Resolutions can provide clarity for goals – Writing out a list of goals provides you with direction. They allow you to plan your course for the future. Without goals, you end up wasting your time, money and energy, which leads to feeling overwhelmed and unprepared for opportunities that may arise.
It’s no secret that many of us find it challenging to keep resolutions and therefore don’t bother at all. The secret is to make them meaningful, achievable, realistic and part of our long-term goals.
Linking them to key events and hobbies within our lives can help make them more successful and fulfilling. Here we look specifically into the world of an ITFC supporter and share 5 ideas that will not only make you a great fan but a better person all around:
1. Prioritise the welfare of players and management team
The roar of the crowd, the chants, and the applause can give players a boost of energy and confidence, helping them to push past their limits and perform at their best. Players often cite the support of their fans as a key factor in their success on the pitch.
Whether you can get to the game or not there are plenty of ways to support the players and coaching staff. The players are very active on social media and so it is easy to follow their season’s successes and difficulties.
You can really see how much they care about the club and the fans. Help them along with supportive messages — by liking the posts that they share and posting encouraging messages.
Some influential coaches have provided us with some ideas that we could utilise to support and encourage even after defeats when the players are hurting.
“The only place that“success” comes before “work” is in the dictionary.”—Vince Lombardi
“You can learn a line from a win and a book from a defeat.”—Paul Brown
“Don’t give up at halftime. Concentrate on winning the second half.”—Paul Bear Bryant
“Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence…If you’re in control, they’re in control.”—Tom Landry
“Self-praise is for losers. Be a winner. Stand for something. Always have class, and be humble.”—John Madden
“Set your goals high, and don’t stop until you get there” —Bo Jackson
“You fail all the time, but you aren’t a failure until you start blaming someone else.”—Bum Phillips
2. Be considerate to other fans — be the best fan that you can be
Football is a hobby to be enjoyed. A real passion and something that can have so many positive benefits for our mental health and well-being. A collective interest that we share with people from many different walks of life coming together in one place to enjoy the same thing. But although we want to enjoy ourselves it’s important to consider the thoughts and feelings of those around us to enable everyone to feel safe, respected, valued and part of the team.
Attending sporting events has been shown to enhance mood, general well-being, and life satisfaction. In order for this to happen think about the way you behave during a game. Be considerate to those around you. The FA code of conduct for supporters includes some great tips:
Applaud effort and good play as well as success.
Respect the referee’s decisions even when you don’t agree with them
Appreciate good play from whatever team it comes from
Remain behind the touchline and within the designated spectators’ area (where provided)
Never engage in, or tolerate offensive, insulting, or abusive language or behaviour
ITFC takes this very seriously and any supporter who sees or hears something that doesn’t look right is encouraged to send a message to the Club’s dedicated reporting number – text “ITFC + message” to 60650.
3. Remember that this is fun!
Win, lose or draw. Fighting for promotion, fighting against relegation or just trying to hit mid-table. Whatever the goal, try to remember that football is about the game — the people — the players — the staff at the club and of course you the supporter. BUT we can take positives from everything that happens on the pitch and beyond it as well.
There are still so many benefits to supporting a team and being part of a collective group that accepts you for who you are. The players will appreciate everything that you do to support and follow their progress. There is no room for HATE within the football community. It’s about loyalty, respect, friendships and enjoyment for all.
Being a football fan can make you feel more connected to the world. Without even realising it you’ll be releasing happy endorphins that will support your mental health and general well-being.
4. Read more
Reading about our team can be just as beneficial to us as actually watching or listening to it. It’s especially helpful to us outside of the season when as supporters we can suffer from ‘withdrawal’ symptoms or even some loneliness and that sense of loss and emptiness. The time we usually spend either listening, watching and/or attending games needs to be filled.
When you read a good book, you can forget about your problems and your loneliness –- you are in a completely different world. So store up your East Anglian Daily times, programmes and any online reports — read and re-read them throughout the season and especially the closed season. Aim to read when you would normally be listening to or watching a game.
If you are super keen you could even start a book club with other supporters who may be experiencing the same feelings as you. This is especially helpful to those who cannot get to games live but love the club and want to indulge in all the gossip and statistics relating to ITFC.
The ITFC app — which you can download for free has so many great articles that you can read over and over and still pick up new and interesting facts. Read the EFL site to get some stats in if that's your thing.
Not only will you become more knowledgeable about the club you’ll experience other benefits such as mental stimulation, stress reduction, vocabulary expansion and improved focus and concentration.
5. Get involved with the foundation and its work
There are so many opportunities to get involved with ITFC even if you cannot attend the games or throughout the close season where it could be easy to feel lost, and lonely and miss your dose of weekly football.
The programme currently engages with around 6,000 young people and vulnerable adults each week. There are sessions aimed at mental health and well-being as well as football development and school work.
There's even a senior blues dementia cafe and pan-disability sessions. The foundation is also an active fundraiser and takes part in volunteering events throughout the year. Set yourself a challenge and see how much you can raise or get involved with food bank collection.
Sticking to those resolutions…
Remember that the key to sticking to your goals is to make them attainable. Plan ahead and think about what you are going to do. Talk about what you want to achieve with others. Setting common goals and working together will make them easier to achieve. Reward yourself for doing well. Keep track of any progress you feel that you are making. If you fall short of achieving your aim don’t beat yourself up. Just make a note of where you went wrong and what you can do to change the outcome the next time.
4 Actionable Tips For Becoming A Better Football Fan: https://www.completesports.com/4-actionable-tips-for-becoming-a-better-football-fan/
15 Sports Fans new Years Resolutions: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1910338-15-sports-fans-new-years-resolutions
New Year Resolutions for Hardcore Sports Fans: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/years-resolutions-hardcore-sports-fan
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