Being a Boston sports fan is one of the most rewarding things you can be. There is absolutely nothing like a Boston fan. Ask anyone who knows anything about sports — the heart and soul that is visible at a Boston game, whether that be hockey, baseball, football, basketball, you name it —dedication, and absolute loyalty of each and every fan is something you can’t deny.

Born in southern California, I moved to New York at the age of 4. My dad, who grew up in a small town an hour outside of Boston, grew up on the same heart and soul of Boston sports that I’ve mentioned. He passed that on to me, his only child, and ever since I can remember I’ve loved Boston. However, there is an exception. While Boston hockey is known for its die-hard fans, I am not one of them. I’m a New York Rangers fan, but that story is for another time (also, yes, I’m depressed about them not making it past the first-round of playoffs, let’s not talk about it.

Growing up in “upstate” New York (Saratoga Springs), all of my friends were Yankees and Giants fans. I mention those teams because those were the only two I really cared or knew about when I was younger. My first time at a Red Sox game was when I was just over a year old — there is a picture that is famous in my family (I have a copy in my room, even) of my dad and me at my first majorleague game. Although I don’t remember this specific occasion, I do have memories of games I went to further down the road in my childhood — I remember looking forward to collecting one of the infamous plastic mini hats that they sold soft-serve ice-cream in at Fenway (if you’re a Sox fan, you know exactly what I’m talking about). I remember being surrounded by so many fellow Boston fans, so many other people who were just as engulfed in the game as I was.

It was always interesting as a kid being a Boston fan in New York. I mean, those are some of the biggest rivalries in sports. The B’s and the Rangers, the Sox and the Yankees, the Pats and the Giants… these teams have caused each other trauma over the years and whenever they play one another you know it’ll be a game you won’t want to miss. However, it wasn’t like I was the only Boston fan in Saratoga Springs, or the only Boston fan in a huge pool of never ending New York fans — that’s obviously not how it works. Being so close to New England, its obvious there will be plenty of other Boston fans just like me.

People come from all over the place, their parents come from all over the place, and their grandparents too. Kids learn to love sports from their families, and not everyone loves sports, that’s a given. But for those who do, Sunday and Monday nights were rowdy in your household during football season, and you couldn’t wait to catch Wednesday Night Rivalry hockey.

Even being at the TD Garden earlier this season to catch a B’s game against Toronto (sorry to both teams for not even making the playoffs) — the vibe was incredible. Going with a friend (who is the biggest Bruin’s fan I have ever met in my entire life… you should see her dorm room…) made the atmosphere that night much more intoxicating. I’ll never switch over to being a B’s fan — that’s ludicrous (LGR!) but for the night that I was there, I had the utmost respect for Boston hockey fans. Mainly because when I thought about it, we had more in common than we didn’t. I’m sure 99 percent of the people at that game also loved the Pats, Sox, and Celtics.

Think about all of the greats that have come out of Boston sports — Bobby Orr, Steve Grogan, Rick Middleton, Kevin Garnett, Babe Ruth (6 years with the Sox still counts!), Nomar Garciaparra, Wade Boggs, Teddy Bruschi, David Ortiz, Cam Neely, Jim Rice, Roger Clemens, Carl Yastrzemski, Ray Bourque, Tom Brady (can I include Gronk on this list too?), Larry Bird… the list could go on forever.

A lot of people don’t understand why I’m a Boston fan because I live in New York, and I’m from California, but I want to make it clear: it doesn’t matter where you come from, what matters is your love of the game and feeling like you’re a part of something. There’s nothing else like being a sports fan — you feel like you’re supporting something amazing, and truly, you are.