Get Back in the Game - Play the Sports you Love and Get Fit Too!

Remember when you were a kid how you would be outside playing sports all day long and never seem to get tired? No, neither do I, but I'm pretty sure that's how it was. From the moment I could walk I had a soccer ball pretty much attached to my feet or tucked under my arm as I went in search of other like-minded kids in pursuit of a game. I can't seem to recall at what age that stopped although I'm sure it can probably be tied in to the same time that I started thinking that girls weren't quite so yucky anymore.

The funny thing is that even though I stopped playing, my passion for the sport never went away and it's something that my son has picked up too. When the time came for him to start playing in an organized league I decided that I should step up and coach his team as there is a real dearth of volunteers for our league. It was through the coaching that I came to realize how much I actually missed playing the game but at the age of 38 and mired in the Deep South, where soccer isn't really a big priority; I figured that I'd have a really hard time finding somewhere to play. I couldn't have been more wrong.

I was fortunate in that one of the other coaches was starting an over 35's indoor soccer team and invited me along to play. I was a bit concerned at first, being as badly out of shape as I am, but quickly came to realize that a good chunk of the other players in the league were just as bad or worse off than me. After the first couple of weeks of thinking I was going to die because I couldn't breathe, I quickly discovered that I could play a little longer every week and didn't get so tired so fast. It really is astonishing how quickly your body can adapt to regular exercise.

The point I am trying to make is that you are never too old to go back to something that you loved. It doesn't necessarily have to be soccer, or even a sport for that matter. It could be writing, art, dancing, just about anything you used to do but still have a passion for. Getting involved again and talking to others who were in a similar position as I was made me realize that there are tons of ways to find these activities in your area if you really want to get back into it.

Check out your local community association or rec center as they always have tons of programs and activities going on that you can get involved in and for the budding sportster, head over to the local playing fields and see if there is anything posted there or check out your local classified ads or Craigslist website as there is always an abundance of ads with teams looking for players to fill their roster spots.

Sure you may be worried that you've lost a step or aren't anywhere near the skill level you used to be but at this level no-one really cares. Everyone just wants to get out, have some fun, and stay in shape and there's nothing stopping you from doing just that.