Specifically for soccer, there’s O40 teams (and even beyond, up to “walking soccer/football”), and if you can change your headspace just a bit, you can drop down to a more recreational level and still enjoy the sport you love. Just be mindful that they’re not really the bad guys, and you can still try to stop them and shut out the rest of the world. As a chronic overthinker, that simple headspace can be a really healing place to be for a while.

I didn’t even start playing until I was already fat and almost thirty, but I had a good ten years of playing indoor off and on; yes… forty, but you almost certainly have much better fitness than I ever did, LOL. Speaking of indoor, it really limits the duration of your sprints and whether on offense or defense you can “manage” more of the field without the same physical strain. The consistent conditions are nice too, though many facilities smell like sweat at all times.

55m here.

Was an avid volleyball player, even though I’m 5’8" (1.72m) tall. I have very strong legs and could meet a lot of 6’2" plus guys at the top of the net.

Skydiver with 4500 jumps, spent a few years doing it professionally.

Now, my knees and back are shot. I can still play volleyball, but my jumps are about half what they used to be and I need to wear knee braces. Skydiving is almost completely out, unless I jump a very soft opening canopy as I have a disk bulge that is pressing on a sciatic nerve. If I get slammed on opening that could present a LOT of issues for me.

Now I focus on those things that I can do. I’ve always been an avid hiker and there is a nice state park nearby. I try to hike the trails there every day. Also I keep up with working out. Weights and other exercises. I’m not trying to build muscle, just keep what I have.

Right now, I’m sitting here with a very sore back and aching muscles, due to helping out my wife’s Figure Skating Club to setup for a competition this weekend. That involved moving a lot of tables, chairs, podiums and other things for 4 hours last night.

I think I’m going to take it easy today.

As someone about to hit late 40’s I can give some applicable advice here. I manage two over 30 teams, a coed and a mens team. I play on both and pick up games when invited. I’ve had a long list of injuries but always come back.

You do need to change how you play, the competitive part has to drop down a bit, basically let the younger peeps have those 50-50 balls, don’t go for headers that have any kind of pace, avoid contact with players you know are willing to injure you.

But most importantly, go to physical therapy and collect the appropriate workout. Hit that workout 3-5 times per week and don’t stop. If you can’t get your workouts in, don’t play that week.

Have you looked into age group leagues? My friends are in their late thirties and play roller hockey in a thirty plus league

Was never a sports guy in the first place

When I didn’t want to do my high-impact sport anymore, I switched to reffing some, and also moved to competing in lower- impact sports.

Last summer I joined a dragon boat racing club where our oldest teammates were 78 year old twins and the average age of the whole boat was about 60. “Too old” for sports doesn’t exist.

Played hockey most of my life. Got sick and had to stop for months at 41. Now I’m 42 and I fail to see how I’m gonna be able to go back as my health has declined significantly. I’ll just have to be an old broad yelling at my tv while watching the games, at least the season is starting I guess…

There is lower impact sports that you can do late in life,

I climbed alpine summit with a 75 year old gentlemen, he sais that since he reached 70 he stopped going above 4000m, but still climbed.

I’ve seen 80 year old Kendo sensei, this frail gentleman struggle to climb a stair, but once he has a sword in the hand, he knows what you plan to do before you. (and I’ve seen 80 year old with lower level, many of them indeed stopped free sparing, but that’s all)

EDIT : Typo in "sport"word making the comment unclear

I switched to lower impact sports like kayaking/paddling and cycling as I aged. Still can be social, especially biking, but hard to replace a dedicated league soccer. Do y’all have pickle ball? That is pretty social in my area and probably will feel low impact compared to soccer.

At 41 I switched to Jiu-Jitsu which isn’t any safer but is even more fun. Unsure why so many of us old guys do BJJ but it’s a thing.

I have some guys in my team who are over fifty and still play every week, so it certainly is possible. One is the goalie :P The other does a lot of jogging which helps him stay fit. Stuff like yoga and calisthenics also help prevent injuries. So you might try looking into that and see if it helps you stay in the game.

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Martial arts

I did a couple

I miss them, but I don’t miss the constant pain in my joints. I have a thing where they were deteriorating, and all the exercises to strengthen the supporting muscles actually made shit worse unfortunately

Trampolining and cheerleading. Injured my back so I had to stop sadly.

Last time I went on a trampoline I tore a leg muscle, so that was fun.

I live in a city that has their cycling priorities in order so I cycle places as much as possible.

I’d still play some hockey if invited. But I’d probably suck and/or hurt myself. 😅