Whether it's the anxiety of a nail-biter game or the euphoria of seeing a grand slam, it turns out cheering for the Brewers – or any sports team – can be good for your mental health.
Shilagh Mirgain is a health and sports psychologist at UW Health. She spoke with Lake Effect’s Xcaret Nuñez about the psychology of being a sports fan.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Xcaret Nuñez: Why are some sports fans so die-hard for their favorite teams and players? What drives that emotional investment?
Shilagh Mirgain: When we're watching sports, we almost feel like we're alongside those players, coaching them or encouraging them on. I think that's why fans have a lot of different superstitions and rituals that they go through. And when we watch sports, there are these unexpected plays, and we get a surge of adrenaline. We feel such joy when our team scores that is really unlike anything else. We don't feel that when we're reading a book or even watching a movie. So as a result, those experiences really form core memories within us that we can remember for years to come.
I'd love to learn more about the science behind this — what's going on in our brains and in our bodies when we're watching sports?
SM: Princeton University had some really interesting research that showed unexpected plays, like an upset or last-minute scoring, really trigger a surge of attention. There's a sense that it's kind of novel and unique outside everyday moments when we're on autopilot. And as a result, it really signals to our brain that this experience matters. So it activates that emotional hub of the brain, the amygdala; we can have that strong emotion, like the ecstatic win or the crushing blow of defeat. So when that emotional hub of the brain gets activated, it helps cement that memory inside the hippocampus. Those moments are kind of sticky in the sense that we can recall them in a lot of detail, feeling that same emotion many years from now.
So can being a sports fan be good for your mental health, even when your team is losing sometimes?
SM: There are so many benefits to playing sports, watching sports, being a sports fan. We have those highest of highs when they're winning, and there can be some lowest of lows, but I think our brain allows us to keep that optimism and hope alive that we'll get them next time. It tends to soften some of those losses while we lean into what's possible for the next season. Also, sports, unlike anything else, really allows us to build a common bond across our neighbors, friends, and, I think, as a state. At a time where there's so much discord and division with the midterm elections around the corner, this is something we can all agree upon and celebrate and cheer. So I think it helps us feel a sense of community, maybe feel closer to family members we might have some political differences with. I think it's also a great thing for parents to share with their kids. It's gonna be something they're gonna remember for years to come.
