Admittedly, I used to not care very much about baseball.
But a few weeks ago, as Jackson Chourio gave the Brewers a walk-off win in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, I found myself screaming and jumping in the stands with my baseball-loving fiancé. It was the best sports moment of my life – one I instantly knew I’d never forget.
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It turns out, there’s science behind what I and many Brewers fans are feeling as the team heads for its first World Series appearance since 1982. I spoke with Shilagh Mirgain, a distinguished psychologist at UW Health in Madison, about what happens in our brains when we absorb a great game or play, why sports can be a feel-good unifying force in a time of division and isolation, and how to make the most of these mental health benefits.
Here are some takeaways:
Certain sports moments are “sticky,” Mirgain said.
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She pointed to a study from researchers at Princeton University who tracked eye movement and brain activity in 20 basketball fans as they watched the final minutes of games from the 2012 NCAA college basketball tournament. A surprising moment in the game was positively correlated with long-term memory.
Our level of focus and emotional intensity, combined with the surprise, activates the amygdala – the brain’s emotional hub – which identifies the moment as important enough to be remembered.
When we access that memory, Mirgain said, it’s often more vivid – like we’re reliving it.
It may not even matter whether the moment ultimately results in a win or a loss. Psychologically, we recover faster from negative emotions, Mirgain said. Losses soften, while wins stay “vivid and bright.”
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Reliving classic sports moments – like some are doing now with the Brewers’ last World Series appearance 44 years ago – also offers a chance to reflect.
The strong memories they produce mean we can use them as anchors to “reflect on our life and all the growth, changes and strife … the wins we’ve had and maybe those devastating losses too,” Mirgain said – both in relation to the team, and to ourselves.
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I asked Mirgain if she had a sports memory that stood out to her. She recalled the first professional football game that she attended with her father to cheer on the Chicago Bears, though she noted she is now a Packers fan. The Bears won that particular game with a Hail Mary pass in the last 30 seconds.
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“That euphoria, and to share that moment with my father, I will take with me to the very end,” she said.
When the Journal Sentinel asked readers what a World Series means to them, so many responses referenced family ties. A grandmother who called her grandson from her nursing home to discuss baseball games. A parent whose 5-year-old daughter is starting to pick up on the rhythms of the sport. A father who wrote that if the team comes out on top, his son might “tell his own kids about watching the Brewers finally win it all with his dad.”
More: Here’s what you told us a World Series means to you
Sharing sports strengthens family bonds, Mirgain said. The Brewers’ run may also encourage young children to get involved with sports or stay physically active, she said, especially when they see players who look like them on the field.
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These benefits also extend beyond parents and children.
At a time when people are increasingly divided and crucial midterm elections are drawing near, rallying around a team allows us to strengthen bonds with others, Mirgain said.
Social isolation and loneliness continue to plague us, with real negative effects on our mental and physical health.
To maximize the benefits of the Brewers’ historic run, Mirgain recommended merging sports with social time.
Attend or host a watch party, have your children watch the game with you and discuss it, call a loved one and debrief game by game, she said.
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In a time when we’re coming together as a state to cheer on the team, sharing it with others “really amplifies the experience,” she said.
Madeline Heim covers health and the environment for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at 920-996-7266 or mheim@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here’s the science behind why the Brewers’ run makes us feel so good
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