Hello! I’m Julian, one of the Herald’s Creative Directors! For the second edition of After the Buzzer, I wanted to explore the relationship between athletes, sports fans, and what begins a person’s passion for sports. I polled 21 people for the Herald to see how they would answer the question:

“What was the moment or event that made you fall in love with sports?”

*Some answers were edited slightly for grammar and clarity* 

Watching NFL with my dad.

• Robbie

Watching the 2014 World Cup with my Dad.

• Kenny Vo

Watching Man United beat Celtic at BMO Field in a pre-season friendly with my Dad.

• Alex Pilling

Kawhi, Game 7.

• Derrick

Not playing sports, but watching them: seeing the Leafs live! It made me feel like part of a community. It’s true what they say, that you make friends with the fans around you just for that one night.

• Christina Kinsella

2012, Montellier, one of the last French clubs owned by a local family, wins its first Ligue 1.

• Luke

Vic MMA

• Victoria College Mixed Martial Arts

I fall in and out of love with sports. The most recent moment was the 2024 FA Cup Quarter Final. Diallo scored a last minute stoppage time goal to send United to the semis against their historic rivals Liverpool. It showed me – and I’m sure many others following English football – that even the worst Manchester United side in decades can tear apart a top team. 

• Hamza

The energy in the crowd when you go watch a game – specifically Blue Jays games during summer at the stadium!

• Emmeline Accardi

Keeping up with the FIFA World Cup in 2022! Seeing Messi win with Argentina.

• Candace Sara Ciju

For me it started in middle school, getting into sports mostly as a way to channel my energy. But then I really fell in love with the team aspect and having everyone supporting each other on and off of the field. I liked sports as a way of getting to meet people and make new friends, and I think it’s a really good way of doing that.

• Sophia Davoli

Max Holloway buzzer beater knocking out Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 (late to the game, I know).

• Alex

Hearing Liverpool fans sing “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” when I was like 11 at a pub.

• Mohamed

The cultural impact of the Raptors playoff win.

• Derrick Britton

I fell in love with sparring the first time I took a hard jab to the face.

• Anonymous

Joined my high school rugby team right as the 2019 Rugby World Cup was kicking off, we all got behind South Africa. They started off on a sour note with a loss to New Zealand but went on to win the World Cup against England 32-12 – legendary moment.

• Rudy Yuan

Does 2K count?

• Anonymous

Watching Dustin Porier knock out Connor McGregor and then watching Oliveria choke Dustin out.

• Richard Leung

Messi on Barca and Ronaldo on RM era, and the World Cup in Brazil!

• Mayde Munoz

I used to find Andy Murray soooooooo hot when I was nine.

• Anonymous

My sophomore year I was pulled up to be the setter on the varsity volleyball team. It was a steep learning curve, and after our first win the entire team dogpiled on top of us. In that moment I realized I loved sports – it pushes me to grow as an athlete and individual, and I treasure the bonds I’ve formed with my teammates.

• Daniella Chung, UofT Women’s Flag Football 

And now, I suppose, it’s my turn. The 2023 Women’s College Basketball Tournament. At the time, I was just a casual fan of basketball, but I loved music like nothing else. So, when I saw Louisiana State University’s women’s basketball team celebrating a win with glee and abandon as the sound of Boosie’s “Set It Off” blasted in the background, I knew I had come across people I could identify with. People who got that excited about anything and expressed it by screaming along to music I love were people I wanted to be excited with. While there were lots of moments that began the interest, I’ll call that moment – of identifying with other college students thousands of miles away – the first time I felt real passion for sports.

I strongly believe that the best way to get someone into sports is by getting them to understand or undertake a narrative. Ages ago, I saw a video from a man who explained that he got his girlfriend to start watching sports by explaining the NBA to her like she was watching seasons of Game of Thrones, with intertwining plots and human characters who felt complex emotions, had complex relationships, and were more than random men sweating on television. I believe that enjoyment of sports all comes down to the stories told during games – the rise and fall of franchises, the highs of ultimate success, and the crushing pain of abysmal failure. The stories that athletes live out for themselves every night for the entertainment of the public, performing feats of strength and agility with the hope of victory. People connect to sports with their families and friends and have stories of games woven into their childhoods and formative years. And as a player, I think the same is true: when you start on a journey as an athlete, you’re usually not very good and need to spend hours training and improving yourself, sometimes alone, sometimes with a team or community to support you. There are moments of personal growth and personal failure, and opportunities for human connection abound – all the makings of good stories – coloured with bursts of action to make sure your viewers always stay on the edge of their seats. Being able to see yourself change and develop through sport is a great privilege, and is the very stuff from which a great story is produced.

Sports are all about stories, whether you’re seeing your own play out, or following along from behind a screen or the fences of a stadium. This Valentine’s season, it warms my heart to see everyone’s different responses and to get a glimpse into how sports became a meaningful part of their lives. These 21 certainly have love of the game – do you?