Why Sports Are Such A Big Deal For Your Well-Being

The FIFA World Cup is in full swing with the round of 32 teams now finalized. With mere minutes to go, Team Canada made the cut after an historic win against South Africa on June 28^th, solidifying them as a team to watch. Similarly to the Olympics, the World Cup is one of the few sporting events that truly captures the globe’s attention as spectators around the world showcase their national pride, and their deep love for the game of soccer, or as most of the world calls it, football.

By simply being an observer of the FIFA World Cup, it would be hard to ignore the level excitement, but also reverence that fans and host cities have for the game. The time and preparation it takes for cities to organize in advance for the event, and from a fan’s perspective, to potentially travel to watch your team play – necessitates a high level of mental and for some, financial investment. Sporting events have a unique way of bringing people together to collectively share in a wide-range of emotions; from pure joy and fandom, to even the depths of sorrow and grief. Even more, it also holds the unique ability to keep people coming back for more, game after game, hoping for the winning outcome that they’re looking for.

When you break down the human experience as it relates to sports, many of its characteristics look quite similar to the effect a drug might have on the brain. A Canadian research lab at the University of Waterloo has been studying how the affects of watching sports impacts brain activity and function from a neuroscience perspective (the study of the brain and human nervous system). Led by Professor and researcher Luke R. Potwarka, PhD, of the Spectator Experience and Technology (SEAT) Laboratory, their team of researchers “investigate the role of sport spectator experiences in the promotion of individual health and well-being”. Their most recent study focused on the experience sport watchers have during a game and the parts of the brain that are most activated during key game moments. During the study, 20 participants were observed while they watched a hockey game. The study found that face-offs during the game (the moment when the referee drops the puck between the two opposing teams to begin or restart a game) activated and had the biggest impact on parts of the brain that are responsible for mental stimulation, excitement and emotional investment, specifically in participants who would be considered super fans of the game. The reason for this? Well face-offs represent a moment in the game where an assessment of strategy and evaluation are likely to occur, requiring greater attention and focus. Another moment that was observed to have a significant impact on the brain for super fans were scoring chances. While the study is focused on the game of hockey, there are reasons to believe that similar results could also exist in other sports.  

The study also sited other research that found that the greater the fan you are of a sport, the more likely you are to be a loyal consumer and repeated watcher of that sport. The study defines a super fan as someone whose chosen sport is a central part of their life and key aspect of their identity. This explains why the biggest fans of soccer come from parts of the world where soccer is apart of their daily life and culture. Key features of soccer that make it so appealing is that it doesn’t require a lot of equipment to participate in and the game itself can be played almost anywhere. In North America super fans are probably more likely to be found in hockey American football and basketball since they are key aspects of North American culture, especially given the amount of training organizations that exist to create a pipeline of future professional athletes.

The results of this hockey study are important for a couple of reasons. The first being, in understanding why certain parts of the world care about soccer more than others, and why many have and will continue to travel to watch games in what is the biggest and highest stakes soccer event in the world. Secondly, it provides additional evidence that sports can help relieve stress, provide mental stimulation and generate excitement that can strengthen the brain, particularly for its most loyal fanbase.

The study also goes on to also say that its findings can be used to help sports broadcasters and game organizers further please their fanbases by possibly narrowing in on key moments that matter most to watchers based off brain activity. However, sports don’t necessarily need to be commercialized in order for it to be fully enjoyed. The game of soccer is evidence alone that as long as you have a ball, the game can and will take place. As for countries around the world that don’t have state of the art soccer stadiums, fancy viewing parities, or even the financial backing or attention of soccer organizations, the sport has proven its ability to still to draw in spectators who are willing to watch and forever follow along.