Squeezing in English sports

This whole being overseas thing is going well.

I’ve sightseen. I’ve traveled. I’ve had strange British food that didn’t make me gag.

But as far as sporting events, I’ve been to none. One reason I was so excited about coming to London was the chance to experience sporting events in England.  

Their fascination with sports, whether it’s football (soccer), rugby or cricket, is unlike anything in the United States. And I decided before my trip that I want to be a part of this unique passion.

I want to be yelled at for cheering for the wrong team at a pub. I want to yell at a ref’s bad call. I want to figure out the rules of cricket.  

The last is probably unrealistic. But the rest? Doable.

I’m considering going to a rugby final in Edinburgh, or maybe waiting in line for tickets to Wimbledon. Right now, I’m in the habit of reading the sports page every day in the free papers.

British sports are in full swing. Instead of staying up until 4 a.m. to see the results of the NBA conference semifinals, I can pay 20 pounds (roughly $34) for something more interesting than another standard walking tour of the city.

“I saw a museum. What did you do?”

“I saw a unique cultural event that had 10,000 people cheering, singing and supporting their team for three hours.”

That’s got to beat shuffling from exhibit to exhibit at the National Gallery.

I have nothing against museums and art galleries. I love learning about culture and history. But attending a football match or even just walking to a nearby pub to watch people watching a football match is a living example of a country’s heritage.

Sports don’t just help us pass the time or give us a hobby. They’re part of who you are. I have always considered “basketball fan” to be part of my description as a person.

What better way to learn about another culture than seeing what’s important to them? Sports unite us – whether it’s a small town going to a high school basketball game in Indiana or a neighborhood cheering on its local football team.

What better way to feel tied to a country than to embrace its sports? Despite the accents, slang and currency differences, nothing about English sports is too difficult to learn for an American originally from Memphis and going to school in Indiana.

I can’t even wait to see the energy that happens when a group of English people come together to watch a match, whether it’s the gentlemen’s game of cricket, the almost-painful-to-watch sport of rugby or the classic “beautiful game” of football.

I can’t imagine going to Wimbledon, whether it’s for an opening round doubles match or a Centre Court duel between Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer.

Anyone studying or just traveling abroad should consider taking in some sporting events. Even if the sport sounds dull (like soccer does to most Americans), passion for athletics is always contagious. It’s something I can bring home that will last longer than my souvenir jam. It won’t get lost like my postcards.

And that’s something that will definitely fit into my suitcase.