I went out Friday morning to watch my beloved Tigers train before the biggest game of the year.
The game that, if they win will put them through to the AFL Grand Final.
Training started at 10.30am, though when I arrived at 9.30am there was already a thousand people waiting to get in. The young, the old and everyone in between.
By the time training started, there was over 3000 people around the ground watching them.
You know that feeling, when you can’t stop smiling and you feel apart of something greater. That was the feeling right there and then. It was in the air, everyone was looking at eachother and smiling, saying “Hello”, singing the club song, offering to move to let the younger kids to the front. It was amazing to see.
Being someone who has played AFL football at the highest level, I know exactly how it feels to be on the other side of the fence having thousands of people screaming and chanting.
At times I would be blown away by the dedication and commitment these supports had.
Its not just AFL, look at Connor McGregor, the UFC’s biggest name right now. No matter where he fights or competes he has thousands and thousands of fans following him.
How about the Formula 1, those fans travel around the world following every race. When those cars fire up, the die-hard Ferrari fans will get together and cheer on the drivers even though there is no doubt they can’t hear you in those super loud cars.
You can’t go past the soccer, the round ball football haha
Those fans in Europe are crazy. They will scream and chant and spend thousands of dollars on tickets just to be apart of that atmosphere.
Its sad at times people can take it a little to far and get involved in fights which result in people being hurt, thats not what its about.
The greatest takeaway is that people can come together for a common cause.
People can link arms.
People can look at a complete stranger and give them a hug out of excitement, I am not going to lie, I’ve done it many times before when supporting my team.
The question is,
Why don’t we use these feeling in everyday life?
Why don’t we use that feeling to fuel us to get into the gym,
Start that new business,
Ask for a pay rise,
Ask that girl on a date,
Say hello to a stranger on the streets?
Why not just SMILE at someone?
Try it, it feels great.
Be the energy that someone needs.
JT