It can be tough to love sports as an outsider looking in. You get bombarded with stats, players, and more sports talk than you know what to do with. But that doesn’t mean you have to love the game less just because it’s confusing. And it does not mean you won’t be able to win over your diehard sports fan friends with these 11 tips.
- Learn the lingo: If you want to fit in, learning some of the words that your favorite players and commentators like to use can go a long way. For instance, know what a “touchdown” is, or what “muff” means. If you do, you’ll be one step closer to becoming a real fan yourself.
- Troubleshoot: When it comes to watching sports on TV, there’s something called “troubleshooting. It’s like solving puzzles, but instead of matching shapes with stickers or shapes with numbers, you’re trying to decode the action on the field. You need to tap into your knowledge in order to do this.
- Watch before you comment: Whether it’s a sporting event or not, always remember that you probably don’t know everything about the players and teams involved. If you don’t know something, just ask someone who does. Don’t gloat over your smarts if you happen to know exactly what happened during a game, because even though you are right about it, people will feel like they’re wrong if they don’t agree with your answer (and in some cases they probably are.)
- Remember it’s like anything else: Sometimes sports can be boring, or a particular sport might not be your thing at all. You can’t know for sure if you don’t ever take the time to watch the game!
- Don’t lose your temper: While sports are exciting, it’s important to remember that there are other people who are watching as well. You don’t want to be that guy who was yelling at the TV because you lost track of the game and didn’t understand what was going on.
- Be open minded: Plenty of different sports exist, and there’s plenty of different ways of watching them too. Don’t be that fan who only watches one sport, and who always thinks you have to follow a certain team or player (or wear your favorite jersey year round!)
- Be a fan of the game, not just an expert: Even if you’ve been playing sports for years, it doesn’t mean you know everything about them. There are plenty of critics out there who think they know every little detail about the game but they’re also notoriously wrong. Listen to what others have to say too and keep an open mind!
- Remember the important stuff: Amateurs who play or watch sports for fun are happy if they remember to do the things that really matter. Remembering the basics (the rules, how to act too) is a great way to show your friends that you’re learning how to appreciate their favorite sport.
- Don’t take it too far: Whether you’re watching or playing, keep your cool and try not to go overboard in your quest for perfection and success. When in doubt, always ask yourself if this is something you’d want someone else to do if they were watching! Would you like it? Would you like it if your friend were shouting at his or her team? If not, don’t start doing that now.
- Have some fun! After all, what’s the point of watching sports if you aren’t going to have a good time? Even in the ugliest of games, there are still moments where things can get really exciting!
- Remember why you’re doing it in the first place: Sports serve many purposes, but most importantly they are supposed to be fun and entertaining in their own right. So don’t forget to celebrate your own achievements, like finally being able to remember the names of a few players on your favorite team, or getting that really hard-to-reach pass in the lacrosse game! Think of these as achievements too and pat yourself on the back every once in a while.