Sports Then and Now

Taking up a sport can be a pretty good choice in life. In the modern day, we all tend to live pretty sedentary lives – and much more so than we used to around 20 to 30 years ago. 

No matter how old you are, no matter your current fitness level, it’s perfectly fine and more than good for you to take up a sport if you want to. If you haven’t played since you were a kid, or you’ve never really had an interest in sports before, it simply does not matter. If you think you’d find a certain sport fun, please do give it a go! 

Of course, there’ll be a bit of a learning curve to adapt to, and you may want to gentle yourself in to get used to it. But that should be easy enough to do as well, especially if you make use of the tips in the list we’ve made below. 

If you’re concerned you won’t be able to keep up with any other players, or that you won’t be able to find a club that’ll accept you (which simply wouldn’t happen anyway, we promise!), these tips are definitely the ones to follow. 

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Try a Bit of Practice at Home

Practicing at home is always going to be the safest way to try out a new sport. No one else is around, you can spend as much time on it as you like, and no one is going to see the ‘silly’ mistakes you make when you end up falling over or hitting your shin on something!

All in all, if you have the space at home to practice your sport of choice, it’s going to feel safer to take part in it. And there’s no shame in not wanting to head out, join a club, and give it your all. That’s something you can think about later, if you even want to. 

Of course, make sure you clear the area and have a safe space around you to practice in. If you’re going to be using anything bigger than a tennis ball, try to take it outside. If you don’t have a garden to make use of, you can always take your equipment down the local park or book a space in the gym. 

You can also think about trying the sport with someone you already know well, like a friend or a close family member. If you’re OK with this person being around when you’re feeling vulnerable and like you’re totally unprepared, the activity can even turn out a lot more fun for their presence. 

They can hype you up, laugh with you when things go wrong, and even find their own passion for what you’re doing and join in. 

Watch Video Tutorials

Whatever sport it is you’re trying to pick up, there will be hundreds (if not thousands) of tutorials to find online. These will be made by people who have long term experience in the sport you enjoy, and are more than happy to share tips and tricks you may find useful. 

If you can, find a video creator you enjoy and keep up with their content. Whether they’re a good teacher or they simply make following along and trying at home more entertaining, subscribe to their channel and get involved. 

Not only will this offer you more chances at building a sporting community, but it’s also a great way to keep your favored sport a presence in your life. 

Of course, there’s always a chance that the videos you find aren’t quite the explainers you hoped they would be. In that case, click off and find something else to watch that makes the movement you’re trying to perfect or the theory you’re trying to parse a lot easier to understand. 

That’s the benefit of having so much free advice at your fingertips; if one thing doesn’t work, you’re guaranteed to find something else that does in the space of a few seconds. And all from the comfort of your own home! 

Make Friends with Other Beginners

You won’t be the only person around who is just now getting into this sport. Loads of other beginners will be getting into the same activity and be carrying the same worries about what it requires and how they might come across. 

From boxing to wrestling to football to baseball and back again, there’s a million people out there all within easy reach who feel the same way you do! 

Make friends with these other beginners. Collect together, usually via online groups, and talk about ways to make practicing it easier and more fun. You can swap tips, share advice, and even score some pretty cheap or even free bits of equipment to make use of. 

Having a resource like this is invaluable when you’re trying out something new. It’s good to have some pros around to seek some genuine skilled advice from, but you shouldn’t rely only on those in the skill levels above you. 

So, while you can watch as many video tutorials as you like that have been made by people who know what they’re doing, make sure you’re spending time with people who don’t really know what they’re doing too! 

Keep Trying Equipment Until You Find What You’re Comfortable with

If you’ve picked up a sport that uses a wide range of different kit, like soccer or golf, it’s best to keep trying out different bits of equipment until you find something you’re truly comfortable using. When you’re feeling comfortable, you’re going to find it a lot easier to keep going, adapt, and be willing to push yourself a bit harder. 

Not every pair of shin pads is going to be right for you! Similarly, not every brand of golf club you could invest in will have the right grip, style, and weight for you. Because of that, we do recommend buying second hand golf clubs before you find the type you love and are willing to invest more money in. 

The same goes for any other sport that you’ve already blown a bit more cash on than you really would have liked to. Buy second hand and/or used until you’re happy with what you’ve got, then expand from there. You can also just sell on anything you’re not using that is still in good condition as well. 

Bring the Attitude You Want From Others

You might feel you’re very bad at the sport you love, you might think you’re fairly OK at it – it doesn’t matter where you stand on your own skill. Either way, you should bring the same attitude you want to experience into the activity, whether you’re alone or in a group. 

Indeed, this will work very well for the latter. When you’re positive, it makes it a lot easier for those around you to be positive as well. If you’re new to playing the sport of your choice, and you’re nervous to try it out with other players, keep this in mind. 

If you’re the first to congratulate someone on giving it a go, they’ll return the favor when it’s your turn. If someone falls off in the midst of a match, be the person who’s there to help them up or check on them afterward. When you put that energy out there, it’s much more likely to come back to you – even in competitive circles! 

The same principle applies to participating in sports when you’re just doing some practice by yourself. Getting yourself into the right headspace will work wonders when you’re trying to get into the groove, find your flow, and refine your skills. 

Whether you’re on the water, down the driving range, on the pitch, or in the rink, be just as positive to yourself as you would to someone else trying to learn with you. The way you talk to yourself in these moments, where you’re more likely to make a mistake, needs to be very carefully considered. It’s incredibly important to be just as gentle with yourself internally too. 

New to Being a Sports Lover? Gentle Yourself into the Event

Gentling yourself into playing sports for the first time is usually the best way to get to grips with it. It’s OK not to be amazing at what you do, but we all know you usually have more fun when you can achieve the things you like! 

So make sure you take the time you need to practice your play, use the equipment that works for you, and have the right attitude when approaching something new. 

You can also check out a few video tutorials if you want to learn more, and it’s never a bad idea to join up with a few other fellow beginners and band together. At the very least, you know you can head out to practice with people who are at the same skill level as you – that’ll be way less nerve-inducing than trying to play with some pros!