Wis. (WBAY) – Sports teams like the Milwaukee Brewers and the Green Bay Packers create powerful, lifelong memories for fans
Health officials say rooting for a favorite team might also benefit mental well-being.
Dr. Shilagh Mirgain, a distinguished psychologist at UW Health, said the intense highs and lows of sports actively trigger the brain’s emotional and memory centers.
“Sometimes we have the highest of highs, that unexpected last-minute win, or the lowest of lows where we feel devastated,” Mirgain said.
“Because of the emotional intensity, the brain, the amygdala, really en<a href="https://comicvibe.com/morioh-high-codes-october-2026/” title=”Morioh High codes October 2026″>codes that in the hippocampus and that memory center in a vivid way where when we recall that sporting event, maybe from a time when we were a kid, we can quickly bring it to mind and we remember it in much vivid detail.”
Mirgain said rooting for a team serves as a healthy distraction from everyday stress and meets a core human need that can cure loneliness.
Being a sports fan puts people around others who share the same interests, uniting communities over shared pride.
“Fans have superstitions that they feel like if they do certain things before or during the game, then their players will do better,” Mirgain said. “And because we feel like we’re part of the action, and we’re also part of a larger community — I think often people watch sports, whether it’s at a bar or with family members or with their neighbors, that they feel like they’re part of that larger community — and so it helps us feel less lonely, and we can root for that team. It’s a great distraction. And again, it can be one of the highest highs.”
Mirgain said even when a team loses, sharing that disappointment with others teaches resilience and hope while allowing fans to celebrate small victories along the way.
One of the main things is to be a fan but never get too emotionally invested, as fights can happen. Mirgain said to be a safe fan.
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