How We Become Sports Fans: The Tyranny Of Fathers - NPR
t’s World Series time, time to meet a triple threat: he’s young, he’s fierce, he’s new to sports, and we find him in a kitchen with his dad. They are discussing baseball. More specifically, they are addressing the topic, “What’s our family’s favorite baseball team?” Dad is a Red Sox fan. The son — who looks to be 3 going on 4 — is about to utter the most dangerous words of his young life. Here’s the video:
Thank god for the older brother, is all I can say. And while I never have, never will, give my heart to the New York Yankees (or the “Ankees”, as the little guy calls them,) my heart is doing flips for this brave boy who dares defy one of the Great Laws of sports fandom.
That law says little boys and girls don’t choose their own sports teams, not in the beginning. As with language and religion, their first team gets chosen for them. Yes, every so often a kid like our hero will cry out, “but I…I…LOVE the Ankees!” but he won’t prevail. Next birthday, he’ll be sporting a Red Sox cap. That’s the way it goes.
What The Data Says
I’ve seen the data (courtesy of my sports-obsessed friend Eric Simons.) There are scholars who have studied these things, and one of their studies, from Daniel Wann and colleagues at Murray State University, asks: When a kid chooses his or her first sports team, who or what in their life most influences the choice? Is it family? Is it friends? Is it TV? Is it geography? School? Teachers, brothers, mothers, coaches, what?
The answer’s simple: In an overwhelming number of cases, it’s dad. Dad says, “We’re Yankee fans.” Dad decides.
Here are the numbers. One of Wann & Co.’s questions — asked to a group of grownups — was who had “the greatest single influence” on your first choice to become a fan. The answers are broken down by gender. (I’ve included only the significant categories.)