How to Start a Competitive Sport at Any Age

We’ve all been there. You’re on your 5th straight day of watching the Olympics or Paralympics, seeing Simone Biles or Oksana Masters get yet another medal at the top of the podium. As you sit on your couch you start thinking, “If i had made a few different life choices, could that have been me?”

With the Olympics freshly behind us and the Paralympics starting today, it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement and joy of competitive sports. While many of these elite-level athletes started their sports during childhood, it’s never too late to pick up something new. Whether your goals are competition, fitness, or community — there’s an option out there for everyone. Read on for ways to stop fantasizing about athletic glory, and start working on your brand new sport.

Move past intimidation.

For those interested in a new sport, a group class can be a great way to start learning the skills needed to perform and compete. Many places that offer classes for children, will often offer adult classes as well. While this may seem daunting, it’s important to remember that you won’t be the only person trying something new.

Hector Salazar runs the adult fitness classes at the Chelsea Piers Field House in Chelsea, Manhattan. He says that post-Olympics, interest in classes has skyrocketed.

“We get a lot of those people that have never done gymnastics,” says Salazar. Our enrollment has doubled since the Olympics started, and it’s crazy.” He says that the students who take the classes are largely mixed in their experience level. “We do get those people that were ex-gymnasts and want to relive the whole glory, and some that [have] never done [gymnastics] before.”

Start small.

If you’re worried about your ability levels, or aren’t ready to fully commit to a group activity, Salazar suggests starting with something simple. He recommends beginning with some easy stretches.

“I would start by doing that, moving your body, seeing what you’re able and capable of doing,” Salazar tells PS. “Start with a stretch, and then maybe some light exercises, and you’ll be able to tell. How is your body responding to that? And then you can venture further.”

Find joy in the process.

When balancing working adult life and a new hobby, it’s important to enjoy it — and that means the ups and downs. Take it from Kristen Faulkner, who just won two medals at the Paris Olympics. Faulkner, a professional cyclist, took up the sport after college, while working a full time job in venture capital.

“Cycling gave me an instant friend group when I moved to New York City,” says Faulkner. “Several of the women were older than me, and I enjoyed having them as mentors in a new city.”

The former Harvard rower and Alaska native says the journey wasn’t necessarily easy. “When you learn a new sport as an adult, you have to be really humble because you’re a novice all over again. However, I didn’t mind being a novice at all because I enjoyed the learning process. Because I was in my first year of work, I was also the “beginner” at work. So during my first year in NYC, I was a beginner both at work and in cycling.”

Faulkner said that when starting out, her mentors were a big part of helping her push forward during times of doubt.

“I had a really good mentor one time. I said [to her], ‘I’m just not a good sprinter.’ She replied, ‘That’s not true. You’re just not a good sprinter, yet.’ I took that mindset with me whenever I was bad at something. Instead of thinking ‘I’m bad at XYZ,’ I would tell myself ‘I’m just not good at it yet.'”

Don’t count out competition — or yourself.

For those who want to get into competition — there are plenty of spaces for that in the adult world. Some of these competitions include the National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs (NAIGC) Masters Competition and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) competitive diving competitions. Sport governing body organizations like the National Wheelchair Basketball Association has 8 different team divisions, with options for players who want to play recreationally, or at an elite level. For those with Paralympic games dreams, the Paralympic Sport Development division is an available resource. You can fill out a questionnaire and receive more information on how to qualify.

While these competitions above have some elite levels, the age restrictions are often much larger, or non-existent. If you think a new sport might be too late for you Faulker says: “You never know until you try. And if you enjoy it and are willing to work hard, you’ll only get better everyday.”

Odeya Pinkus is a New York-based freelance writer. She was an English major at Binghamton University and got her master’s in broadcast journalism from Syracuse. Her writing can be found at PS, InStyle, and Today.com.