Fans are on the edge of their seats with eyes locked on the game ahead.  Players giving it their all, throwing themselves at every play with their love for the game on their sleeves.  A final shot – exciting the crowd as it hits the back of the net.  The winning team clears the bench, rushing to celebrate with teammates and a smiling coach, together.  The losing team huddling and leaving together.  Fans of the winning team cheering, throwing popcorn, dancing, laughing and more.  Fans of the losing team collectively upset, leaving together.  

No matter the outcome of a game, one thing is sure – players and fans have created a connection through the emotions and experience.  Across the globe, sports are more than a competitive activity – sports create a vast community through shared experiences and emotions between those in the stands and those on the field, court, ice, etc.  

“Sports create common goals and strong emotions that connect people on a deep level,” said student-athlete Kaelie McCracken.   When it comes to playing on a team,  the abundant amount of time spent with teammates forms bonds and friendships.  Players experience the same wins and losses, grow together, and share emotional times.  This builds community by empowering the concept of teamwork.  Struggles are inevitable, but having a strong group of teammates by your side makes the struggle worth it.    

Teammates and coaches see all sides of each other – the good, the bad and the unintentional.  The display of strength teams use to uplift each other feeds into the stands, resonating with their fans.   The community grows from the players to fans, friends, families and schools at any level, all the way to professional sports.

“Fans, players, and communities all share emotions tied to the game, which creates connection,” said student Allie Simons, a club hockey player and a Boston sports fan.    

In the stands, fan bases are the core of any sports team.  Showing up, dressing in team gear and colors, bringing signs, engaging with like-minded fans. Starting chants to support the home team, or having guts and starting a chant for the away team is one of the ways fans and players create a growing community.  Having fun with “strangers” with the same goal, doing the same activity.  Fans are families, friends, coworkers –  people from all walks of life.  

Athletes also enjoy other sports and are fans of other athletes. Why are we always so excited to see professional athletes enjoying a different sporting event? It is because fans can connect with athletes, and the athletes are connecting with the fans.  

Sports are all one large support system.  

When watching and cheering on a team, fans know they are not alone.  Sports connect people on such a deep level where people throw parties and often treat championship games with the same importance as holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.  

Regarding why fans support teams, Simons said, “it gives them a sense of belonging and identity, and fans feel loyalty and pride in representing something bigger than themselves.” Being a sports fan is beyond the wins and the losses; it is about feeling involved, included and seen in personal enjoyment.  Sharing love for a team – no matter the level – is something so intimate that strengthens a vast, diverse community.  

When fans show their support, it feeds on to the players.  When fans know what they do – cheering, attending games – is helping their team succeed, they cannot help but feel successful themselves.  

When supporting a team, McCracken said, “it’s rarely about the sport itself, it’s about what the team represents.”  Many sports teams are ambassadors and participate in charitable work.  Athletes’ stories – even the sad ones – are brought to light to display their humanity and create a stronger connection with fans.  Fan bases care so deeply for athletes they may view as heroes.      

Sports fans carry a team’s win or loss with them to work the next day, just as the players do heading into their next practice.  

Between players and fans, their energies feed off of one another.  When a team is thriving, their fans are thriving, filling the crowd with cheers.  Student Sadie Yapor said, “there is a joy of seeing your team win and having the feeling you were a part of it all.”