Have you played today?

When was the last time you truly played? I don’t mean playing with your kids although that could be considered playing if you were truly enjoying it while you played. That is one benefit of having children, you can rediscover some of what you enjoyed as a child. Going to Chuck E Cheese as a single adult may seem strange but if you go as a parent playing with their child, or an invitee to a birthday party then all possible social stigma and awkward feelings are removed. If you don’t have children there are still plenty of ways to get in touch with that child inside of you again.

The Sporting Side
Many of us played sports when we were children. Little league, soccer games, hockey, tennis matches, cheerleading are just a few of the ways children participate in sports. Besides the health benefits of physical activity, playing sports provides people of all ages with a social outlet as well. Some people prefer individual sports such as mountain biking or running. While these activities are done alone it is possible to join others while participating. Others prefer playing team sports. As an adult it may be difficult to find a team or league to join but it is not impossible. What makes it difficult is that some areas may not have many teams in that particular sport or existing leagues only accept registration by teams. In those cases, how do you find a team looking for players? Some resources for finding opportunities to play sports include:

• Sportsvite (http://www.sportsvite.com/)
• Craigslist (http://www.craigslist.org/) – Search for your particular sport of interest within the community section and “activity partners”
• Local parks and recreation departments
• Google search for your desired activity and geographic location (ie. Soccer, over 30 and San Francisco, CA)

Unusual Activities
Have you heard of geocaching? How about adventure racing? Did you ever play ultimate frisbee? Maybe you watched curling during the Olympics and wonder if it would be fun. If organized sports are not your thing why not try something different? All sorts of variations on obstacle courses, scavenger hunts and hide and seek are turning up around the country. A partial list of ideas includes:

• Geocaching – This activity involves using maps, compasses and sometimes GPS in a search to navigate to clues or particular checkpoints. Some involve more technology than others. Local REI stores sponsor events. (http://www.rei.com/) There is also a geocaching iPhone application which allows you to search for or navigate to geocaching events. For more information check out http://www.geocaching.com/.
• Urban Dare – If you have watched The Amazing Race on television you have an idea of what this is on the grand scale. Their website calls it “the adventure race that’s part photo hunt, part trivia and part dares”. 26 cities will host Urban Dare races in 2009. http://www.urbandare.com/
• Muddy Buddy – Muddy Buddy is coming to 9 locations in 2009. These events involve 2 person teams who alternate riding a bicycle or running sections of course with obstacles in between sections. Of course, lots of mud is involved. For more information see http://www.muddybuddy.com/.
• Curling – For most of us in suburbia, this is an unknown topic although I enjoyed watching the sport during the Olympics and found designated times reserved at a local ice rink. To find times and locations in your area, you may view the website for the US Curling Association which includes a list with links to local curling clubs at http://www.curlingrocks.net/.
  Ultimate Frisbee - This is a blend of Frisbee and miniature golf. Playing a game can be a cardiovascular workout as well as humorous. Websites to check out include http://www.upa.org/ and http://www.ultimatefrisbee.com/.

The possibilities are endless. Age shouldn't stop anyone. Most organized sports including tennis, soccer and basketball among others have leagues and divisions specific to age categories so a 40 year old does not have to keep up with a 19 year old. I play with two soccer teams on a weekly basis myself. It is my favorite stress relief all week. As I am now over 30 soreness is usually a side effect for a while after each game but it is so worth it! Get out there and have fun again!

What is your favorite way to play? Add your comments to share your ideas with others.