Thanks for making me a sports fan

It’s no secret that being a New York sports fan comes with many disappointments. Most of the teams I root for have gone over 35 years without a championship, so it can be hard to keep my hopes up. But, throughout my lifelong emotional rollercoaster, I’ve always had someone sitting beside me: my father.

I was never athletic growing up, and not enjoying sports in the same way as my classmates made me feel like an outsider. As I got older, the more I realized that I didn’t have to play sports to love them. I could still appreciate them by watching athletes compete and learning about the art of the game — a hobby I owe all to my father. Whether it’s excitedly watching Michigan win the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Ca. or nervously watching the Knicks lose in game seven against the Pacers after weeks of false hope, I can count on my dad to get me through any game in times of both happiness and defeat.

The first team my dad introduced me to was the New York Mets when he took me to my first game at Shea Stadium in 2007. Although I don’t remember anything because I was only two years old, I have been a passionate Mets fan ever since. “Let’s Go Mets” was one of my first sentences and “Meet the Mets” was one of the first songs my dad ever taught me.

Although the Mets may not have the best record nowadays, my love for the team will never fade because of its dedicated fanbase and my countless positive memories of watching their games with my dad. Even though the team doesn’t always have the best of luck, when the Mets win, the whole city wins.

When I was in fifth grade, my dad decided to get New York Islanders season tickets, which is the reason I’m an avid hockey fan today. Fascinated by the action-packed aspects of the sport along with the enthusiasm and passion of the fans, I realized that sports games were more than just fun events: They were symbols of a shared love and excitement from people of many different backgrounds. Not only were these games a fun way to watch my favorite hockey team, but they bridged the gap between my and my father’s upbringings — watching these games together connected my present to his past.  

My love for the Islanders has only grown stronger despite the team’s ups and downs. In 2021, when the Islanders faced defeat in game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning, I felt an immense sadness that ran deeper than my team losing. In an attempt to cheer me up,…