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Sports in Spanish: Vocabulary, conversation Starters and Free Printable Flashcards

If you are working on a sports unit in your Spanish classroom, today’s post will cover all things sports in Spanish.

First, we will look a a list of sports vocabulary in Spanish.

Then, we will walk through different vocabulary that can be used in sports, including sports verbs, where sports take place, equipment used in sports and sports players.

Next, I will share some conversation starters that you can use to open dialogue in your classroom.

Lastly, I will share a FREE resource with you, 15 sports flashcards in Spanish, that you can get by subscribing at the end of this post!

Sports in Spanish. Vocabulary, conversation Starters and Free Printable Flashcards

How do you say sports in Spanish

Before we dive right into the list of sports in Spanish, first we need to learn how to say sports in Spanish.

Sport in Spanish is el deporte.

The plural form is los deportes.

Most popular sports in Spanish

Can you guess what the most popular sport in the world is?

With 3.5 billion followers it is….. football, or what we call in the U.S., soccer! Did you guess right?

To start this post off, I want to share some of the most popular sports in Spanish

Sports in Spanish

Further down in this post, I will share a more extensive list of sports in Spanish.

If you are teaching sports vocabulary to children, it’s important first to start with sports they are familiar with before diving into less known vocabulary.

Below is a list of the most popular sports in Spanish!

BaseballBéisbol
BasketballBaloncesto
BoxingBoxeo
BowlingBoliche
CricketEl críquet
FishingPesca
FootballFútbol americano
LacrosseLacrosse
Hockey (field/ice)Hockey sobre (césped/hielo)
KarateKárate
Jump RopeSaltar a la cuerda
RunningCorrer
SkatingPatinaje
SkiingEsquí
SoccerFútbol
SoftballSóftbol
VolleyballVóleibol
WrestlingLucha

Spanish Sports Vocabulary

Below you can find a list of sports in Spanish in alphabetical order.

Take note, many of the sports in Spanish and English are cognates, meaning they have the same linguistic derivation as each other. Take, for example, béisbol. It is spelled differently, but it sounds very similar to the English word, baseball.

Then you also have borrowed, or loan words such as golf. In Spanish golf is el golf. Don’t let the same spelling confuse you though, these words have different pronunciations.

For pronunciation of the sports in Spanish, I will link a link to a video at the end of the list.

AcrobaticsAcrobacia
AerobicsEjercicio aeróbico
ArcheryTiro con arco
AthleticsAletismo
BadmintonBádmintón
BaseballBéisbol
BasketballBaloncesto
Beach VolleyballVóleibol de playa
BodybuildingFisioculturismo
BoxingBoxeo
BowlingBoliche
CanoeingCanotaje
Car racingAutomovilismo
ChessAjedrez
CricketCríquet
CyclingCiclismo
DartsDardos
FencingEsgrima
FishingPesca
American FootballFútbol americano
GolfGolf
GymnasticsGimnasia
HikingSenderismo
Hockey (field/ice)Hockey sobre (césped/hielo)
KarateKárate
KickboxingKickboxing
Jump RopeSaltar a la cuerda
LacrosseLacrosse
Martial ArtsArtes marciales
MotorcyclingMotociclismo
MountaineeringMontañismo
Mountain bikingCiclismo de montaña
Paddle TennisPádel
ParachutingParacaidismo
ParaglidingParapente
Pole VaultingSalto con pértiga
Race walkingMacha atlética
RacketballRáquetbol
Rock ClimbingEscalada
Roller skatingPatinaje sobre ruedas
Rope climbingEscalada de cuerda
RugbyRugby
RowingRemo
RunningCorrer
SailingVela
Scuba divingBuceo
SkatingPatinaje
SkiingEsquí
SnorkelingBucear
SnowboardingSnowboard
SoccerFútbol
SoftballSóftbol
StretchingEstiramiento
SurfingSurf
SwimmingNatación
Table tennisTenis de mesa
TennisTenis
VolleyballVóleibol
Water SkiEsquí acuático
Weight liftingLevantamiento de pesas
WrestlingLucha

More Spanish Vocabulary about Sports

Below I am going to share some sport vocabulary in the following categories, verb, where sports take place, sports equipment, and player positions.

Sports in Spanish

Spanish Sport Verbs

GanarTo win
PerderTo lose
JugarTo play
CalentarTo warm-up
NadarTo swim
EstirarTo stretch
PatinarTo skate
CaerTo fall
PeleaTo fight
CorrerTo run
SaltarTo jump
PatearTo kick
ServirTo serve
RematarTo spike
PegarTo hit
RegatearTo dribble
TirarTo throw
AgarrarTo catch
EmpatarTo tie
BalancearTo swing
PasarTo pass
To stealRobar

Where sports take place

La canchaField/court
La pistaTrack/Rink
La piscinaPool
El estadoStadium
El campo de golfGolf course
El gimnasioGym

Sports equipment in Spanish

La pelotaBall
El bateBat
La raquetaRacket
El guante de béisbolBaseball Glove
El arcoGoal
La redNet
El discoPuck/disc
Las espinillerasShin gaurds
Los zapatosShoes
El tacoCleat

Player positions in Spanish

El árbitroReferee
El entrenedorCoach
El jugadorPlayer
El porteroGoalie
El defensaDefense
El centrocampistaMidfielder
El delanteroForward
El lanzadorPitcher
El receptorCatcher
El futbolistaSoccer player
El beisbolistaBaseball player
El jardineroOutfielder
El basePoint guard
La escoltaShooting guard
El aleroForward
El equineroCornerback
La animadoraCheerleader
El pasadorQuarterback
La guardiaGaurd

Alright, I tried to cover a wide range of vocabulary that can be found in the most popular sports. Nevertheless, there is always more Spanish vocabulary that could be added to the list. I will cover those in individual posts in the near future!

Now let’s move into basic conversation starters that you can use in your classroom.

Sports in Spanish: Conversation starters

Now that we have browsed through the comprehensive list of sports in Spanish, let’s take a peek at some conversation starters that you can use to practice sport vocabulary.

Sports in Spanish

Below is a list of questions that you could use to get your students talking about sports.

Ask them out loud, or have them practice writing in Spanish by answering a few of the following questions.

¿Cuál es tu deporte favorito?What is your favorite sport?
¿Practicas algún deporte?Do you play any sports?
¿Te gusta jugar (deporte)?Do you like playing (sport)?
¿te gusta ver deportes en la television?Do you like watching sports on TV?
¿Has ido a ver algún partido en un estadio?Have you gone to see a sport at a stadium?
¿Te gusta más el (deporte) o el (deporte)Which sport do you like more, (sport) or (sport)?
¿Has practicado artes marciales?Have you done martial arts?
¿Te gusta nadar?  Do you like swimming?  

I hope you found a conversation starter to get your awesome students talking in Spanish! Now, let’s move on to the free resource, sports in Spanish flashcards!

Sports in Spanish Flashcards Free printable flashcards

A great way to teach sports in your Spanish class is by using flashcards.

Today I have a set of 15 bilingual, watercolor sport flashcards in Spanish that I want to share with you. And guesss what? They’re FREE! Woohoo for Freebies!!

What sports words come in these flashcards?

Sports Flashcards in Spanish- Free Printable

In this set of 15 sports flashcards in Spanish you can find the following words:

El baloncestoBasketball
El béisbolBaseball
El fútbol americanoFootball
El vóleibolVolleyball
El fútbolSoccer
El boxeoBoxing
El bolicheBowling
El golfGolf
El surfSurf
El tenisTennis
El senderismoHiking
El esquíSkiing
El patinaje sobre el hieloIce skating
Saltar a la cuerdaJump Rope
El badmintonBadminton

How can you get your free sports in Spanish flashcards? Easy. All you have to do is subscribe in the box at the end of this post. From there, you will receive a confirmation e-mail. One you confirm, you will receive a welcome e-mail from me with a secret password and instructions on how to access these sport flashcards, as well as over 40+ free Spanish printables!

Now, before you subscribe, check out some fun ways you can use these sports in Spanish flashcards!

  • The best ways to memorize words is to print off two sets and use them as a memory matching game. This activity is perfect for younger children to practice language development and memorization skills to connect the spoken word to the image. Make sure every time you flip over a card, you say the name of what’s on it!
  • Play a fun game by having your child stand on the opposite side of the room as you, or even better outside. First, shuffle the flashcards. Then, lift a flashcard and show your child. Lastly, if they guess it right, they can take a step or hop forward! If they mess up, a step backward! Will they make it to where you are?
  • Here is a fun Spanish game you could play with more advanced students. This game involves the Hedbanz game which is a fun family, or classroom guessing game. Use your laminated sports flashcards in Spanish and have players ask questions to the other plays to try and figure out what sport vocabulary they have in their band. Below are some example sentences and questions:

¿Este deporte usa una pelota?

¿En este deporte se usa las manos o los pies con la pelota?

¿Se usa un casco es este deporte?

¿Se juega este deporte a dentro o a fuera?

What a great game to use the se personal right?

  • You could play a bilingual game and say the version in English. Have your child repeat it in Spanish and vice versa.
  • Bring in any sport equipment into the classroom. Let your students touch and feel the items. Talk about the items in Spanish. Then have them sort the items into the relevant categories. This will help your students remember the sports in Spanish.
  • Place the flashcards face up on a table and see how fast your child can recognize the Spanish space vocabulary.
  • Another fun way is to play Slapjack by placing all of the flashcards face down on a table. Say a word on the list and have your child flip the cards over until they find the correct space vocabulary word.

Alright, now that you know a few fun ways to use your sports in Spanish flashcards, head to the box directly below and enter in your e-mail. Don’t forget to confirm. If you do not see a confirmation email, check your spam folder, sometimes they like to land there.

Well I hope you enjoyed today’s post about sports in Spanish. Stay tuned for my next post on hobbies in Spanish!

¡Hasta pronto!

More Spanish resources:

Sports in Spanish. Vocabulary, conversation Starters and Free Printable Flashcards