Understanding How A Sports Fan Grieves

04/12/2009

Each day this week, I will post another stage of the grieving process as it relates to the sports fan.

Stages of Grief for Sports Fans
By Casey Cooper, Ph.D.

1. Shock and denial

For fans the loss of Nick Adenhart to a drunk driving crash is made especially powerful because of the visuals you have attached to the athlete performaning and the emotions you experience while watching sports, listening to coverage, and reading about it the follow day.

Many people wonder, how can i feel so much? I never really knew him.

The answer is that since sports has such meaning to you as a fan, and that is unique to everyone by the way, but that meaning is stored in your brain the way any other memory is.

Your brain doesn’t know the difference between a meaningful memory that happens in your active life where you are in close physical proximity to someone and your fan life where you are watching the sports event unfold. It gets stored the same. And in some ways, it is stored as more meaningful because it involves all of your senses.

There is a theory about memory that states the more senses involved and the deeper the meaning to the person, the faster the memory is stored in your long-term, permanent memory.

So the shock and denial that is the first stage for all personal losses is the same for fans because of your connection. Regardless of how much sense it makes to you, your brain says: this is a person of close meaning.

Until we speak again, make all your performances and your life its most excellent.
-Dr. Casey

Conversations With ...

» The Final Episode: Lott Trophy and Top 10 Athletes of the Decade in OC
» Shay Lost 142 Pounds and is Still Going Strong! Plus AD tells All in his new book (12/13)
» Carl Joseph`s Story of Determination! Dec. 6
» What Does Rivalry Week Mean to You? The psychology of Rivalry Games 11/29
» Anniversary Episode! 11/22 the show Hit 1 Yr on the Air