With the Paris Summer Olympics showcasing wonderful achievements in recent days, and further numerous sporting tournaments regularly gracing our TV screens, local venues, and stadiums further afield, it’s the perfect time to explore the social value and health benefits of enjoying sports together.
Whether you’re cheering for your favourite football club, celebrating the success of a famous athlete, or following tennis players and competitors from various disciplines, watching sports as a community can have a profound impact on our mental and physical wellbeing. From inspiring you to take up an accessible activity or cheer on your favourite player from the comfort of home, this article explores the health benefits of watching sport together.
Be inspired
One of the most significant benefits of watching sports is its ability to inspire physical activity and participation. Seeing elite athletes perform at the highest level can motivate viewers to get active themselves. You might want to join a fundraiser or organise one yourself, challenge friends, family, and colleagues to plan a tournament, or get active outdoors for a great cause. This inspiration can take many forms:
- Increasing participation in existing hobbies
- Setting personal fitness goals inspired by favourite athletes
- Joining or volunteering at a local sports team or club
- Taking up a new sport or physical activity
For young people dealing with stress and anxiety, engaging in physical activity can be a powerful tool for managing symptoms and improving overall wellbeing. Watching sports can provide the initial spark needed to get moving and stay active.
Learn sport for life
Sports offer valuable life lessons, so it’s no surprise that Physical Education (PE) is compulsory at school, and has been a part of the school curriculum since the 1800s. However, as physical activity does not suit everyone, the modern focus of sport and education is not so much on discipline and competition, but on encouraging participation, engagement, leadership and teamwork.
Lifelong lessons are created by watching and discussing sports together and young people can develop important emotional and social skills that can benefit them throughout their lives. Watching sports together provides opportunities to discuss key issues, such as:
- Dealing with victory and defeat gracefully
- The importance of teamwork and cooperation
- Setting and working towards goals
- Perseverance in the face of adversity
- Respect for opponents and fair play
The health benefits of keeping fit throughout your lifetime have also become a major part of sport education. Not everyone is able to be so physically active, and may struggle with mobility issues. However, there are still opportunities to enjoy individual sport and team games at all levels, and the after care benefits such as booking a sports massage after strenuous activity.
Meanwhile, watching athletes compete in the ParaOlympics is inspiring beyond words for anyone with or without physical disabilities. Paralympic athletes might also experience and overcome a range of sport-specific and disability-specific stressors that compromise their personal wellbeing and knowing everyone can overcome hurdles demonstrates the highest form of motivation and human resilience.
Build social bonds
If you prefer watching sports to playing them, televised games can be very inclusive. Sharing the audience experience is an excellent way to foster a sense of community and build strong social bonds. If you support a favourite footy team or share a love of sport with siblings, parents, and friends, the friendly banter can last forever and create sporting memories on trips together at home and abroad.
Joining friends to watch a local cricket match, sharing the audio of a football game whilst out with friends, or organising a viewing party at home can create lasting memories, forge new friendships, and provide shared experiences that are incredibly valuable for mental health. Culturally too, sport is an integral part of people’s lives and has the power to bring nations together, uniting people from different backgrounds, places, and ages.
This sense of unity can be particularly beneficial for anyone who may be struggling with feelings of isolation or loneliness. Major sporting events have a unique ability to uplift spirits and create a sense of collective joy. Whether it’s the excitement of the Olympics and ParaOlympics, the passion of a football tournament, or the on-court drama of Wimbledon, sporting events can provide a welcome distraction from everyday stresses and worries. The positive feeling of unity that comes from supporting a team also creates a great sense of belonging and pride. This was observed by many, including the new Prime Minister throughout the 2024 Euros.
Spark conversations
Watching sport together is a great talking point too when finding common ground for meaningful conversation can sometimes be challenging, especially between different generations or social groups. It’s also an excellent ice-breaker in social situations, allowing people to easily strike up conversations by asking about someone’s favourite team or their thoughts on a current sporting event.
Whatever the sport, team matches create talking points for people of any age. Being part of a team, and supporting sports teams at school, or attending matches throughout life are invaluable experiences. Therefore, being at a match, supporting a club, and cheering team mates on can create a lifetime of memories and happiness.
For families, discussing a recent match or upcoming tournament can be a further great way to connect and spend quality time together. As well as being a healthy pursuit that benefits your mental health, sports provide a unique platform for strengthening family relationships. This ability to create common ground can be particularly valuable for young people who may struggle with social anxiety or find it difficult to connect with others.
Engage and volunteer locally
Watching sports doesn’t have to be a passive activity. It can also serve as a gateway to greater community involvement and volunteerism. There are numerous ways for people, especially young adults, to get involved in sports beyond just watching:
- Volunteering opportunities at local sports clubs or events
- Coaching or mentoring young athletes
- Organising workplace sports teams or tournaments
- Participating in sports-related charity events
These activities not only provide opportunities for personal growth and skill development but also foster a sense of purpose and community connection. For young people dealing with stress and anxiety, finding ways to contribute and feel valued within their community can be immensely rewarding and therapeutic.
Watch and offer support
Watching sports together offers a multitude of benefits that extend far beyond mere entertainment. From building social bonds and inspiring physical activity to teaching valuable life lessons and engaging in your local community, shared sporting experiences can play a significant role in supporting mental health and wellbeing.
Whether inspired by this year’s Olympians or other exciting sporting events, sharing moments of triumph, disappointment, and everything in between are more than just games. They’re opportunities for connection, growth, and collective joy that can help us navigate life’s challenges together. In a world where stress and anxiety can often feel overwhelming, watching and enjoying sports together can be a powerful tool to support people of any age with their mental health struggles.
