Have you ever thought about being a fan and being a supporter? Have you even tried to separate them and put into two different categories? If you haven't, I think you'll do it after reading my words.
It's a really tough topic. Of course every athlete needs support, faith of the people around her or him. A sportperson needs to know, that when everything around is wack, somebody stands by. My words are confirmed by Kert Toobal - member of Estonian national team and setter of Turkish club Eylül Belediye Sivas. Cheering the team during the match? "It's really, really important for the players! It's much better to play and easier to push yourself in every single action" he said. So what the hell am I talking about?! Everyone tries to help the team or player, right?!
My sport life showed me two groups of people. Supporters and fans. The supporters are some kind of wall and barrier which help you to survive everything! They are always for you, but firstly, you have to prove them, you're the one who they need, you're the one who deserves their support and faith till the last second of the battle, you're the one who won't give up, you're just THE ONE! It's not easy for players, club. I know. Sometimes it takes a few games, even a few month to "fall in love" but dear athlete who reads that, do your best if you want to have a strong army with you. Supporters must be sure, they don't waste their time for a wuss. For them, it doesn't matter how do you look, what's up in your private life, what do you eat on breakfast and blablabla. For them, the most important thing is your battle, your war, your loss and your success. Why? Because every your step is their step, every defeat or victory of you is their too! It's some kind of integration, maybe even coexistence of both of you. Sometimes you know that the supporters exist and that's all but sometimes the relationship between you and them is getting stronger and stronger. Well, when finally is something between you and them - you're the luckiest person on that planet! Supporters will never leave you, their power will be pushing you stand up and fight! You'll never be blamed because of a bad disposition. Of course part of them will be mad for a moment, but don't worry, they are the people who always come back to you with a double power to show and prove, you're still their number one. Usually after the match they're gone to show up in a few days for another game.
Just the opposite situation is with... fans! Fans are that group of society that is not interested only in you as an athlete. They try to know your day schedule, what's on your dinner, does your wife cook at home, where you go shopping... When the word "fan" is in my head, I automatically imagine a teenager, especially young girl screaming at the moment of seeing some player. It's not because he might be great at his "work", but in all probability, the appearance of fan's "victim" makes, that the girl comes to see the game. It's a really common situation nowadays, they don't care if you scored 1 or 50 points, it's important to show up in the hall, scream a bit, express that "love" and then take a photo together. Naturally they try to help the players, but it isn't their main goal, this is not a disinterested transaction my dear. After some time they'll get bored by the player.
Let's come back to the part when I was writing about player's outlook, or maybe you are bored right now? I hope not, so... Our hero is handsome / pretty (woaps, needed to mention a woman here)? Great! My big congratulations to parents, perfect gens! But I think, the idea of supporting didn't pertain to appearence. Sport it's not a catwalk. I wouldn't be so shrewish or haggish if I wasn't be a witness of many stupid and shameful situation.
I was in Bydgoszcz to see the match between Transfer and Jastrzębski Węgiel. After the game, two young fans stood next to me and I heard part of their conversation:
A: So, let's take a photo with him!
B: Yea, but what's his name?!
A: Czerniewski! It doesn't matter, he's handsome!
They were talking about Jastrzębski Węgiel's middle blocker- Patryk Czarnowski. As I mentioned a few lines above, I've seen hundreds or thousands of situation like that one. During the tournaments where I was as a journalist, photograph or a supporter - it's a every-game reality. I don't even want to write about flagged fans of national team of the USA, when the girls didn't know who is Reid Priddy or Clayton Stanley...
My lovely reader, do you know who is Ivan Miljković? Yes? Oh I'm glad, because "the biggest fans of volleyball" didn't know and called gold Olympic medalist "whooper with a hot chest"! What the hell were they doing in Atlas Arena?!
Continuing about my life with fans. I love watching and observing players. On a spot in my head appears a plan, tactic and best actions which would be pointed! World League brought to Poland great teams and a big amount of fantastic players. I caught my eye on one young player. His disposition was better and better game by game. Volleyball is my whole world so I'm not hiding I started to pay more attention to him. He just deserved it!!! Things took a different turn when my "the chosen one" signed a contract with one of the Polish clubs. An hour. It was enough to create his fanclub and gain a throng of "incredible, lovely and devoted fans". Don't you think, this is quite ridiculous?! For me - it is! I'm not gainsaying that probably there's few supporters somewhere between them, but I'm 100 % sure, 80% of the believers are "with" him because of his attraction. Sorry.
I'd deal with that fact, but personally it hurts me. A few months ago nobody cared about him! Nobody even knew who is he, almost like he didn't exist. That guy was "the second one", eclipsed with his teammate and now what? Everybody changed their mind just like that and he's a Mambo Jumbo?! "Star is gone so maybe we'll make him our new hero? Things like that don't happen. Even if they happen, they don't last long. #SadbutTrue
To sum everything up. I can be a fan of The Rolling Stones, Nina Simone, country music, sushi, steaks. I even can be a fan of handball or hockey, basketball, volleyball (actually I'm a lover) since it's in general. In my opinion you can not be a fan of player(s), you can be a supporter.
For me, the supporter is a person who was, is and will be, a fan? Fan it's just a temporary human being, who will find someone else, maybe "better" and leave you. Fan wasn't with you, now is, but won't be for so long...
The supporter loves and respects you, the fan loves in a different way. For the supporter you're an idol, a mentor, a role model, for a fan - heartthrob, Mumbo Jumbo.
Dear reader, think about yourself and the gropu you belong to.
Dear Athlete. You can have millions of fans and do nothing. You can also have a group of devoted supporters, who will follow you to the biggest and worst war in your life, who will cry when you cry but first, consider which group is better and which one you choose. I hope, you'll choose wisely.
Dear Athlete. You can have millions of fans and do nothing. You can also have a group of devoted supporters, who will follow you to the biggest and worst war in your life, who will cry when you cry but first, consider which group is better and which one you choose. I hope, you'll choose wisely.
