People play sports to socialize, for exercise, to keep fit, to earn money, to become famous, to prevent boredom, to find love, and for the sheer fun of it. They may strive to improve their performance, but often they do so for its own sake, for the sense of achievement.
次外，我还想说体育运动没有单一的“精神”。人们从事运动是为了社交、锻炼、保持身材、赚钱、成名、打发时间、寻找爱情或仅仅为了享受运动本身的乐趣。他们可能会努力提升成绩，但很多时候只是为努力而努力，寻求一种成就感而已。