Female sports fans have to deal with jumping through a lot of hoops that are completely unnecessary. From being talked down to about sports to basically having to prove ourselves time and time again to be accepted, we’ve dealt with it all. I think from every other female sports fan I’ve talked to, we have to put up with a lot of the same stuff, so I compiled a few of them into this list of some struggles/situations that all female sports fans can relate to.
Mansplaining
Oh yes, the wonderful sound of men answering a question we never asked. Just because we’re female sports fans doesn’t mean we need every play and detail explained. Honestly, there’s a good chance we know just as much as you if not more. When all you want to do is watch and enjoy the game but are constantly getting asked “Do you understand what’s going on?” or “Do you know who that is?”, it’s a struggle.
Being a casual/new fan is not an option
Being a new or casual fan doesn’t seem like an option as a female sports fan. You have to know everything about your team and the league right away or you’re somehow labelled as a fake fan. To me, this is just straight up annoying because you shouldn’t have to worry about that stuff! Sports are meant to be enjoyed and people enjoy them at different levels of dedication. Also, you have to start somewhere, so why is it okay for guys to be new fans, but not girls?
“You only like the cute players”
I personally get this ALL. THE. TIME. Yeah you know what, some of these guys are really freaking attractive! Is that the only reason I like them or sports? NO! It’s amazing how you can’t have multiple reasons for liking a player and that once you say that one is attractive, you’re not a real fan. It’s not our fault that we find some athletes attractive and we shouldn’t feel ashamed or like we’ll be thought less of because we say something about it!
Accusations of being a bandwagon fan
I don’t know why it’s such a foreign concept that a female can follow a team for years! I think this ties into the whole casual/new fan situation and it’s ridiculous. We’re not just following this team to fit in or because the team is doing well. We have suffered the ups and downs that come with sports with the rest of the fan base, thank you very much.
POP. QUIZZES.
The fact that we basically have to prove that we’re a fan of the team is another ridiculous thing that I will never understand. I’m sorry, did you even know the answer before you googled that obscure statistic or fact 5 minutes ago? Yeah, didn’t think so.
Being called “too emotionally attached” to our teams
This is one of my personal pet peeves. I get very attached to my players and teams to the point where I have cried on multiple occasions about trades and when my team loses (usually in the playoffs). I’m very passionate to say the least. The fact that that is seen as negative and something that I shouldn’t do is ridiculous.