My experience as a Varsity Blues fan started later than I would’ve liked it to. In my first year, watching a Varsity Blues game didn’t even cross my mind. Thanks to the pandemic, I only started attending Blues’ games in my third year. Last year, one of my friends wanted to watch Varsity men’s basketball, and I decided to tag along because I love the game. I’ve been hooked on watching the Varsity games ever since.
I grew up playing basketball and watching hockey, so these are the sports I’m naturally drawn to the most; they also sum up my fan experience. Since my first basketball game in 2022, I’ve attended several basketball games this season and started supporting the hockey teams this year.
I became more interested in watching the games once I started writing about hockey. I took a chance to write a game coverage article on the Blues men’s hockey team this year, and it’s one of the best things I’ve done. I got to write about a sport I love and had the privilege of highlighting the talented athletes here at U of T.
The connection you build to the team when you consistently watch their games is the exact feeling you get when you’re invested in a major league sports team. The difference is that this team represents U of T, and the university indirectly unites students and creates a connection. As the Blues say, we all #BLEEDBLUE.
I started to recognize names on the back of their jerseys as I attended more games and made a note of key players on the teams. I began to root for the players and got excited during moments when the Blues got their first goal or beat the number one team in the league. I also felt a similar sense of defeat during a loss, and frustration during a penalty.
My three key memories this year were watching the Blues men’s hockey team beat the TMU Bold and advance to the quarterfinals, watching the Blues men’s basketball team defeat the Carleton Ravens on January 20, and witnessing the Blues women’s hockey team win the Ontario University Athletics McCaw Cup.
Until you attend a game yourself, you’ll never know what it’s like to watch university-level sports and let me tell you — it’s an absolute treat. In my opinion, Varsity sports are highly underrated and require more attention — we have such skilled athletes here at U of T, and the stands at every game for every sport deserve to be filled.
