The term "athletics" can refer to two main things:
- Athletics as a general term for human physical sports and games involving running, jumping, throwing, and other physical skills. These are competitive sports that require stamina, fitness, and skill, and include track and field, road running, cross country, and race walking. This form of athletics has ancient origins traced back to the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece and remains one of the most common sports worldwide. The word's origin is from the Greek "athlos," meaning contest or task.
- Athletics as the name of a professional sports team, specifically the Oakland Athletics (often called the A's), an American Major League Baseball team. The team was originally founded in Philadelphia, moved through Kansas City, and then was based in Oakland, California, before relocating plans to Las Vegas. The Athletics have a rich history in baseball with multiple World Series titles and a notable legacy.
To clarify, if the query refers to "athletics" as sports, it does not point to a specific place but rather describes the category of physical sports. If referring to the "Athletics" sports team, they are historically from Oakland, California, though originally from Philadelphia and later Kansas City before Oakland, and they are moving to Las Vegas in the near future.
Hence, where the athletics "come from" depends on the intended meaning—either the ancient and global tradition of athletic sports or the specific baseball team originating from Philadelphia and most recently based in Oakland.
