People’s choice of a favorite sport is diverse and varies widely. Many people think of the stereotypical American sports, like football or basketball, and while those sports are popular, there’s many other options, and the diversity of students at Fresno City College is reflected in the range of their favorite sports.
FCC student and film major Matt Finell said that his favorite sports were mixed martial arts (MMA) and boxing.
“I always wanted to be a prizefighter,” Finell said. “Growing up, my neighbor’s dad was a professional boxer so in the neighborhood we would do boxing. I got into boxing, jiu-jitsu, wrestling, Muay Thai, that kind of stuff.”
He also said he doesn’t like to watch these sports much on TV, because it makes him want to go out and do it himself. He still practices MMA when possible.
Emmanuel Becerra, marketing major at FCC, said his favorite sports were basketball and soccer, since that’s what he grew up watching with his family.
“Every Sunday, my dad would sit down and enjoy a couple games, and I had nothing else going on so I would watch with him,” Becerra said.
His family’s favorite teams in those sports are the Los Angeles Lakers and Chivas de Guadalajara.
Denzel Singh, marketing major, said his favorite sports were martial arts, as well as football and basketball. He mentioned that he did jiu-jitsu and kickboxing growing up.
“I had a kind of love for it [MMA] at the moment in time, but then kind of grew out of it and didn’t really keep up with it, but I still have an appreciation towards it,” Singh said.
Singh said he likes football and basketball because of family, and how it brings them together. They watch these sports whenever they’re in season as a way to spend time together. He said that he’s a Chicago Bears fan because of his sister, and he’s a Lakers fan because of his whole family.
Jasmin Perez, an elementary education and Chicano-Latino Studies major, said she likes volleyball and just recently started to like football. Growing up she played volleyball, softball and swim.
Perez said that she went into it just to get into shape, but soon realized that it was fun and exciting.
“Swimming makes me feel euphoric and free. As soon as I get into the water I feel completely one with the water…there are no other worries,” Perez said.
As for me, I grew up obsessed with football and baseball, and played both until high school. In high school I transitioned from football to rugby and loved every moment of it. I also did cross country my senior year of high school.
As for favorite teams, I don’t watch too many sports but I’m a big Green Bay Packers fan because of my family being from Wisconsin. We like to get together for Packers’ games and “bask in the reflected glory and sob in the collective loss” as my brother once said.
I realized that sports are so diverse, and are so much more than just games. It’s a way to bring families and communities together, and to develop trust. It’s also a way to feel free, and simply feel alive.