You might be wondering how you ended up at a sports game when you are the furthest thing from a sports fan. Sure there might be better ways to spend your time, but here you are stuck on the bleachers surrounded by people screaming apparently for no reason. What just happened? Did someone score? Is that good? Help! If you find yourself in this situation, there are definitely ways to still have fun at a sports game.
If you are not a sports fan, you will not likely go out of your way to attend a game. If you do, it will be most likely that you were invited by your friends or significant other either because they had an extra ticket or just wanted to include you. Of course, you have the power to say no, but maybe your curiosity gets the better of you to get a glimpse at the world of sports. No matter what, you will at least be with good company that you can turn to in case you decide to give up on what is happening in the game. If you see it as a chance to hang out with your friends, you will be more likely to have fun at the game.
If you have no idea what a field goal is or how exactly someone “scores a triple”, there’s no better place to learn. While you are at a game, you can at least try to figure out the game by watching the players. Sports like basketball, soccer, and hockey are pretty fast-paced so there will be plenty of action to keep your attention. Maybe not so much with baseball or football since it might seem like there’s a lot of standing around and doing nothing. Ask your friend who invited you questions about the game. Don’t be afraid to look stupid since they should be aware that you are not the biggest sports fan.
Sports fans are known to be quite rowdy and rightfully so. An entire stadium or arena evoking the same type of energy is bound to be infectious. If the crowd cheers for something, cheer as loud as you can. If they lost a point, let your disapproval be known. The more enthusiasm, the better. They won’t know if you are faking it and you will likely never seen them again so why not let loose. Just hope that nobody wants to strike up a conversation about what just happened.
At the very least, you will get to enjoy the finest cuisine that these stadiums get to offer. Overpriced as they might be, stadiums will likely have specialty food options that are exclusive to them. The hot dogs might come loaded with toppings or the nachos will include extra spicy cheese. It might be difficult to share, but you can treat yourself to the food options that are offered. You just might be more focused on your food than the game. Maybe even a drink or two will help make the game seem more fun.
Speaking of food, there is plenty of food available at tailgates before the game. These are more likely to occur during football games outside of the stadium at both college-level and professional games. People gather in the parking lots and grill, eat, drink, play games and overall have fun. This is a good place to start before you even enter the stadium. You cook your own food with your group of friends or wander around hoping people are nice enough to share. You might even make new friends who are in the same situation and is just here for the food.
If you want to make it seem like you belong at the game, the best way is to show your support for the team that is playing. If you are not a die-hard sports fan, you might not go out of your way to spend money on team mercy. Ask your friends if they have a spare jersey or cap that you can wear to the game. Even if it’s not the right size, it’ll only be for the day. However, if you do feel like wearing your own swag, feel free to head to the merch stand. This way you’ll have a souvenir of the day you spent at a sports game. If you don’t end up becoming a fan, you can always just wear it casually to show hometown or school spirit.
An alternative to wearing the team’s merch is to dress according to the themes. It is typical for college sports games to be themed although sometimes professional games will have a theme for the crowd. Themes vary from a white-out (wear all white) to a black-out (wear all black) or dressing all in neon. These themed games give you the chance to be more creative with what you wear, plus you can always get great pictures with your friends.
If you are still struggling to get into the game despite being there for what feels like forever, you will at least have halftime to look forward to. For football and basketball games, there is typically a halftime show where the cheerleaders or dance team perform for the crowd. These are always fun to watch and gives you a chance to take a break from the game you were only kind of paying attention to.
If you are not a sports fan, it’s okay to have your reasons. If you do find yourself at a sports game sometime, just do your best to make the most of the experience. No matter what sport it is, each team generally comes with a sense a history, tradition, and it’s own type of camaraderie that fans love. You might feel it once you walk in the arena for the first time or when the game actually starts and the crowd roars. Even if you are not completely convinced by the time the game’s over, at least you can say you tried something outside of your comfort zone.
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