In the present day, there are so many ways to fill your spare time. From playing your favourite games on the iPad to extreme sports, there are so many hobbies out there for you to try.
But lots of people question whether or not traditional sports can be regarded as a hobby, which has led us to question – is soccer a hobby?
In this article, we take a look at what it means to play soccer as a hobby and introduce some of the advantages of pursuing this incredible sport in your spare time.
So, is soccer a hobby?
Yes, soccer is a hobby if you do it as part of your leisure time. After all, a hobby is something that anyone can do when they’re not at school or work, so playing soccer with your friends is an awesome way to pass the time.
The advantages of playing soccer as a hobby
Playing soccer as a hobby is an excellent way to spend your leisure time. It’s fun, healthy, and sociable and gives you a great opportunity to compete. Let’s look at some of the specific advantages of playing soccer as a hobby.
It’s great exercise
Experts agree that adults should aim for at least thirty minutes of moderate exercise every day. Granted, it’s probably not a good idea to play soccer every day, but you can certainly play soccer as a hobby a few times a week.
Small sided soccer games are an excellent way to get into the sport for the first time, and you can play at sports centres in most towns and cities throughout the US. You can put together a team with your friends and play in a local league, which is a great way to enjoy soccer informally.
Alternatively, you can sign up to play soccer for your local team, which enables you to train and play soccer more competitively. This is still a great way to enjoy the sport in your leisure time and gives you a great opportunity to maintain your fitness.
It’s sociable
One of the best things about recreational soccer is that it is incredibly sociable. Yes, it’s competitive, but when you’re playing small-sided soccer with your friends, it’s a great way to get out of the house and maintain your social relationships.
Once the game is over, you can meet in the bar over a few drinks to discuss your performance and plan for your upcoming fixtures. Given that millions of Americans admit to feeling lonely, playing soccer with your friends is a great way to increase your social interactions.
No matter whether you’re a complete beginner or have some experience of playing soccer, joining a team and getting involved in the sport is an ideal way of adding to your calendar and keeping yourself busy.
It’s competitive
Even when you’re playing soccer at the local level and mainly for fun, the games are still competitive. This is a great source of adrenaline and allows you to feel as if you’ve really achieved something with your leisure time, particularly when you win a fixture.
Of course, it’s important to have hobbies that enable you to relax and unwind, but hobbies that allow you to maintain your competitive edge are equally as important.
So, if you no longer play competitive sports, you can take up soccer as a hobby and enjoy competitive matches in your local area. Just remember not to take it too seriously, as you want to enjoy soccer as a hobby more than anything else!
It leads to other opportunities
When you play soccer with friends and colleagues, it leads to a range of other opportunities. For instance, you might decide to go on regular days or nights out with your teammates, be it for a few drinks in town or for a celebratory meal out.
What’s more, playing soccer allows you to learn the rules of the game, which you can then use when you’re watching your favourite soccer team. Although the rules of soccer aren’t particularly difficult to pick up, it’s much easier to do so when you have played the game as a hobby.
From a slightly different perspective, playing soccer with friends and colleagues could lead to a range of networking opportunities, which could help you in other aspects of your life. After all, getting out there and playing soccer is hugely beneficial for a number of reasons, which is why you should undoubtedly get stuck in with soccer as a hobby.
How to get into soccer for the first time
There are lots of different ways to get involved with soccer for the first time, and it’s a topic that we covered extensively in this blog post. The beauty of soccer is that you can find players that are of a similar level to you, and you can start playing pretty much straight away.
Yes, it will take you a little while to learn the rules and the various aspects of the game, but you can use Soccer Knowledge Hub to help you! Our overarching goal is to help people like you get into the beautiful game of soccer, and we hope our articles inspire you to get started.
The verdict: Is soccer a hobby?
So, in answer to the much-asked question, “is soccer a hobby?” The answer is a resounding yes! Unless you’re a professional player, you can play or watch soccer in your leisure time, as it’s an awesome way to stay active and socialise with your friends.
We hope this article has inspired you to try soccer as a hobby, whether you start by playing in your local area or tune into your favourite team on ESPN.