There are a number of reasons people avoid or dread small talk. Some believe it’s a waste of time (it’s not, unless you want it to be) and others are intimidated or anxious talking to people they don’t know.

Which is a bit of a Catch-22. Small talk helps build relationships. You won’t move out of that awkward stage of getting to know people without those small interactions. Here’s how you can make things easier – look for the sports fans and ask about the game.

You probably know which colleagues follow sports and sports fans can be easy to spot when they’re wearing team/school logos. Tee up a conversation about their favorite team and you won’t need to search for what to say next. And don’t tune out because you think sports doesn’t matter at work. You’re listening for information that’s useful in follow up conversations and segues into other topics, when they’ve finished their sports comments, of course.

I always get excited for the start of the NFL season and based on the numbers I’m not the only one. The NFL averaged 21 million viewers per game during the league’s opening week last week. Those numbers are up 12% from last year.

That means even if you didn’t watch the NFL your colleagues and friends probably did. Viewership numbers will fluctuate throughout the season, but there is a huge appetite for football and the NFL.

Fans aren’t just fans on game day. They’re fans every day of the week and they often want a chance to talk about their favorite teams, players, outcome, etc… Keep that in mind if you’re looking for easy ways to start conversations this week. Get things rolling with questions like:

• Did you watch football this weekend?
• What did you think of the ______ game?

Or you can use any of the topics listed below.

For years I heard Pete Carroll say, “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.” It was certainly true for the Seahawks game I covered Sunday and it’s often true in small talk.

Informal interactions can be clunky, especially when few people strategize small talk. But fear not. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to make a great first impression to leave ‘em on a high note. All you need is a versatile conversation topic that leads to natural follow up conversations. Sports does that, and the topics listed below can help this week.

Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer, but it’s also the start of an exciting sports month that includes NFL regular season games, playoff races in baseball and the WNBA.

That’s just a few of the things happening in sports right now that might lead to more interesting conversations than talking about family vacations. (Although that’s just a guess because sometimes the vacation stories are real doozies.) Either way, here are a list of sports topics that could come up in small talk this week.

What do you do when months of planning go out the window?

You know the feeling and so do a number of college football teams this week. Teams that spent months preparing for the start of a season, expecting to start strong and believing they had the right strategy in place – only to lose the first game of the season and put themselves in a tough position to make the playoffs.

That's what Florida State is dealing with after their stunning loss in week one of the college football season. the sports story is definitely going to come up in conversation with fans, but there's a bigger business conversation you can have too. The conversation about rallying a team and rebounding from disappointment. It's one way you can think outside the box scores and use sports to your advantage in business. 

Or you can stick to sports and use these topics in small talk this week. 

I'll be honest, the dog-days of summer have me lacking inspiration.

Which is why I'll definitely be leaning on these sports conversation starters in small talk this week. 

As an NFL sideline reporter preseason football isn’t just about the action on the field. It’s a chance for me to get to know the players in a more relaxed setting rather than the high-pressure regular season environment.

My interviews during preseason games are a mix of football questions and inquiries about interests outside of the game. A question like “Outside of football, what else are you competitive in?” reveals a lot about the people I’m working with and talking to every day.

Getting to know the people you work with is just as important and that’s where this list of sports topics comes in. Stick to sports or use them to branch out to other topics. It’s the benefit of talking sporty!

I geek out over questions. Some would say I overthink questions. My counterpoint is that it's my job.

As a sports broadcaster I ask questions for a living. I know the value of asking great questions. I know that the answers you get are a reflection of the questions asked and I know that when you ask strategic, intentional and thoughtful questions you'll get insightful answers. Answers that tell a story, that bring out an emotion, that help you make a connection and play a role in building relationships.

All of those things are important in my job and it's why I happily geek out over the questions I ask. 

Asking questions that spark insightful conversations isn't just important on TV. I need the same interactions as a business owner and as a friend. Unfortunately conversational norms often get in the way of insightful conversations, or at the very least make them more difficult. 

Here are three guidelines to asking questions that spark insightful conversations:

1. There's a...

I kept going back to the same place looking for inspiration. I was trying to break through writer’s block and find fresh perspectives. It wasn’t until I tried something different, like reading different types of articles and talking to different people that inspiration struck.

When I changed the conversation (both the topic and the people) I changed my perspective. It felt interesting and energizing.

If interesting and energizing are two things on your list this week try these sports topics. I bet the topic of Breakdancing in the Olympics can spark a few fun conversations and maybe you’ll be inspired in ways you never considered.

Small talk this time of year feels like it's the same questions on repeat: How’s your summer? Do you have any fun vacations planned?

There’s nothing wrong with those questions or the conversations that follow, but if you’re looking to switch it up sports gives you great options this week with the start of NFL Training Camps and the Olympic games in Paris.

If you want a changeup, these sports topics can spark fresh conversations.