Do you prefer to say soccer or football? Cause I don't

One may be surprised to hear this based on my history of published work, but I don't really care to watch sports. No team holds my emotional attention - at least not like other fans I see.

I have friends that their anxiety of one day revolves around the big Celtics game tonight. My mom screams at the screen only at the Super Bowl when the Patriots compete. It's not like I grew up without sports. I just grew up without the attachment to them, unless I was in the team.

In high school I loved the feeling of being a part of a team. Track and field brought me to tears after an exciting states win, where I saw so many of my peers overcome personal bests in the moments we needed them most. My cheers of peers as they crossed the finish during cross-country came from a place of experience, knowing how good it felt to finish that 5k.

But when I graduated and no longer held a role within the teams of my school, I didn't really consider even attending the matches. Besides my membership of the ski and snowboard club, which basically every University of Vermont student is a part of, the most I did was overlook Virtue Field from the Redstone Lofts.

But now I find myself back at Virtue Field as a freelance journalist with the Times Argus. But as I talked to people around the field and took pictures of those participating, not one part of me actually processed the sport taking place. I was too focused on the people.

Yeah it's cool to see someone dribble past an opponent or hit a sweet header. But what were they thinking as they made that pass? How does a fan feel as they watch from a distance? What conversations between teammates take place moments before entering a league's championship game?

The Times Argus is not home to my first published work pertaining sports. My second journalism internship was with Pro Sports Fans, where I had to find unique ways to enjoy the sports reporting I was doing. I wrote about Lakers/Celtics rivalries, the shoes they're allowed to wear on the court, and the desegregation of the NBA.

Here's a link if you're interested in those. But consider yourself warned, my writing/reporting has greatly improved since thanks to my Master's in Journalism/practice.

I'm not upset about doing sports journalism. I'm actually quite grateful the opportunity has come to me (Thanks Bob for the connect!).

While the score is just a number, it represents the tenacity of individual efforts on scale. Tens of players training their whole lives to get here. Hundreds of staff who help coach, ref, capture, and commentate the game, as well as all those off the field that provide check-ups, physical therapy, or mental support to their partner or friend.

And of course, the thousands of spectators. They may never meet face-to-face with those they chant for, but they learn the chants regardless. Fans literally overcoming capacity barriers by standing as high as they can on their step stool.

The score of a game only matters as a testament to those who put in the effort to earn it. When one person scores, a lot of people win.