I was traveling this past weekend so didn’t get the usual Super Bowl experience. Dashing in and out of airports, on and off planes, you get a very different view of the Super Bowl, albeit an interesting and enlightening one. For starters, you learn a lot about people’s strong feelings about players, teams, and half time shows, all of which you don’t usually get at the same decibel level with friends and family. You also learn a lot about how sports bring us together. People who don’t usually have a lot of things in life to connect on, can, at least for a few hours, relate to a game.
As the final whistle blew in overtime, my flight was taking off to the cheers of many a Kansas City fan, fading as we elevated into the night sky. Sure, the spectacle known as the Super Bowl was over, but beyond the touchdowns, tackles, and Taylor Swift sightings, there lies a profound truth: sports possess a remarkable power to bind us together. In 2024, an election year, it’s always important to find things that bring us together and demonstrate that shared humanity that is always there under the surface. Sports, as simple as they may seem, helps show a connection between us all.
In a world often divided by politics, religion, and social status, sports serve as a unifying force, transcending boundaries and fostering a sense of camaraderie among strangers. While I wasn’t high-fiving strangers in the airport, there were quite a few folks, strangers on most days, who found their new best friend in between clutch plays. Whether you're donning the colors of your favorite team or engaging in friendly banter with rivals, sports provide a common ground where differences are set aside, if only temporarily, which is funny because it’s usually your team vs. my team. But for whatever reason, these differences are embraced and seen as part of the game. It's a gentle reminder that beneath our varied backgrounds and beliefs, we share a fundamental desire for connection and community.
Music does this, too. Art as well. There are a lot of things that help us transcend some of the artificial drama we create in life and actually bring us together instead of further divide us. But indeed, there’s something magical about sports and what they do for us and our health.
According to one published study, youth who participate in sports are significantly less likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety compared to their non-sporting peers. Furthermore, additional research reveals that regular physical activity, such as sports participation, can reduce the risk of developing mental health disorders. These studies tell us what we already know, that there’s a transformative impact sports has on our mental health and well-being. Said a bit differently, engaging in physical activity within a structured and supportive environment can serve as a potent antidote to the stresses of modern life.
But it’s not just about the physical activity, it’s about the community around the activity that’s also important. If you’ve ever had a kid who plays sports where you have to travel for games, you know that while the competition is indeed exciting, sometimes the hanging out with other parents is an added bonus. Sure, we’re all there to support our kids, see their team do the best they can, but in between all the blown whistles are opportunities for connection. From my experience, the most wonderful part of these events is that no one is sitting around asking you questions about work or what you do for a living; no, it’s much more about you as a person in the context of your kiddo who is out there hustling on the field.
Another study further corroborated previous studies on the relationship between sports participation and various aspects of mental health, including both well-being and ill-being. There’s a clear association between sports involvement and positive mental health outcomes in adults, with team-based activities often yielding the most significant benefits. Not a surprise, right? For me, however, the most interesting finding is the role of sports in fostering those social connections I was just talking about - these relationships that support our well-being. This social component truly plays a vital role in so many facets of our life.
So yes, the Super Bowl is over, the commercials long forgotten (unless you are Dunkin, of course), and the planning is already underway for which 90’s artists can hold our attention for a 15 minute half time show next year but hopefully some memories of your experience remain. Whether it's the camaraderie forged on the football field, the sense of purpose found on a soccer field, or the random stranger in an airport cheering on the same team, the benefits of sports extend far beyond participation, offering a lifeline of support and community that many of us may not find elsewhere.