BAM! With the crack of the bat, the baseball is powerfully turned back around, past the pitcher and over the fence, as the crowd erupts in applause. Celebrating the game-tying home run, fans high five the strangers beside them, wave their rally towels and splash their drink without even realizing. 

This is just one of many thrilling depictions of live sporting events, not even scratching the surface of the diversity and depth that sport-centered memories hold for fans everywhere. But what makes these experiences so exhilarating? Why not just stay at home to watch it on television? At the end of the day it’s just a game, right?

Beyond the sheer fun of having the opportunity to watch an event in-person, there is actually quite a lot of psychology behind the subconscious shared identity, communal experience, emotional attachment and belonging that cheering for the same team can have on a group. With the age of technology, the world is in a deficit of these benefits, seemingly parallel with the growing convenience of being able to watch sporting events from the comfort of one’s home either live, or even further amplified, via streaming or multi-view features.  

According to George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, “When we strongly identify with our favorite teams, we often feel a greater sense of belonging, which boosts our excitement and emotional investment in games,” which in turn taps into humanity’s need for social connection by fostering a unique communal experience. Sporting events serve as a catalyst for fans to share an identity with people of a variety of backgrounds, transcending individual differences. 

By wearing a Jayhawk T-shirt on vacation and a passerby sharing a “rock chalk,” there is an immediate connection and sense of understanding amongst the two people, creating connectivity. These effects still apply even when the outcomes aren’t ideal: the all-too-common losses, drama, and inconsistencies of success in the sports world.

“Being part of a sports community allows us to celebrate victories or find solace in collective disappointment, reinforcing inclusion and mutual support,” the university’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being said. Whether a team is winning or losing, the impacts of fandom are still very prevalent. 

Live sporting events also play a role of escapism at times for people, allowing time to temporarily disconnect from the struggles and stressors of daily life. On a larger scale, sporting events are just one example of our human nature in craving to feel connected to something larger than themselves. 

So yes, sports are just a game. But the influence they have on us, particularly when enjoyed in-person, delves far deeper into human psychology, affecting not only our sense of personal belonging, but creating a shared identity amongst thousands of people, especially in the state of our highly polarized, divided, and isolated society. Very few things in this world have the same impact on humanity as live sports do. 

So if you ever get the chance, take the time, financial investment and effort to get out to a game. It may change your life or at least change your thoughts on sports “just being a game.”