The Mesoamerican Ballgame, which does not really have an official name, was a popular sport across ancient Mesoamerica and was played by all of this region’s major civilizations including the Olmecs, Aztecs, and Maya. The game was most likely invented by the Olmec sometime between 2500 – 100 BCE.
In addition to being a sport, the game was an important part of Mesoamerican mythology and religion — some cultures used the game to choose the human sacrifices for religious ceremonies. Over time, different versions of the game were developed and more modern version of the game, ulama, is still played by the indigenous population of the area. Disclaimer: Mankind’s earliest sports grew out of survival skills. Wrestling is considered one of the very first, with depictions found in the Lascaux cave paintings in France dating back over 15,000 years. Running also has prehistoric roots, since speed was crucial for both hunting and escaping danger; by around 3,000 BCE, footraces were already being held in Egypt and Mesopotamia, and the very first Olympic event in Greece in 776 BCE was a sprint known as the stadion.
