Sports Fan

By: Matt AKA Dad

Sports have played a significant role in the lives of my family. My wife and I both played multiple sports, our parents, siblings, cousins and friends all were involved in athletics too. It’s only natural that we also follow college and professional sports teams. Now that my 9 year old Caiden has become a full-blown sports fan, I decided that it was time to share my thoughts on sports fandom.

Let’s start here: I root for Penn State football and wrestling, Duke basketball, and the Detroit Lions. My favorite college teams have had relative success but the Detroit Lions have been downright awful for a long time. That being said, my sons are welcome to root for whoever they want. In good conscience, I can’t force that misery on them.



My thoughts on being a sports fan are split in two ways. First, you should never be so passionate about a sports team comprised of athletes that you most likely have zero personal connection to that if they lose, it ruins your mood for the rest of the day. Like I said before, I’ve dealt with plenty of losing with my Lions, so maybe I’m just desensitized.  I’ve known friends that broke some of their belongings after a loss, others even had to take off work the following day just to be away from other people! 

Second, there has to be a certain level of loyalty. My boys are welcome to root for different teams and change their minds on occasion. However, when they are just beginning as sports fans, I tell them that they must root for the same team from the beginning of a game to the end. As they get older, they have to stick with a team for the whole season. They can choose a team because they like the city, the mascot, a particular player, the reason doesn’t matter. What matters is that they stick with their choices and deal with the end result. 

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