Be A Part Of It And Follow A Sport | Weekend Idea

Have you ever flicked past a sports game and had no idea what’s going on? How do people even like this stuff? What’s the point? Or maybe you’ve felt like sport is something only ‘tough guys’ can be into and it’s just not a space you feel welcomed into. All of this is totally valid to think and feel but i'm here to tell you how all of this doesn’t have to be true and following a sport might be the next hobby you should pick up!  

How And Why I Started

I grew up with my parents watching a bunch of different sports, usually following our international teams. In our household, having a game or match on the tv meant the barbecue was going and the drinks were flowing, with friends and neighbours over at ours for a good time. After we moved to the east coast of Australia, we started watching the most popular sport here - Rugby League. It started with the “State of Origin”, an annual 3 match series of rugby league with the Queensland team vs the New South Wales team. We then started following the National Rugby League (NRL), rooting for the team representing our closest city. Even after moving out, I still follow the NRL and now in the last 2 years, I also closely follow Formula 1 racing after binge watching the Netflix series “Drive to Survive”.

By just following these two sports, there is something to watch almost every weekend. While I don’t make an event out of every game, every now and again there is an NRL game playing in our city that we can go and see live, an F1 race on at a reasonable time for our time zone that’s fun to bring some friends over for, or a big NRL game on like the finals and state of origin that’s always worth firing up the barbecue and making an event out of! 

Not only is there now just always something to look forward to on the weekend, following sport has also been a great way to socialise and feel a part of something. It’s such a buzz walking to a rugby game in my team jersey, surrounded by other people in the same jersey, all cheering for the same thing when we get to the stadium. It’s also a great hobby to have in common with other people for weekly chit chat, going to live sports as a group, going to a sports bar with friends, or having a living room or backyard party for the big games!

So, Should You Start Following A Sport This Weekend?

Let’s break down the pros and cons of watching sports as a hobby:

Pros

• It’s fun cheering for things

• There are plenty of social opportunities 

• Looking forward to the next game/match/race

• It’s nice to feel part of a team 

• So many sports to choose from

• Sense of togetherness with other supporters 

• Interesting news and drama between games

• Sports watching is a widely accepted hobby, so easily accessible 

• A great and easy talking point 

• Great memories to make with friends going to a live game

• Growing inclusivity in sports with more women’s teams helping to feel less like a “boys club”

• Can be fun to just watch

Cons

• There can be toxic gender ideals surrounding certain sports but this is getting better 

• Exposure to gambling and gambling ads

• Your team doesn’t always win and can’t guarantee a good game every time

• Sports streaming subscriptions and live games can be expensive 

• Crowds can be overly rowdy depending on the sport

• Not all sports are available to watch for free 

• International games/races might be on during the night depending on time zones 

There are so many different sports to choose from that have varying levels of the pros and cons I’ve listed above. If you’re not sure what sport or team to chose, ask your friends and family what they follow and go for a team that represents the city, state or country that you live in or where you’re from! Try and learn the games rules with a friend and start your own game day rituals like watching at home with a mate and ordering takeout, or heading to a bar with a group for a drink and a chicken parmi while the game on in the background. 

If watching sports is something you’ve already tried, check out some other weekend ideas here. (More coming soon!)