Amateur facts for kids
The word amateur describes someone who does something, like a hobby or a job, because they love it, not because they get paid for it. They might not have had special training for it, but they do it for fun or passion.
The opposite of an amateur is a professional. A professional expects to be paid for their work. They earn money from what they do.
The word "amateur" comes from a French word meaning "lover of". So, an amateur is someone who truly enjoys what they do, like playing the piano or football. They aren't doing it to make a living.
Sometimes, people mistakenly think "amateur" means someone isn't good at something. But that's not always true! An amateur can be very skilled, sometimes even better than a professional. For example, an amateur pianist might play incredibly well, even better than some paid musicians.
In some jobs, it's impossible for amateurs to work. You can't have amateur doctors or lawyers because these jobs require special training and licenses. However, in other areas, amateurs have been very helpful. Think about computer programming, astronomy, or birdwatching. Many amazing discoveries and projects have come from passionate amateurs. For example, the huge online encyclopedia Wikipedia is mostly written by volunteers who are amateurs.
Amateurs in Sports
In the world of sport, sometimes all players in an event are professionals, and sometimes they are all amateurs. Many events today even let both professionals and amateurs compete together.
In the past, especially in sports like tennis or football, amateurs and professionals often did not play against each other. This wasn't always because amateurs were seen as less skilled. In countries like Great Britain during the Victorian era, it was sometimes about social class. Rich gentlemen who played amateur cricket didn't want to play with people from lower social classes who were paid to play. This way of thinking slowly changed during the 20th century.
For a long time, until the 1970s, most Olympic events were only for amateurs. Athletes could be disqualified if they received money for competing in the Olympics, or even if they had been paid for other sports events outside the Olympics. Today, most Olympic sports allow professional athletes to compete.
Related pages
Images for kids
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An amateur footballer playing for fun.
See also
In Spanish: Amateur para niños
