Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
What if we told you that fans have more friends? Not only that, but they engage with those friends more often, and they value those friendships more. What if we told you fans exhibit stronger measures of well-being, happiness, confidence, and optimism? What if we told you fans tend to be more trusting of others and more confident in institutions? Or that fandom helps mitigate the loneliness and polarization that plague our culture today? What if we told you that fandom is a social good?
In these pages, Ben Valenta and David Sikorjak take the reader on a journey to discover fandom's far-reaching benefits: improved social connections, stronger community ties, enhanced well-being, and a greater sense of belonging.
If fandom creates connections that reverberate through society, then we need more fandom. As fans, we are frontline actors in that mission. The more confident we are in our fandom, the more conscious we are of fandom's power, the more prepared we are to serve as ambassadors, inviting people into our sports families, using fandom to build bridges across social divisions, and activating it to benefit our communities. Think of sports as a tool you can use, and then ask yourself, "Where do I want to deploy this tool?"
Synopsis
"A convincing case for the societal benefits of sports fandom." --Kirkus Reviews
"Fans Have More Friends is an insightful social science study that forwards useful suggestions for fostering social connections and strengthening communities." --Foreword Reviews
"An upbeat, data-driven sociological breakdown of the benefits of sports fandom." --BookLife Reviews
What if we told you that fans have more friends?
Not only that, but they engage with those friends more often, and they value those friendships more. What if we told you fans exhibit stronger measures of well-being, happiness, confidence, and optimism? What if we told you fans tend to be more trusting of others and more confident in institutions? Or that fandom helps mitigate the loneliness and polarization that plague our culture today? What if we told you that fandom is a social good?
In these pages, Ben Valenta and David Sikorjak take the reader on a journey to discover fandom's far-reaching benefits: improved social connections, stronger community ties, enhanced well-being, and a greater sense of belonging.
If fandom creates connections that reverberate through society, then we need more fandom. As fans, we are frontline actors in that mission. The more confident we are in our fandom, the more conscious we are of fandom's power, the more prepared we are to serve as ambassadors, inviting people into our sports families, using fandom to build bridges across social divisions, and activating it to benefit our communities. Think of sports as a tool you can use, and then ask yourself, "Where do I want to deploy this tool?"
Synopsis
"A shared love for our teams and sports can be an unexpected source of community and happiness. In Fans Have More Friends, Ben Valenta and David Sikorjak explore a convincing case for how fandom can improve both our relationships and lives."
--Arthur C. Brooks, Professor, Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School, and #1 New York Times bestselling author
What if we told you that fans have more friends?
Not only that, but they engage with those friends more often, and they value those friendships more. What if we told you fans exhibit stronger measures of well-being, happiness, confidence, and optimism? What if we told you fans tend to be more trusting of others and more confident in institutions? Or that fandom helps mitigate the loneliness and polarization that plague our culture today? What if we told you that fandom is a social good?
In these pages, Ben Valenta and David Sikorjak take the reader on a journey to discover fandom's far-reaching benefits: improved social connections, stronger community ties, enhanced well-being, and a greater sense of belonging.
If fandom creates connections that reverberate through society, then we need more fandom. As fans, we are frontline actors in that mission. The more confident we are in our fandom, the more conscious we are of fandom's power, the more prepared we are to serve as ambassadors, inviting people into our sports families, using fandom to build bridges across social divisions, and activating it to benefit our communities. Think of sports as a tool you can use, and then ask yourself, "Where do I want to deploy this tool?"
Synopsis
"... Ben Valenta and David Sikorjak explore a convincing case for how fandom can improve both our relationships and lives." --Arthur C. Brooks, Harvard professor and #1 New York Times bestselling author of From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life
THIS BOOK IS ABOUT THE POWER OF BELONGING Research shows that 61 percent of Americans feel lonely, misunderstood, and left out. And those are the numbers before the pandemic enforced isolation. There is also evidence that loneliness can impact your physical health. So how do we go from being lonely to belonging? Becoming a sports fan may be the first step.
In Fans Have More Friends, sports fans, dads, and data analysts David Sikorjak and Ben Valenta argue that fandom can not only increase our sense of belonging but also serves as a powerful antidote to loneliness because sports fans experience increased social connection. What they didn't realize was how deep that connection was, the potential it carried for individual and societal wellness, or the opportunities it offered for adult friendships, making and keeping friends, and family ties.
Their theory is simple: if we want to be less lonely, we need to belong to a community or something greater than ourselves. Over the course of two years, countless in-person interviews and rigorously designed surveys, Ben Valenta and David Sikorjak have the proof that being a fan can lead to:
- Improved social connections
- Stronger community ties
- Enhanced well-being
- A greater sense of belonging, and
- More friends
The data pales in comparison to the incredible people you'll meet throughout the book. The common thread in all of these personal stories is friendship, community, and belonging-a feeling research can't reveal as well as stories can. Fans Have More Friends will make you think differently about sports and reminds all of us of the essential animating quality of fandom: We're in this together. Sports is not always about what's happening on the field but what's happening in the stands.
Synopsis
THIS BOOK IS ABOUT THE POWER OF BELONGING
Research shows that 61 percent of Americans feel lonely, misunderstood, and left out. And those are the numbers before the pandemic enforced isolation. There is also evidence that loneliness can impact your physical health. So how do we go from being lonely to belonging? Becoming a sports fan may be the first step.
In Fans Have More Friends, sports fans, dads, and data analysts David Sikorjak and Ben Valenta argue that fandom can not only increase our sense of belonging but also serves as a powerful antidote to loneliness because sports fans experience increased social connection. What they didn't realize was how deep that connection was, the potential it carried for individual and societal wellness, or the opportunities it offered for adult friendships, making and keeping friends, and family ties.
Their theory is simple: if we want to be less lonely, we need to belong to a community or something greater than ourselves. Over the course of two years, countless in-person interviews and rigorously designed surveys, Ben Valenta and David Sikorjak have the proof that being a fan can lead to:
Improved social connectionsStronger community tiesEnhanced well-beingA greater sense of belonging, andMore friends
The data pales in comparison to the incredible people you'll meet throughout the book. The common thread in all of these personal stories is friendship, community, and belonging-a feeling research can't reveal as well as stories can. Fans Have More Friends will make you think differently about sports and reminds all of us of the essential animating quality of fandom: We're in this together. Sports is not always about what's happening on the field but what's happening in the stands.