New sports are coming to the Summer Olympics in 2028

Four new sports will be added to the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 2028. They are flag football, squash, lacrosse and cricket. That’s cool.

Most Americans have some familiarity with the first three. 

We look forward to learning about the intricacies of cricket.

 

It’s a mysterious bat-and-ball game that is played between two teams of 11 players each on a field. There are wickets, bails and stumps that come into play, and you have strikers and nonstrikers. Pitchers are called bowlers.

USA TODAY sports writers polled current Olympians about potential “new sports” that should be included in future Olympics’ competition.

Kenny Bednarek of Rice Lake, Wis., a track and field athlete who specializes in running the 200-meter event, cast his vote for dodgeball. Indeed, the sport has universal appeal. Every American elementary school student has been introduced to the game in gym class, as part of the physical education curriculum.

 

International dodgeball championships have been organized since 2016, and the World Dodgeball Association (WDA) is campaigning for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to introduce the sport to the Games.

WDA president Tom Hickson of Leeds, Yorkshire, England, said more than 67.5 million people play dodgeball globally. “You can play the sport anywhere, whether it’s in the park, in the street or in a leisure centre.”

Ben Hallock, a water polo player from Santa Barbara, Calif., recommends that mixed martial arts (MMA) should be added as an Olympic sport. MMA is widely popular and one of the world’s fastest-growing sports. However, the IOC is grappling with the MMA’ reputation as a bloody and violent form of competition.

 

MMA combatants typically require several days to recover between matches, and the short timeline of the Olympics is not conducive to that need. Joe Chaconx of Bleacher Report said MMA competitors are also reluctant to wear protective headgear, which the IOC would likely mandate.

Brody Malone of Johnson City, Tenn., a member of the men’s gymnastics team, suggests the IOC add rodeo to the Games. “I grew up doing (rodeo), so I’m kind of biased” Malone added.

 

Writing for The Team Roping Journal, Julie Mankin said Malone began roping calves when he was in kindergarten.

“I can remember leaving a junior rodeo with him jumping off a steer he was riding and running to the minivan to get to a gymnastics meet,” recalled J.D. Malone, Brody’s father.

“Brody broke his foot once when a bucking bull stepped on him, after which his dad made him stick to roping,” Mankin wrote.

Rodeo events are unlikely to win the favor of the IOC, however. The resistance from animal rights groups is well-organized and extensive.

John Tolkin of Chatham Borough, N.J., a member of the men’s soccer team, voiced his choice for darts to become an Olympic sport.

 

Sports journalist Scotty Jenkins is in full agreement. He described the sport of darts as “electrifying.” More than a tavern game, darts is played professionally in 76 countries.

“The case for darts is simple,” Jenkins said. “Although it takes years of practice to master, darts can be played by anyone, regardless of age or gender. Moreover, the rules are simple and it’s extremely fun to watch. Take all these factors together, and you have one of the most inclusive sports out there.”

The World Darts Federation, headquartered in Downey, Calif., continues to push for the sport’s inclusion in the Games.

Jenkins’ “favorite sport” that he says needs to be included in the Olympics is “Ultimate Frisbee,” which is currently played in more than 100 countries worldwide, combining “athleticism, skill and strategy.”

Essentially, it’s a non-contact team sport played with a flying disc flung by hand, which originated in Maplewood, N.J., in 1968. (Since “Frisbee” is a registered trademark of the Wham-O toy company, the sport has been shortened officially to “ultimate.”)

 

With two teams of seven players per side, points are scored by passing the disc to a teammate in the opposing end zone. “A basic rule is that the player possessing the disc must not take steps,” Jenkins said.

Personally, dodge ball, darts and ultimate all fall under the category of games, in my book…coming up short as true sports.

Next in line for serious Olympic consideration, according to Jenkins, is the sport of bowling. Clearly, it’s a sport enjoyed around the world, with more than 100 million players.

 

So why isn’t bowling already an Olympic sport? We’ll go there next time.