for the love of solo travel and sports!

Written by Lisa Saper-Bloom, Founder of 1 2 3 Go Solo! LLC

Photos taken by Lisa Saper-Bloom

Ladies!!!...You LOVE sports!

You LOVE your team(s)!

You LOVE your betting apps and pools! And you LOVE to travel!!!

Why not travel to see your favorite teams in your favorite cities?

Prior to the last few years, it seemed women used to simply tag along with their boyfriend, spouse, or generally speaking, significant others to sporting events. They did it more for the love of the person they were with than for the love of the game!

Times have changed!

Women not only buy the gear and support their loved one… They actually support and LOVE the sport and team that can drive them wildly mad!!!

I am one of those women!

I am a Chicago BEARS and CUBS FAN!!!

Yes, I have lived in Phoenix for 36 years! And yes, I have been “emBEARassed” by Da Bears!... I have referred to Da Cubs over the years as the “lovable losers”!... 

But I have never lost the PASSION for my teams!

With my LOVE of BOTH Football and Baseball, (and obviously Solo Travel), you can find me:

…in a sports bar solo!

…in a different city sports bar solo!

…at a Spring Training game solo!

…in-season at a game solo!

…in the ICONIC Wrigley Field in Chicago solo!!!

You as the reader may possibly be a woman who is coming into her love for sports and travel! 

If so, here is my advice and some of my experience on this topic, as your Solo Travel Coach:

1. Start in a local sports bar.

For me, this is where it started! Living “out of area”, when everyone in Arizona felt like a transplant, and before streaming existed, I would have to go to the bar to enjoy a Bears game. It became an event every Sunday! My husband and I and our transplant friends would pull up barstools, order drinks and food, and enjoy our favorite teams! 

There would be times when my husband couldn’t make it, or our friends would no longer support their team (people here aren’t die-hard!). It got to the point where I was riding my bike to the bar by myself and enjoying the locals (along with many travelers visiting Phoenix for business conferences). 

Our bartender at the time took GREAT care of us and EMBRACED us as both patrons as well as Bears fans! Going to see my team on days that were light on friends and sans my husband became normal to me. I never thought of it as “going solo”. 

Now, I understand that there is a HUGE population of women who love sports and travel like I do! Knowing not all women feel comfortable doing this for themselves, I assign going to a sports bar solo as “homework”.

Our beloved bartender! Her last name matched the player who wore #33 on Da Bears, so we bought her a jersey!

2. Consider Spring Training or Training Camp in your area.

Every late February/early March, as football ends and the baseball season begins… I feel BLESSED by the fact that I live in Arizona! Not only is the weather superb, but the “Cactus League” here in Phoenix hosts 15 teams throughout 10 ballparks! One of the 15 teams is THANKFULLY my BELOVED Cubs!!! 

I have now lived in the desert for over 36 years! Back in the early days, Spring Training tickets were only $10! Parking was basically FREE! Tailgating started HOURS before the game! You were able to bring food and non-alcoholic beverages into the parks. Spring Training was a way of life every March, until the people in my life got serious jobs and started truly adulting. At the time, I was a freelancing Yoga Instructor, Massage Therapist, and Life Coach. My down time, being very different from others’, provided me with the opportunity to start going to games solo!

Like anything you do solo, the decisions you make are solely yours! You don’t want to drink at a game, OK! You want to spend a ridiculous amount of money on water and a hot pretzel or kettle corn, OK! You want to enjoy hiking before the game and stay an extra hour after the game, OK! You don’t have to worry about people you came with that are too drunk to drive. You don’t have to worry about someone else having to get home for the kids. Your time is ALL ABOUT YOU! …and your team!!! Spring Training and/or training camp is the PERFECT way to ease into sporting events solo!

The full squad arrived for Spring Training and I was there solo!

3. Attend a sports bar in a city you desire traveling to.

Being the sports fan I am, and a solo traveler, I think a lot about the days I am traveling. Where am I traveling? What teams are playing at what time!? How accessible are games?

Last December, I spent a long weekend in La Jolla, California. It was the off season and I was there in hopes to see whales from a kayak! 

Because we were half way through the NFL season, and I was going to be there on a Thursday night, I made sure of two things: 1. I had Prime set up on my iPad to watch Thursday Night Football. 2. I knew what sports bar I would feel comfortable watching the game in!

For the first half of the game I chose The Spot. This was within walking distance and  where I knew I could get a good piece of fish at the bar. The bartender was extremely accommodating about my food allergies (always a challenge when traveling) and I knew I could enjoy two California football teams (the LA Rams and the San Francisco 49’ers) while I was there!!!

The moment the game started, I could tell the guys at the bar chose the 9ers, while I had already placed my pick on the Rams! I could also tell they were a fun, harmless bunch, unwinding after a hard day of work. I ended up scooting over to their area of the bar and having a GREAT time bantering back and forth!

At halftime, I said goodbye to my new sports bar friends, walked back to my hotel, and finished the game on my iPad. When leaving at the half, the 9ers were up on the Rams. But in the end, the Rams pulled it off and all I could think about was that a bunch of guys I just met, while eating healthy in a sports bar, saw that the team the solo girl at the bar picked just won the game!!! I cracked a smile, had a quiet giggle to myself and fell asleep completely satisfied!

I don't have a photo from the sports bar, but here are the kayaks! No whale, but plenty of sea lions! I was able to see the first grey whale of the season the next day from a boat!

4. Tick the box on your sports dream bucket list!

I am most fortunate that I grew up in a suburb outside of Chicago! While Wrigley is on so many people’s bucket lists, it was my home stadium. I am so incredibly comfortable in the stadium and in Wrigleyville. Friends of mine for forty years live a short walking distance outside of Wrigley. Day games to me are most enjoyable, complete with the walk to and from the stadium. 

Less than three weeks ago, I was there solo for the first time! The weather was delightful, the stadium and fans were electric, and the vibe was incredibly high!!! A late-season game right after the Cubs clinched a wild card spot brought a buzz to Wrigley that could only be beat in playoff games and dare I say…. The World Series.

At Wrigley, or any sporting event, you have the one most important thing in common with those around you… the LOVE of your team!!! You are solo, but you are NEVER alone!!! Conversation (if you choose to engage) flows naturally. You are vibe-ing about the same things those around you are! You share something as if you are old friends and long-lost relatives.

The Cubs CRUSHED the game that day! They were up 7-1 at the bottom of the 8th when Suzuki stepped up to the plate, bags loaded, and SLAMMED one out of the park!!! The final of the game was 12-1 and Wrigley was HOPPING!!! We were singing “Go Cubs Go” without a care in the world! Being in a country that is currently divided, we were united and loving one another over our beloved Cubbies.

There is no better feeling than a WIN at Wrigley!!!

I have done it time and time again!....

I have successfully coached those with the desire!

With my coaching, you can certainly do it too!!!

If you are even thinking about it:

Schedule your FREE, 15minute, Are We a Good Fit consult! I would LOVE to help you tick this item off of your bucket list!

Recommended items for sporting events!

Rain jacket and Clear bag

This is a THIN jacket for warm, humid weather. It bunches EASILY into the pouch, fitting into a clear bag, should the ballpark or stadium have a clear bag policy! In the misfortune of a game delay, due to wet weather, you are prepared!

Clear bag link: https://amzn.to/46RETsp

Rain jacket link: https://amzn.to/4kqbJ7h