Soccer matches as a serious leisure activity: the effect on fans’ life satisfaction and psychological well-being

ABSTRACT

People participate in serious leisure activities in various ways, such as regularly participating the soccer matches of the teams they support at the stadium. This study evaluates soccer matches as a serious leisure activity and determines how this activity affects the life satisfaction and psychological well-being of fans. Using online forms, 325 valid questionnaires were collected from soccer fans and analysed using SPSS 24 and Smart PLS 3.2.9 programmes. The findings show that the soccer fans’ participation in soccer matches at the stadium falls within the scope of serious leisure. This activity increases the fans’ life satisfaction and psychological well-being. With these findings regarding a specific activity, this study contributes to the serious leisure literature. I also suggest that stadiums should be turned into entertainment centres to encourage fans to spend more time there.

KEYWORDS:

• Serious leisure
• soccer matches
• soccer fans
• life satisfaction
• psychological well-being

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).