The sports that we know of today have been around for hundreds and for others a couple of thousand years. Sports such as wrestling, discus, and javelin throwing have been around since the first Olympic Games in 776 B.C. More popular sports like baseball, basketball, American football and volleyball were not invented until the 1800s. With all of these sports being a staple in international culture, we have yet to see the establishment of a new sport that has had a big impact. However, within the past 50 years, there are some sports on the rise that might just be it. 

First is underwater hockey, which is very similar to ice hockey. Underwater hockey contains a team of six players where players’ sticks are 11-inches long and wear fins and diving masks The biggest difference between underwater hockey and ice hockey is that the net is a nine-foot-long trough and the position of goalie does not exist. Because the game occurs underwater, underwater cameras are placed to capture the action. 

Breakdancing was created by young African Americans during the 1970s in New York City and spread nationwide and even taken to the international level. This style of dancing requires performers to dance to upbeat music and to complete hard moves such as the headspin. In June, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will vote to see if competitive breakdancing will become a part of the Olympic program. As of now, the proposed competitive breakdancing in the Olympic program will have 16 dancers performing one-minute routines in a 12-by-12-foot space and will be judged on creativity, technique, variety, musicality, personality, and performance.  

Since the publishing of the first book in the Harry Potter series in 1997, Quidditch has been on the rise. The sport consists of two teams with seven players carrying a 39-41 inch pole between their legs on a 60-yard-long field. There are three hoops varying in sizes at each end of the field. For a team to score points, a team’s chaser kicks or throws a quaffle, formally known as a volleyball,  into the opposing team’s hoops. There are two players that throw bludgers, or dodgeballs, to knock out opponents. Each team also has a seeker who needs to catch a snitch. The snitch a ball that is attached to the snitch runner who is a neutral participant. When the snitch is caught, the game automatically ends. 

In 2016, professional drone racing became a sport. Drones are typically 10 inches in diameter and fly around a designed at 90 miles per hour and the race lasts about a minute. Those who participate in professional drone racing can make a six-figure salary and have several sponsorship options. 

More recently, the sport of Cybathlon has been on the rise. Cybathlon is a competition where people with disabilities use robotics, exoskeletons, and other technology to race each other. What is unique about Cybathlon is that it measures the proficiency of technology. The is helpful for startup companies and researchers to display the technology they have made for people with disabilities.