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Rooting for something bigger: What sports fandom does to our Mental Health

  • Writer: Brenda Lopez
    Brenda Lopez
  • 4 days ago
  • 2 min read

Every few years there's a particular kind of magic that happens globally, the world cup. You could be on the subway repping the same jersey as the person across from you, and an instant connection is formed, a quiet acknowledgement of celebration. For ninety minutes, millions in the city and around the world are collectively cheering, crying, booing and waiting in anticipation. This feeling of togetherness isn't just a simple moment of celebration, but it's also genuinely good for your mental health.  


When you root for a team something powerful happens in your brain and your body. Dr. Daniel Wann, a psychologist who has spent decades studying sports fans consistently, found that identifying with a team gives people a built in sense of belonging, a ready made and accessible group of people that care about the same thing you do. Fans who feel connected to a team report lower levels of loneliness and depression, while feelings of life satisfaction and self esteem are heightened. So that jersey and anthem you sing aren't just trivia, they are feeding one of humanity's deepest needs; a desire to belong to something bigger than ourselves.


For many residents in New York City, immigrants, children of immigrants and people with roots scattered across the globe, the world cup is more than just a tournament. Cheering for your country's team can feel like being home once more. It connects generations across time, bringing us back to time spent with parents, grandparents, and our mother tongue. All of these connections can be joyful and tender all at once. You may find yourself feeling emotional as your favorite team takes the field, it's not silly or fanaticism. This feeling is connected to identity, memory and love. 


Honoring this feeling and holding space for it can be the remedy to disconnection. In 2023, The U.S. surgeon general released an advisory declaring we are in a loneliness epidemic, with health risks comparable to smoking. So much of modern life keeps us isolated, doom scrolling or connecting though a text rather than in person. A shared fandom does the opposite, it pulls us out of our individual digital bubble and into a collective joy. Research shows us that connection is medicine for the soul.


So this summer give yourself permission to go all in, wear the jersey, go to the watch party, and dance your heart out along with the whole city. Text your cousin in a different time zone and let yourself feel. If you notice yourself craving more connection, not just during the games, that's something to take into account. The longing for belonging is one of the most human things there is and it's something we'd be honored to explore with you at Jamron Counseling. 


Sources: 

  1. Sources: Wann, D. L. (2006). Understanding the positive social psychological benefits of sport team identification. Group Dynamics, 10(4), 272–296. 

  2. Office of the U.S. Surgeon General (2023). Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

 
 
 

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