I play medium tier co-ed soccer, have for the last dozen years or so. I just hit 40, am slowing down and taking longer to recover from injuries. I know my time at a fun sprinting competitivish level is coming to an end but… Sure, I’ll miss the new dope friend aspext of it but equally importantly, 3 nights a week for years, I’ve been so happy to play and for a few hours a week the world, the future, politics, none of it mattered, all that mattered was stopping the bad guys from putting a ball in the wrong place and hopefully making it go to the right place (I’m defence, that half of the field is up to the other 6)
I dunno. Hoped maybe one of you has had to do this before and can share some thoughts. (I just had my foot clipped pretty bad, know I’m out for a few weeks but just came back off another injury etc…)
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
These are pretty inspiring examples! I guess I just have to change my headspace from “I’m losing soccer” to “I’m picking up a new lifelong sport.”