play ~ do ~ go

In English, there are three different verbs to talk about sports:

play ~ do ~ go

1) Use PLAY for team sports or sports played with a ball:

football
baseball
basketball
rugby
tennis
hockey
volleyball
cricket
soccer
badminton
golf

I love to play badminton.

I played basketball when I was in high school.

In my spare time, I play soccer with my friends.

Do you play any sports?

When I was a kid, I loved playing baseball with my family.

2) Use GO for sports that end in –ing (gerunds):

skiing
swimming
climbing
diving
fishing
running
jogging
skating / figure skating

I love to go jogging in the morning before I go to work.

My grandfather and I go fishing every time I visit him.

Every winter, my family and I go skiing in the Rockies.

What are you doing this weekend? Let’s go swimming!

*NOTE: There is NO to between go and the activity. You do NOT ‘go to swimming. ’ You just ‘go swimming. ’

The sports that end in –ing are all in gerund form. They can also be used in their verb form:

ski
swim
climb
dive / scuba dive
fish
run
jog
skate / figure skate

Do you scuba dive? Yes! I love scuba diving.

I learned how to ski when I was 9 years old.

She skates at the local community centre.

He runs marathons for fun!