Education in Middle Earth

It is a pity that the Shire did not have a centre of excellence, e.g. a monastery, where new skills, lore and craft could be learned and taught from generation to generation, until a guild of stewards was formed to protect the values, ethics and development of the centre. Hobbits were not religious though, so a monastery was not really an option. This may have saved many Hobbits from disease, such as obesity, lung cancer and binge drinking, to name but a few health benefits.

Clearly history and geography were popular subjects among the lore of all races in Middle Earth. But what of sport? Surely at least Hobbits could have had a mini Olympic Games?