Bored? Here’s How To Get Into A New Sport

By Olivia Rahim | July 19, 2021

If your evenings and weekends are feeling a little dull, then the solution might be to find a new sport to enjoy. 

Sports are quite amazing for your general well being and overall life satisfaction. Why? Because they tick all the boxes. They keep you active, they introduce you to new people, they give you a challenge, and they allow you to use your free time productively. 

In this post, we take a look at some of the ways you can get into a new sport and how to make the right choice. Finding a sport that you love is one of the most important things that you can do for your long-term health and happiness. 

Read A Related Magazine

If you’re an intellectual type of person, then ordering a magazine subscription for the sport you love can be a great way to get into it. There are mags for practically every sport out there – even things like yoga and mountain biking which don’t seem like traditional sports. Once you start reading, you begin to understand the issues in the sport and everything becomes more interesting. You can do things like follow rivalries and get inside tips on how to perform your best. 

Skip The Pressure

Putting pressure on yourself to do a certain sport or activity is a great way to fall out of love with it. Instead of feeling like pleasure, it becomes work for you.

Avoid self-pressure where possible and just do what comes naturally to you. Most people want to move at some point in the day. And so trust your body to have the urge. Then, when it comes, you can get active doing the sport of your choice. 

Do Something Entirely New

Instead of just picking a sport that everyone else is doing, why not choose something entirely new? This way, you can see whether there’s a sport out there that has your name on it. 

Take pickleball for instance. Relatively few people have heard about it, but it could be something fun for you to try, especially if you enjoyed racquet ball sports in the past. 

You’ll need paddles and pickleball bags for all your equipment. But aside from that, that’s it. 

Find A Sport You Loved When You Were Younger

Here’s another strategy that tends to work really well: finding a sport that you enjoyed when you were younger and going back to it. Chances are that if you enjoyed it in the past, you will continue to do so in the present. 

Just make sure that it is something that you genuinely liked doing. You don’t want a sport that you were forced into as a child by overly-keen parents. Also, try to think back to what it was that made the sport so enjoyable for you. Was it the glory of winning? Or the half-time snacks? Or the fact that you had a lot of friends? 

Go To A Game With Your Friends

Watching sports on TV is okay. But the best way to get into a new sport is to go with friends. Seeing it in real life can be inspiring because you get a much better sense of the quality of the players. 

There are many sports that you can watch and some are more fun than others. Going to big team sport events usually means that you’re allowed to sing, shout, dance and cheer. You’re also allowed to eat and drink while you watch. 

Other types of sports have stronger rules for what’s permitted, and what isn’t. Which type of sports you attend, therefore, has a lot to do with your personality. 

Look For Local Clubs

If you’re still struggling to get into a new sport, try canvassing local clubs to see if they offer membership to beginners. Local clubs are often a great way to meet new people and really get involved in a sport. After a game, you and other club members can hit the bar and have some great conversations. 

Find Something Thrilling

Ideally, the sport that you choose should also be thrilling. This way, you get something in return for all your hard work. 

The type of thrilling you need depends very much on your personality. For some, the biggest thrill is winning in front of a large crowd. Football, therefore, is probably the best option here. For others, the thrill is the action itself. Mountain Biking, for instance, is a thrilling sport because you are going downhill so fast. 

Keep Your Schedule Free

It’s hard to get into a new sport if you’re rushed off your feet the whole time. It’s a good idea, therefore, to set aside a couple of hours a week so that you can indulge in the sport of your choice and really get good at it. 

Perhaps the best time to get into a new sport is in the early mornings at the weekend. During these hours, you typically have fewer obligations and less on your mind. 

Get To Grips With The Basics

Starting a new sport is all well and good. But unless you have the basic skills honed, you won’t enjoy it. Riding a bike isn’t fun if you haven’t learned to balance yet. 

Remember, whenever you try a new sport, there’s going to be a period when it isn’t enjoyable. You just need to remind yourself that this is just a hump and that once it’s out of the way, things get a lot better. 

Listen To Sports Podcasts On The Way To Work

You can also get into a new sport by listening to podcasts or radio broadcasts on your commute. Passively absorbing information on a sport can be a wonderful way to gain more insights organically, without forcing yourself to learn anything in particular. 

So, in summary, if you’re bored and want to get into sports, there’s hope. There are many ways that you can try something new and make 2021 your healthiest and most active year yet. Trying something new is a lot of fun and a great way to meet new people.