;Internazionale

Serie A (3): 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10

Coppa Italia (1): 2009–10

Supercoppa Italiana (1): 2008

UEFA Champions League (1): 2009–10

;Manchester City

FA Cup (1): 2011

Individual

Golden Boy Award (1): 2010

References

External links

Career profile ''La Gazzetta dello Sport''

Profile ESPNsoccernet

Premier League profile

Category:1990 births Category:Living people Category:F.C. Internazionale Milano players Category:Manchester City F.C. players Category:Association football forwards Category:Italian footballers Category:Italy international footballers Category:Italian people of Black African descent Category:Italian people of Ghanaian descent Category:People from Palermo (city) Category:Serie A footballers Category:Italian expatriate footballers Category:Expatriate footballers in England Category:Italian expatriate sportspeople in the United Kingdom Category:Italy under-21 international footballers Category:Premier League players Category:Naturalised citizens of Italy

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name	Kevin Windham
birth date	February 28, 1978
birth place	Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
occupation	Supercross and Motocross Racer
networth	}}

Kevin Windham (born February 28, 1978 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana), is a pro motocross racer who currently lives in Centreville, Mississippi. At 17 he received a full factory ride from Team Yamaha. He has raced for many factory teams and holds several titles, back to back AMA 125 West Supercross Championships in 1996 and 1997, the 2005 Motocross des Nations team championship, and 2nd in points for the 2008 supercross season. Also, in 1999 Kevin won the United States Grand Prix of Motocross held at Budd's Creek, MD. Despite his longtime status as one of the world's fastest motocross racers, he is yet to win a major (250cc or 450cc) National or World Championship. He is better known by the nickname K-Dub on the racing scene.

Supercross and Motocross Career

Windham turned professional midway through the 1994 season. After an impressive performance at Mt. Morris, PA, where he nearly beat Doug Henry for the moto win, he was signed by Team Yamaha for the 1995 season.

In 1995 Windham took five podium finishes in the 125cc East Region Supercross Series, with a best result of second at Minneapolis. He finished that series in 5th overall. His top 125cc Motocross finish was fifth at Delmont, PA.

1996 was a breakthrough year for Windham, with 6 supercross wins he scored his first 125cc West Championship. Later that year he won 4 125cc Nationals and placed second to Steve Lamson in the championship.

Windham had another strong season in 1997. He won all but two rounds of the 125 West Region Supercross series and earned his second title in as many years. He also had 125cc National Motocross overall wins at Buchanan, MI, New Berlin, NY, and Delmont, PA. Windham also made history by winning a 250cc Supercross main event in Charlotte, NC while still a full-time 125cc rider. He was the first person, and so far only, in motocross history to do this.

In 1998 Windham moved to the 250cc class full time for Yamaha and won the New Orleans and St. Louis 250cc Supercross rounds. he took five additional podium finishes and finished outside the top-10 just once in the 1998 Supercross series. He finished 4th overall. He took podium finishes in the 250cc Motocross National races at Budds Creek, MD, and New Berlin, NY, but failed to score an overall victory. He broke his leg at the Washougal, WA, event and withdrew from the series. After a bitter contract dispute, Kevin Windham signed with Team Honda for the 1999 season.

After some initial struggles adapting to his new Honda, Windham hit his stride and won two Supercross main events and four motocross Nationals that 1999 season. He finished the outdoor season ranked second behind Greg Albertyn. Windham and Sebastien Tortelli both posed strong challenges to Albertyn all season, but eventually came up short. It is regarded as one of the most competitive motocross seasons ever.

However, A high point of kevin's motocross career came in 1999. Kevin decided to race the USGP being held at Budd's Creek, MD only three days prior to the event. European Champion and motocross hero overseas Stefan Everts made a comment concerning the top US racers deciding not to race the GP, rather to focus on the US races and the time off the week end allowed. Everts said he thought the US racers were being cowards. This angered Kevin Windham greatly. Stefan Everts at the time was one of the toughest racers to beat. Kevin went on to dominate the race and left no doubt that Everts had nothing for him on that day. This race was very emotional for Kevin and it took years for Kevin to finally say he was okay with Stefan Everts. Kevin put the motorcycle he won that race on his trophy room, suspended from the ceiling.

2000 was more of a challenge to Windham, as he scored just one supercross victory at Dallas, TX, and lost both the supercross title to Jeremy McGrath and the outdoor title to Ricky Carmichael, who was in his rookie 250cc National season.

Hoping for a positive change, Windham switched to Team Suzuki for 2001. It was a tough season, as it saw the beginning of Carmichael's domination for years to come. Windham did turn things around outdoors though, winning six motos. A titanic duel at the Washougal National between Carmichael and Windham is known as one of the best races ever, with Windham gaining the upper hand in both motos. He also won the season finale at Delmont, PA.

Dissatisfied with his performances, Windham couldn't seem to get things turned around. He broke his femur in a horrific crash in Atlanta in 2002. Windham did not return to the circuit the season and many speculated that he would retire at the young age of 23.

After over a year off, Windham announced his comeback for the 250cc Nationals in 2003 aboard a Factory Connection Honda CRF450R. With an emphasis on having fun and just enjoying the sport, Windham rode better than ever before, claiming two overall victories at Unadilla and Washougal, plus many other moto victories. He placed second to the champion Carmichael and cemented his status as a fan favorite.

Carmichael withdrew from the 2004 Supercross season for knee surgery. After a long battle with Yamaha's Chad Reed, Windham claimed 5 victories but still finished second to Reed in the title chase. By his standards, Windham had a mediocre summer and failed to win any races, finishing a distant third in the championship.

Several weeks before the start of the 2005 season, Kevin's mechanic, Jonathan, committed suicide after an incident with his wife and another man. Windham went on to win the muddy opening round in Anaheim. After a season long battle, he ended third in the championship behind Carmichael and Reed, but ahead of James Stewart. Windham won just one moto that summer at Unadilla, but was the only rider who could keep Carmichael in sight and finished 2nd overall once again. Teamed with Carmichael and 125cc Champion Ivan Tedesco, Windham helped his team win the 2005 Motocross des Nations in Ernee, France.

Kevin Windham broke his arm in training for the 2006 season and returned near the end of the supercross season. He rode a consistent outdoor series to finish a strong second overall once again.

The 2007 Supercross season was lackluster for Windham, he had some good races and podium finishes, but went winless to end the season 4th overall. Carmichael had switched to a partial schedule, and Windham was beaten by eventual champion Stewart, Reed and Tim Ferry. The outdoor season began with similar results, with Kevin finishing off the podium. But once the series headed to Unadilla, Windham broke through with his first outdoor overall victory since 2003 and first moto win since 2005. Windham would win the final moto of the season at Glen Helen Raceway. His series was up and down, and he finished a close 5th overall.

2008 would be one of Kevin's best supercross seasons ever. He never once finished outside the top 5, and finished up the season with 4 overall victories, including the Daytona supercross. The Daytona race was one of the most difficult in memory, as torrential rain flooded the course, making for treacherous conditions. Windham would take the win after Chad Reed's bike quit with just a few turns to go. As the season went on, Windham would pressure Reed extremely hard, and proved to be the fastest rider near the end of the series, but ended up falling a few points short of the title. He again finished 2nd in the championship.

2009 for Kevin has been nothing but bad luck for the Geico powersports honda rider. Kevin collided with James Stewart in the season opener while running in the top 5, finishing 15th. And a DNF in Indianapolis, while he was running in a strong in 3rd.In the 2010 supercross series Kevin once again showed he had what it takes to contend despite his age. He held the fastest qualifying times at a number of events including Atlanta, Georgia and Jacksonville, Florida. He found himself on the podium more than once. Windham won two consecutive races at one point, in Seattle and Salt Lake City.

References

Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:People from Baton Rouge, Louisiana Category:American motorcycle racers Category:Motocross riders Category:X-Games athletes

it:Kevin Windham

Name	Sebastien Tortelli
Nationality	French
Years	1994–2006
Teams	Kawasaki, Honda, Suzuki, KTM
Championships	125cc - 1996 250cc - 1998
Wins	20 }}

Sebastien Tortelli (born 19 August 1978 in Agen, France) is a two-time World Champion motocross racer. A longtime factory-sponsored rider, Tortelli has been a top ranked rider in both AMA National and Supercross competition, as well as the European-based Motocross Grand Prix World Championships.

Early European success

During his early career in Europe on the Grand Prix motocross racing circuit, Tortelli made his Grand Prix debut at the last GP of the 1994 season, just few days after his 16th birthday. In his first GP season, Tortelli claimed some race wins and finished 3rd of the championship. He won the 1996 125cc FIM World Motocross Championship and to this date is still the younger World champion. He was riding for Jan DeGroot's factory Kawasaki team. Tortelli had caught the eye of the motocross world with his aggression, incredible cornering speed and legendary fighting spirit. He graduated to the 250cc ranks of the GPs in 1997. While that year was plagued by some frightening high-speed crashes, Tortelli claimed several overall victories against perennial Grand Prix champion Stefan Everts. The next season would be much different.

In January 1998, at a one-off Supercross appearance in Los Angeles, Coliseum, California, Tortelli showed his incredible speed to the American public with a surprise victory. Tortelli planned to move to the United States to contest the AMA circuit in 1999, but first, he had a World Championship to win that summer.

In an epic, season-long battle, Tortelli and Everts (most crowned world champion of all time) traded the points lead multiple times, with one rider typically finishing just ahead of the other. The title fight went down to the final round, last race of theGreece GP, and it was Tortelli who shouldered the pressure, won the race and claimed the 1998 250cc World Championship. Everts was left reeling from the defeat, and several seasons would pass before he would again see the same level of success.

American career

Sebastien followed his long-time career goal and emigrated to America for the 1999 season, as a full factory rider for Team Honda. He struggled somewhat through that supercross season, saving himself for the outdoors. At the season opener in San Bernardino, CA, Tortelli came from behind in both motos, passing Jeremy McGrath and Kevin Windham to sweep the 250cc National in his very first try. He led the points standings most of the summer until he was injured in a crash with Doug Henry at Unadilla.

Tortelli improved further for 2000, scoring a strong 6th in Supercross and battling with Ricky Carmichael tooth-and-nail through the outdoor season, where he eventually finished second. It is Tortelli's best overall season in America to date. The next five full seasons would produce similar results, with Tortelli consistently placing top 5 in both Supercross and Nationals. He raced for Team Suzuki from 2003 through the 2005 season, and was so stricken with knee and wrist injuries that he was unable to complete an entire season. Whenever he was at the racetrack, Sebastien Tortelli's speed was always incredible. He was one of the few riders that could battle and pass Ricky Carmichael known as the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Times).

Return to Europe

Tortelli signed with KTM for the 2006 and 2007 season. The aim of his new deal was to beat his old rival Stefan Everts in the MX1 World Championship, and claim KTM's first World title in that category. After some early battles with Everts, Tortelli's 2006 season came to abrupt end when he crashed during the Portuguese round of the championship, dislocating his hip and ruling him out for the remainder of the season. Whilst Everts rode on effectively unchallenged to his final world title, rumours linked Tortelli with a move back to America in 2007. However, with Tortelli struggling to regain fitness, he announced his retirement from professional motocross in December 2006.

In 2007 with the desire to share his knowledge and passion of the sport, Tortelli created his own motorcycle school: ChampFactory MX School With riders like Justin Brayton, Ryan Sipes, Will Hann... Tortelli became the official riding coach for KTM North America until early 2009. In the mine time he developed his own simple way to explain riding techniques to all age and level of riders and build some international MX ,Off Road school.

Tortelli still race occasionally in found raiser and charity events but actively focus his time to his school and coaching pro and amateurs riders like Blake Wharton, Jason Anderson, Tommy Searle, Jace Owen... to bring them to the highest level of Supercross and Motocross.

References

Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:People from Lot-et-Garonne Category:French motorcycle racers Category:Motocross riders

ca:Sébastien Tortelli fr:Sébastien Tortelli sv:Sébastien Tortelli

Mike Alessi (born May 19, 1988) is a professional Motocross and Supercross racer. He began riding motorcycles at the age of three and became a professional racer at age sixteen. Alessi is widely known for being one of the fastest starters in motocross and is always a threat to get the holeshot in the beginning of the race.

Amateur career

Alessi's rise through the amateur ranks began at age six when he won his first National Championship at Loretta Lynn's in Nashville, Tennessee. After ten years, Alessi had tied James Stewart Jr.'s all-time Amateur National championships with eleven.

Professional Debut

When Alessi first turned pro in 2004, he made an appearance in two races in the 250cc class, currently called the Motocross Class. His first race was at Spring Creek Motocross Park in Millville, Minnesota. He failed to score any points and was thirtieth overall. Three weeks later, at Steel City Raceway in Delmont, Pennsylvania, Alessi proved that he could compete at the professional level when he scored a 3rd overall finish behind Ricky Carmichael and Kevin Windham in his second professional race.

250/Lites Class Career

Alessi elected to sit out the 2005 Supercross season in order to prepare himself for his first full season as a professional motocross rider in the 125cc class (currently Lites Class). He had four podium finishes that year, two of which he finished first place overall. An on-track incident at the final race at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California led to his disqualification from the event. As a result, Alessi was put on a year long probation by the American Motorcyclist Association and finished 3rd overall in the championship.

The beginning of 2006 marked the first season of Supercross in which Alessi would be contesting. He struggled the first few rounds of the Supercross Lites West Region series, but began to find his rhythm towards the end of the season. He scored a top five finish in the last five rounds of the series that included two back to back 3rd place finishes at San Francisco and Anaheim. Alessi finished the West Region championship in 4th place. The final Supercross race of the season did not count for the Lites championship, but that did not stop Alessi from finishing a career best second place overall at the Las Vegas Lites East/West Shootout.

Riding the season ending success he experienced in Supercross, Alessi looked poised to win he's first professional championship in the 2006 Motocross Lites National Championship series. Alessi opened the series with a first place overall finish at the Hangtown Motocross Classic in Sacramento, California. He went on to score eight additional podium (top three) finishes. Unfortunately, his consistent success was not enough to best his amateur rival, Ryan Villopoto. Alessi finished the season second overall.

In 2007, Alessi moved over to contest the Supercross Lites East Region Championship. After one top three performance and two DNF's (did not finish), Alessi finished eighth in the championship.

450/Premier Class Career

Alessi had announced early in 2007 that he was stepping up to race in the premier Motocross Class for the 2007 AMA Motocross Championship. Many critics felt that he was abandoning his chance at a championship in the Lites class, but Alessi was confident that he was making the right choice for himself. After finishing the first two races just barely inside the top ten, Alessi recorded six podium finishes and finished second place overall in his rookie season in the Motocross class.

Alessi's debut season in the Supercross Class seemed promising as he was fourth place in the championship points race after five of seventeen rounds. His season was cut short in San Diego during the sixth round of the 2008 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. During the second practice session, Alessi crashed in the whoops section of the track resulting in a broken collarbone. After a seven week recovery, Alessi decided to sit out the remainder of the 2008 Supercross season in order to prepare for the upcoming 2008 AMA Motocross Championship.

Alessi quickly established himself as the second fastest racer behind James Stewart Jr. during the initial rounds of the 2008 AMA Motocross Championship. However, Alessi suffered a severe crash at Red Bud Raceway on July 6, 2008 during the second moto. The crash resulted in Alessi breaking both shoulder blades and a rib, bruising a lung, and suffering a severe concussion. He sat out the remainder of the season and finished tenth overall in the championship.

In September 2008, three months before the beginning of the 2009 Monster Energy AMA Supercross series, Alessi broke his fibula and tibia bones in the lower left leg during a Supercross practice session. After recovering from his injuries, Alessi competed in the entire 2009 Supercross season scoring eleven top ten finishes one of which was a third place podium finish in Indianapolis. He finished the season ninth place overall.

The 2009 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross saw the renewed rivalry of Ryan Villopoto and Mike Alessi as Villopoto made his debut in the newly renamed 450cc Class (previously called the Motocross Class.) Alessi finished second overall behind Villopoto at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California. In preparation for the second round of the series, Villopoto injured his knee during practice and would be forced to have surgery and sit out the remainder of the 2009 season. With Villopoto out for the season, Alessi won the second and third races of the series and took over the series points lead. In preparation for the fourth round of the series, Alessi crashed during a practice session and broke his left kneecap. After surgery and a two week recovery, Alessi felt he could rejoin the 2009 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross series and continue fighting for the championship. After a crash in the first moto of the fifth round at Thunder Valley Motocross Park in Colorado, Alessi opted not to risk further damage to his knee and decided to sit out the remainder of the 2009 motocross season.

For the 2010 racing season, Alessi signed once again with factory KTM. He sat out the entire 2010 Supercross season spending most of his time in Europe testing the brand new KTM 350SXF. Alessi debuted the 350CC machine at the opening round of the 2010 AMA Motocross Championship. He scored an impressive second moto win and took home a second overall finish. Unfortunately, Alessi struggled the rest of the summer to produce the results he experienced during the first round of the series. After scoring only one more top three overall finish (a second place during the tenth of twelve rounds) Alessi finished the series fifth overall.

Sponsorships

Mike Alessi has raced for Honda, Suzuki, and currently KTM since he became a professional rider in 2004. He and his brother Jeff Alessi are currently the only American riders to have a full gear sponsorship from Alpinestars. Mike's other major sponsors include Skin Industries, Red Bull, and EKS Brand goggles.

Personal life

Mike currently splits his time living in Victorville, California and Hilliard, Florida with his fiancé Danielle.

References

External links

Alessi Racing Official Site

Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross

KTM Racing

Alpinestars

Category:1988 births Category:Living people Category:American motorcycle racers Category:People from the Inland Empire (California) Category:Motocross riders

it:Mike Alessi