Does Football Have A Negative Impact On The Mind

To what extent does football have a negative impact on the mind?

90 minutes, 22 athletes and a plethora of emotions. Football; a sport that is central to many communities and loved by plenty. For some, it may be like any other game and interest shown is minimal, for others, who are devoted to the game, it is special. After the formation of the Football Association in October 1863, the first official game of football was played on the 19th of December 1863, ending in a 0-0 draw.(1) Since this iconic match, the sport has escalated into what has been nicknamed The Beautiful Game. Wealth, passion and excitement are demonstrations of what football encompasses however, can it all have been achievable without fluctuations in mental health? Football

Even though many football stadiums house tension, shouting and chanting whilst occupied, these can be seen as ways of encouraging ‘a cathartic release of tension’(6)instead of the visible anger or aggression. In addition to this, supporting a football team requires loyalty and teaches dedication for an association and a hobby usually outside of your everyday place of work or social setting. This encourages healthy interactions with peers, developing social skills and active relationships. An example of this, is the pleasure received from watching your football team shadowing the stresses caused in your daily life. Therefore, instead of extreme super fans like mentioned previously, football can potentially help it’s fans instead of manipulating and warping their mind. Research from the University of Chicago into the impact of hockey on the mind was conducted in 2008. Although the study was not directly aimed at the effect of football, the message can be translated to any sport. “Experience playing and watching sports has enduring effects on language understanding by changing the neural networks that support comprehension to incorporate areas active in performing sports skills”- Associate Professor in psychology Sian Beilock.(7) The constant discussions surrounding football present in the media or in general conversations make the sport inescapable. Negative connotations can be gathered from this however, as mentioned in the study, discourse about and involvement in sports actively ‘builds a stronger understanding of language.’