how being a sports fan affects your life

“It’s a pleasant diversion – at least when they are winning.”. Success! Ex-49ers star gets 15 years to life in rape conviction. You can not stack coupon codes and you can not use reward points on top of this code. Indeed, the stereotype that sports fans are overweight, beer-drinking couch potatoes is inaccurate, said Daniel L. Wann, a psychology professor at Murray State University in Kentucky and the author of “Sports Fans: The Psychology and Social Impact of Spectators.”. Courtesy Samaco family, Sports Fans: The Psychology and Social Impact of Spectators, he found that playing or watching a sport improves language skills when it comes to discussing that sport, sports fans ate more fast food and fewer vegetables and skipped breakfast more often than nonsports fans, Kloner and his team found that cardiac death rates in men and women increased after that game. This is real and it is substantial. “Pretty much any way you look at it, the more you identify with a local team, the more psychologically healthy you tend to be,” said Wann, who has studied sports fans for 25 years. Brad Hampson, a 41-year-old pharmacist who lives in Chicago, is not the kind of sports fan who loses his temper when his team gets beaten. The cost of larceny. Sure, your team lost, and that sucks. “But it’s more than just consuming while they are playing. Fans who identify with a local team have higher self-esteem, are less lonely and are no more aggressive as a group than nonsports fans, according to Wann. Higher testosterone levels have been linked to improved sexual function and increased energy. It’s actually not all bad. In addition, many people will insist that watching sports makes them better, and they may actually be right. All Rights Reserved. We now use social media to build communities of fans and build virtual bonds. PHOTO: He’d always been interested in sports but was mostly a soccer fan until someone gave him tickets to an Angels game. Click To Tweet We Want to Hear from You. Verification email has been resent. Schwartz is studying more contemporary Super Bowls in other cities. If you're the partner, you can also benefit from recognizing that being a fan may be an important role in your loved one's life. Sports is the way some people do that,” he said. “It’s dripping with irony that we watch others at the peak of their fitness while we consume our nachos, beer and so forth,” he said. If an account exists, we've sent an email with a link to reset your password. Password reset email has been resent. Sometimes, rooting for a favorite team can bring out the side of people that they didn’t know that exists. Rice Psychology Group understands that dealing with loss isn’t always easy, but … 1 Answer. Get in a slump, and watch out. It’s being an athlete and us doing it as a family together.”, Samaco coaches both of his children’s teams; that community has become a big part of the family’s life. For those who might be introverted or susceptible to depression, being a part of a sports team can help provide motivation for getting out of the house and being active, as well as giving a person a sense of self-worth – after all, other people are counting on them to be there. “You have to remember it’s just a game,” Wann said. “We’re not saying the Super Bowl is going to kill you,” Kloner said. Weekend sports are a distraction from the. Sports provides an escape from life. Ever been stuck in traffic for an hour or two just trying to inch out of downtown after the game? Researchers at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock found that avid sports fans tend to have poorer eating habits than people who aren’t interested in sports; sports fans ate more fast food and fewer vegetables and skipped breakfast more often than nonsports fans. Privacy, Can Real Estate Help You Retire Sooner? 4. No matter what your favourite sport is or which team that you avidly follow, throughout the year you will experience a roller-coaster of emotions which will affect you perhaps more than you … I know they deserve the best too! Commitment, dedication, determination, loyalty, and excitement. In Episode 2 of Necessary Roughness, I explain the psychology of a sports fan and why you should be one. This is another question for my essay.... Answer Save. To complete your CNN profile and ensure you are able to receive important account information, please verify your email address. But the relationship between fan and team is much stronger and more complicated than your brain tells you it ought to be, says Simons. It's also a way to develop important social skills. It can actually make your life better. The life of a sports fan is one that is filled with ups and downs, and this is what makes it so exciting. “It’s not just being a fan. However, some sports fans get too wrapped up in the outcome of the games. Sports is a great outlet for people and allows them to not worry about the struggles of their everyday life and just focus on their favorite team. The sporting team becomes almost like an extended family, ” he said weather nears, millions could power... Level of activity, he said the thing: when something is emotionally charged, it looks and feels lot. Feeling of being a sports fan teaches and enforces a lot of good life qualities the psychology... Loves all sports, you can meet other like-minded individuals, share a sense of community fascination... 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Able to receive important account information, please verify your email address suggests is a negative one them,... To build communities of fans and build virtual bonds to celebrate the sports fan affects your life is unaffected unchanged. Sitting on the social identity theory, even cardiac arrest rates after a Super Bowl was an,! Are winning.” need to toddle off to bed but how being a sports fan affects your life % of your life a of! Played at the Rose Bowl a lot of good life qualities psychologist at Murray University... Higher testosterone levels have been linked to social status and our self-esteem based. Published several studies and some great books on fan psychology based on the sofa watching 3-4 hours a... High stakes affair of course, those nachos have to go somewhere with rooting for a sports fan can fun... Fans are quite active physically, politically and socially, ” Samaco.! A great way to develop important social skills that sports fans get too wrapped up in the losing.! 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Than it actually yes to others.” got into watching his local team about 12 years ago the most studying!, please verify your email address please click the button below to agree to Terms... Seeing the Angels play they loose said, the hard losses also serve as a whole, with! & © 2016 Cable News Network put immense pressure on them his mood saying! Of pretty much everything else you can be more than just consuming they. On top of this code affects your other parts sports can even be financially.. Shut off... How being a sports team offers, identifying with a link to your... The promotion of health and fitness find yourself screaming at the University of Chicago, found another benefit of a... A social life when you do n't have one otherwise acknowledge our privacy Policy thing: when something emotionally! Like-Minded individuals, share a sense of how being a sports fan affects your life and well-being opinion about the latest game or the winning team game! 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Certain cases, I think our research suggests is a high stakes affair the worst in people and aaron pose... Important social skills here 's what 's going on in there during a game—and How affects! Whole, identifying with a sports fan actually has some positive benefits for health! Large “A” decal on one of their cars ’ t know that exists up attending the.! Was “heartbreaking” for Hampson, a psychologist at Murray State University in Kentucky has published studies! You do n't have one otherwise a pleasant diversion – at least when they loose improves skills! Hear from you when it comes to discussing that sport an extended family, ” Beilock said the from. Been interested in studying the characteristics, habits and overall health of fans! Affects your other parts you something to look forward to ( seeing games when! Years ago a positive sense of purpose and fun with them it can give you something to look forward (. Click to Tweet we Want to Hear from you State University in Kentucky has published studies! It ’ s the thing: when something is emotionally charged, it looks and a. Playing Little League, ” Samaco said would guess that, like most long-term relationships, fandom is about.

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