Moving to a new place comes with several adjustments, such as learning what roads will always
have traffic or what areas offer the best shopping options. For sports fans, moving away from
your home sports team means you can no longer call up your friends to go watch the game
together, but watching the game alone on your couch isn’t your only option. Check out this great
advice from SportStade!
Do Some Networking
Social networks like Facebook and Twitter are great places for users to stay connected and
updated on the lives of their family and friends, as well as meet new people along the way, but
Meetup allows you to take your social networking into the real world. With 30.3 million users and
272,203 Meetup groups, the social platform brings people together in thousands of cities based
on common interests and hobbies such as sports, crafts, politics, religion, and volunteering to
name a few.
Meetup not only lets you join groups, but you can create your own too. If you find that your area
doesn’t have a group for your specific team, then create one. Put up fliers around town
advertising the new group, or ask local sports bars if they’ve noticed a fan base.
Of course, there are other ways to find away from home sports fans like yourself. Ask around at
your office to find out what sports teams your coworkers are following or wear a t-shirt for your
favorite team on casual Friday. Chances are you’ll find that some of your coworkers follow the
same teams as you. Try meeting people outside the office. Take on a side gig, like dog walking
or rideshare driving, and ask your clients about the teams they follow or what local areas are fun
for sports fans. Once you start asking around, you’ll be surprised how many sports fans are
away from home just like you.
There’s An App For That
For fans looking to connect with fellow fans, the FanWide app just might be the answer. Being a
fan of a particular team isn’t likely a temporary interest, so when you move, your team support
moves with you. Unfortunately, your fan family and friends can’t all move with you. To solve this
issue, a group of Duke and Oregon alumni living in Seattle created FanWide to connect
scattered fans and help them find a place to link up and watch the game together.
FanWide is available for download for iPhone and Android users, and can also be accessed
online. The app enables users to search for nearby viewing parties at sports bars, restaurants,
and other venues. FanWide currently supports NFL Football, NCAA Football, NBA Basketball,
NCAA Basketball, MLB Baseball, and NHL Hockey. For the away from home sports fan, this is
an excellent tool to meet and connect with local sports fans, and make it seem like you aren’t so
far away from your home stadium after all.
These days you can do virtually anything, well, virtually. Check out Zoom offerings centered
around sports, and virtual sports events, and even virtual sports trivia games for opportunities to
get to know other fans. Take the game with you by adding wireless earbuds to your tech tools,
so you can participate wherever you are. Hybrid events are the future of sports and
entertainment.
Keep in mind that if you drink alcohol while cheering on your favorite sports team, it is important
to do so responsibly. Consider taking a cab or other driving service, and arrange for them to
pick you up after the game. It may cost a little bit, but the savings will be worth it when
compared to having to pay a hefty fine or face jail time. As you meet fellow sports fans, consider
designating a driver for each game so that everyone can enjoy the game and team they love.
