For most of my life, I was indifferent to/snobby about sports. “It’s just a game,” I sniffed. I didn’t get it: the stats, the fandoms, the lingo. What was the point? Why were grown people so riled up?
Then, about seven years ago, I started to get it. Suddenly and unpredictably, I started to care—a lot. I read the stats, I learned the lingo, I became a true (Carolina!) blue fan.
I’m writing about this today because there are lots of people out there who are just like I was, feeling a little superior about not being sports fans. And look, that’s cool. I’m not here to tell you to find a sport or a team to root for; if it hasn’t happened for you, I’m sure you are doing many other great things with your time!
But let me say this. One reason I love rooting for this team is that it connects me to other people in a unique way. In an airport security line, in a children’s museum cafeteria, on a business trip with a new colleague—learning that we share a love for this team brings us closer. We can talk about the last game, next season, coaching changes, or what the players are doing after they graduate. The sport gives us a way to talk to each other, common ground that can open up into deeper connection.
In the last month or so, I’ve connected on Twitter with a Ukrainian Tar Heel fan. He watches every game and tweets about whether we’re in foul trouble and who is going to get hot on offense, just like all the other fans do. He has also put a human face and experience on the war in his country for the hundreds of Tar Heel fans in the US who have connected with him. I think of him and his family every day when I read the news, and I check in on his Twitter feed to see how he’s doing.
When humans are participating together in an endeavor, it’s never just a game. We create the potential for community, support, and change every time we see a bit of ourselves in someone else, when we embrace our common ground before we highlight our differences. We have lots of ways we can do this, and for me, sports is a powerful one.
How do you create moments of connection with others in these siloed times?
Oh, and–Go Heels!
