How to Play Soccer in Your 40s, 50s, and Beyond

I've been putting together a coed soccer team in Springfield, IL, and have been facing an interesting dilemma. Many of the would-be players are too young to play.

We play in the D-League, ladies over age 35, guys over age 40. When I was younger, I never knew that was a thing. Yet here I am, leading an indoor soccer team with players all the way into their sixties.

If you're like I was, you probably have never thought about people being able to play soccer in their 60s. We're conditioned in the USA to think that once we get above a certain age, all that's left is to sit back and waste away on our recliners.

Yet that's a perception not held in many other cultures. In fact, senior playgrounds are quite common in many countries, just like we had back in elementary school. A quick search on YouTube will turn up a number of videos of older adults still enjoying a game of soccer or swinging on the swingsets as we did as kids.

If you want to go play soccer, look up your local rec leagues and then get out and play. You might want to do a couch to 5k program first or check out our healthy habits program if you're really out of shape, but don't think that age is a reason not to get out and play. I had never really touched a soccer ball until I was in my 30s, now I look forward to the fall leagues.

If you want to get out and play, go for it! If you're in Springfield, Illinois, consider joining our indoor adult soccer team!