Learn Local Sports Before Traveling Abroad
Striking up a conversation with the locals is one of the best parts of international travel. A friendly taxi driver, bartender or subway passenger can tell you something about their city that you won’t find in the top 100 lists. If socializing with the locals is your idea of having a good time, you owe it to yourself to learn about the local sports culture before your next trip abroad, even if you’re not a big fan of sports. That’s why.
Taking the time to learn about local sports isn’t so much about passing as a fan, but about acknowledging an extremely important aspect of the culture you’re visiting. You don’t need to be able to intelligently discuss tactics or squad decisions, or even be interested in it; learning about the local culture is both more interesting and much more important. If you’re already a fan of a sport that’s as popular overseas as it is in the States, like baseball or ice hockey, it can be as easy as checking out your local team and league position. But the US is in many ways a strange little sports island, which means you may have to plunge into unfamiliar waters.
If we are talking about international travel and local sports, we should be talking about football. Wherever you go, you’re guaranteed to run into passionate football fans, and almost all of them are tickled to death by Americans who can talk. Are you traveling to one of the many cities in the world that have long-standing club rivalries? Learn a little about each team: their colors, their place in the standings, maybe even a chant or two, and the origins of their beef with the other guys.
It’s not just a fun way to chat with the locals – it can also help you avoid annoying traffic jams and even dangerous situations. For example, if you are visiting Buenos Aires during the Superclasico , you should be aware that on the day of the match, the area around the stadium should be avoided. (You’ll also learn that you should never tell someone in a Boca Juniors shirt how much you love River Plate, which is very important.)
While football is the game of the world, it is not the only sport to keep an eye on during your travels. Many countries in Central and South America play futsal, which is similar to soccer but is played on a small court with unlimited substitutions, a smaller ball and many more tricks. If you’re heading to Australia, getting to know rugby and/or Australian football is bound to endear itself to everyone in the pub. Hurling (for men) and camogie (for women) that are common in Ireland include both full contact grips and the delicate balancing of a small ball on the end of a stick while running at full speed – a pretty cool combination if you ask me. . And then there’s cricket, which is both intricately complex and wildly popular overseas. (Depending on your ability to explain, asking someone about the rules of cricket is a great way to kill at least 30 minutes; do what you want with that knowledge.)
Wherever you go and whatever your initial level of sports enthusiasm, remember: you do not need to be an expert by any means. If you are an American who has taken the trouble to learn at least a couple of things about the local sports culture, you will get very far in your travels. Who knows? A five-minute conversation with a random person about a local rugby team could lead to an invitation to the next match or even a lifelong friendship – and it only took you half an hour on Wikipedia and YouTube.