It may not be immediately clear how following the ups and downs of “the beautiful game” impacts the life of a CEO working outside of the football industry. However, becoming a football fan is quite a beneficial hobby from both a personal and a business perspective. In addition to the fan base fostering an incredible sense of close-knit community, looking at the game analytically can help you to keep your business senses sharp outside of your working environment. If you’re not already on board with the phenomenon that is football, read on for a few reasons why you should consider it.
The Benefits of Sports
An interest in following and playing sports is hailed as an excellent way to ensure a healthy, active mind and body. Team sports, in particular, create a sense of belonging, whether you choose to participate in games or support your team from the sidelines. Such, in turn, leads to an extended support network among team members and the fan base, an experience of healthy competition and regular lessons in clear, effective communication.
In addition to these immediately applicable benefits, there are also physical ones if you’re taking part in a match yourself. Increased endurance, healthy blood flow and strong joints are only some of the perks of regular exercise. As everybody knows, if you feel good in your body, then so will your mind, allowing you to bring you’re a game into the boardroom effortlessly each day.
How to Join a Football Fan Club
If you’re already a regular follower of football, then good for you! You already know how valuable it is. However, if you’re wondering where to start with this new hobby, here are a few tips to get you going. The thing to remember is that a hobby is supposed to be fun, and football is one of the most enjoyable, entertaining and educational pastimes of them all. There is a good reason why Pele called it “the beautiful game!”
If you’re new to professional football, it can be hard to know which tournaments to pay watch and which ones to relegate to the back burner. After the excitement of the FIFA World Cup this summer, all eyes are now on the British Premier League to see which teams will come out on top. And so far, there’s plenty of activity to keep you guessing, with both Chelsea and Arsenal welcoming new coaches, Fulham spending big during the transfer window and England players reintegrating after playing on an international stage.
Following a big league like the Premier, Europa or Champions Leagues is quite the introduction to the world of football as the matches featured in them will be accessible. Many television providers offer excellent sports packages geared toward football fans, and if you want to venture out of the house, you’re sure to find a local bar or pub showing the latest matches to other like-minded individuals. Big league football has a massive worldwide audience, so keeping up to speed on the latest scores and transfers keeps you up-to-date on prime conversation topics that will lighten up those staid Monday morning meetings.
So, as you can see, becoming a football fan can be beneficial in lots of different ways. Specifically, applied to the life of a CEO, it nourishes social skills, opens communication channels and gives you a goal to invest in outside of a work environment. While following professional football can be used solely as a tool to give your brain something of a cerebral workout, it will inevitably become so much more than that. Football is more than the money invested, the goals scored and the trophy’s won; it’s a better way of life and one which will grab you hook, line and sinker if you give it a chance.