Riding the true north express: How supporting a sports team can enhance your well-being
In this article, I discuss the mental health benefits I accrued from supporting the Winnipeg Jets hockey team during the past season. As a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, I have long been a supporter of their sports teams. This includes football’s Blue Bombers and, at one time, AAA baseball’s Whips who were the farm team of the Montreal Expos. During the winter and spring, my support is focused on the National Hockey League’s Winnipeg Jets. The Jets were recently eliminated in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs after a storybook season in which they claimed the President’s Trophy for finishing the regular season with the league’s best record. Although I was disappointed that the Jets’ playoff performance fell short of what was predicted based on their banner regular season, the many mental health benefits I enjoyed made it well worth it to be an avid supporter. In the following sections, I will use my support of the Jets to discuss how supporting a sports team can enhance your well-being...[more]