“Name three players on this team. Who won the championship last year?” 

On social media and in real life, women who are sports fans often find their behavior and commitment under a microscope. Instead of their enthusiasm and interest in sports being accepted, they are subjected to many different forms of skepticism; women often receive comments questioning their knowledge and genuine interest in the game.

For junior Mahika Pandit, these obstacles have been prominent throughout her journey as a motorsport fan. Her passion for Formula 1 sparked when she watched the Netflix documentary series Drive To Survive, discovering the high stakes and adrenaline filled sport to be extremely enticing. After watching the show, Pandit realized she wanted to be more engaged in the sport and learn how F1 worked. Her enthusiasm quickly grew into a curious involvement in online communities on Discord. 

With a large group of F1 fans ranging from teens to middle-aged adults, Pandit gained knowledge of the different parts of F1 and developed her own opinions on the sport. Despite being such a diverse community, Pandit rarely interacted with people in the servers due to her fear of strangers, and being a female fan. She frequently saw instances of stereotyping against women in the servers, which made her hesitant to share her identity and opinions. Whenever a woman would ask a question or introduce themselves, they were immediately met with judgement and critique. 

“There was always the equation of ‘We’re male, we understand what’s happening a lot better,’” Pandit said. “There is that perspective that the guys know better. It’s a guy sport, so then they feel very entitled to their opinion and think that they have a very special place in a lot of sports.“

Although sophomore Nishka Shetty, a San Francisco 49ers fan, hasn’t personally experienced skepticism about her sports knowledge, she acknowledges the societal expectations that discourage women from openly sharing their passions. Shetty notes that it’s normalized for men to be  sports fans; however, with women, it can be surprising to many. 

“Female fans sometimes feel like they can’t share their knowledge on a sport because they’re afraid they’ll get clowned on by male fans,” Shetty said. “Especially in high school, there’s this idea that guys know more about sports than girls.” 

Chemistry teacher Supriya Moore has had similar experiences being a 49ers fan. Moore acknowledges that when she first talked to people about the 49ers, they would be shocked. However, she hasn’t had as many negative interactions compared to Pandit; moreover, her love for the 49ers has played a pivotal role in her personal life. Her interest in the team began at home in 1992, where she was surrounded by brothers who often discussed football. As a result, Moore naturally gravitated towards the sport. After one of her brothers explained the basics of the game, she began watching football regularly, and with the 49ers being the local team, her interest in the sport quickly grew. 

Similarly, Shetty’s love for football developed through her family’s deep connection to the sport. Growing up in a household of devoted 49ers fans, Shetty’s childhood Sundays were spent watching games with her family. The tradition grew as she got older, and annual December trips with her cousins to watch the 49ers has become a cherished ritual. These experiences not only deepened her appreciation for the game but also solidified her sense of belonging in her family’s tight-knit football circle.

Moore recognizes that being a sports fan has allowed her to meet new people and form new connections. Moore’s passion for football is well-known on campus as a teacher at MVHS, and she often discusses football with her students, as well as her co-workers in the science department, such as Mr. Hajjarian and Mr. Jones. Additionally, Moore first met her husband through football when she attended San Jose State University, where she would often pass by her husband’s lab room wearing 49ers merchandise. Eventually, he noticed and started a conversation with Moore, leading to them forming a closer relationship.

“We started talking about the 49ers first, and that really got us to become friends,” Moore said. “I TAd for his class, then that led to another talk, to marriage and beyond. So as a female, being interested in sports has actually opened up the horizons to a lot more people who look at me differently. It’s something to talk about, and you need to open the conversation somehow. So this is an area where I can talk to people that have similar interests.”

Looking ahead, Pandit hopes for a future where female sports fans are met with acceptance rather than skepticism. To her, discussions with female fans become a test of knowledge too often, and instead, Pandit envisions a shift in the way conversations about sports are approached. 

“It shouldn’t be that crazy to people that a woman could be into motorsports,” Pandit said. “It should be more of a, ‘Hey, you like sports and so do I. Let’s have a conversation about it.’ Moving forward, I hope there is more acceptance that people like what they like. If you like a sport and someone does too, that should be a common factor and it should be something that brings you guys closer rather than further apart.”