A few years ago, on a visit to Los Angeles, I went to the airport wearing an FC Barcelona jersey. As I was walking through TSA, a security guard jokingly commented on how I was repping the wrong team. Despite a clear power dynamic, this simple interaction not only brought me joy, but it opened a whole new world where suddenly communicating with a stranger wasn’t so hard.

This experience is one of the many ways being a sports fan manifests itself in positively impacting us and satisfying basic human needs. 

Connecting with others is not just human nature, it is part of our well-being. In a study by Daniel Wann, a professor of sports psychology at Murray State University, he found that by immersing ourselves in a community that is so perfectly built around our interests, we are unknowingly promoting our social and mental wellness. 

I can’t count the times I have been overjoyed to find out someone I just met is interested in Formula 1 or the times I’ve smiled after seeing someone walking around campus wearing my team’s merch.

Even if you aren’t rooting for the same team — just as me and the security guard weren’t — knowing you are just as passionate about a sport as someone else can help create a strong sense of community and belonging. 

And can you guess who loves belonging? Us! Humans! 

There is no better feeling than being in a stadium surrounded by people in matching colors and outfits who are sharing in both your joy and disappointment. These experiences allow us to bond with strangers over something we value highly and are incredibly pleasing to the humanistic nature of being socially connected. 

This lowered sense of loneliness is surprisingly not temporary. Wann also found that although fans’ feelings of loneliness diminish while watching a game with others, an effect that lasts longer than the game. In general, Wann says people who are sports fans have proven to display fewer feelings of loneliness than those who aren’t sports fanatics.

You don’t need to know everyone around you to acknowledge that win or lose, you are sharing something special with them.

Let’s be honest, though: We all do love ourselves a win. It is pretty normal to feel a sense of accomplishment when your team has a victory, and who doesn’t love that feeling?

I know I do! Have you ever noticed that, when your team wins, you tend to make yourself part of them and the victory? All of a sudden it’s, “Our plays were amazing today,” unless your team loses, then it’s, “Their defense sucked.” 

Being able to immerse ourselves in a victory helps us feel a sense of achievement, which as humans success is something we highly crave. In a world where success can be hard to come by, having a space where you do get to experience success can feel extremely comforting. 

Sports serve as an escape from negative feelings, whether it is feeling alone or unaccomplished, having a hard time at work or school, or simply being sad. And who knows, maybe it might even bring a little happiness to your stressful life.

According to a study by Brandon Mastromartino and James J. Zhang, this shared love for sports helps build bonds. This is pretty common in families: We grow up following our parents’ footsteps, rooting for a team and a sport we don’t understand until we do, so much so it becomes part of our identity.

From a young age, we are taught to look at sports as much more than just games; they are built to be immersive experiences that will go on to be special memories. The connections we form to teams from our childhood end up meaning a lot to us. 

You can be miles away from your hometown, but simply watching your team play can instantly make you feel like you are back home.

Sports are simple psychology. They are fun, enjoyable and satisfying. They make us feel good. Whether our team wins or loses, we will keep supporting them, showing up and being part of the team. 

Regina Correa is a freshman writing about the world of sports, its intersection with culture and the stories that lie within in her column, “The Cultural Playbook,” which runs every other Monday.