From his earliest years as a baby, Brian Hankerson’s imagination wandered far from the mundane pursuits common to his age group – television viewing and playground squabbles with classmates. He wished to excessive leap. As a youngster, Hankerson would abandon the classroom in haste, hastily setting up an impromptu fishing spot using two chairs as poles and spreading a blanket below, before collapsing his lanky frame onto the makeshift rig.
For many years that followed, Hankerson did not formally train or compete as a serious runner or high jumper. Until his mid-40s, he had never witnessed adults competing in a track-and-field meet – that was until his own children started participating alongside them. “They weren’t young adults; instead, they were older adults,” Hankerson notes. In his first competitive outing as an accountant-turned-track-and-field athlete, Hankerson from Coral Springs, Florida, entered the masters’ division, where he surprised everyone by setting new meet records in both the high jump and long jump events.
At 64, Hankerson remains a force to be reckoned with on the national and international athletic stages, bound for the World Masters Athletics Championships in Sweden this August, as he continues to extol the virtues of competitive sports for adults. “When I challenge myself beyond my perceived limits, I’m confident others will be inspired to do the same,” he asserts. Will you envision yourself achieving success in the competitive market with just one accomplishment? You won’t truly understand until you take a shot.
According to Hankerson, there’s no better moment than now for individuals of all ages to embark on an athletic journey. As we age, the more we realize that time has slipped away from us. While children are often given free rein to experiment and explore when introducing them to a new sport, adults typically require a more structured approach to justify investing their time. “When adults attend our gymnastics lessons, they’re often hesitant to tackle new moves or revisit ones they haven’t attempted in years due to apprehension about their physical limitations, which can lead to fear.”
Will you successfully enter the marketplace and achieve your goals? You won’t fully understand until you take a shot.
As the new year approaches, you may find yourself feeling remarkably eager to explore a new sport, or nostalgic for those you never had the opportunity to try before. For athletes looking to pick up a new sport or return to an old one, coaches emphasize that there is much to consider. While not exclusively are you changing your body and mind, you’re also transitioning into a unique niche – all of which hold promising and empowering benefits. When struggling to integrate physical activity into daily life, coaches and athletes alike offer valuable advice for getting started.
Let your pursuits inspire you
The diverse world of sports offers an array of athletic pursuits to explore. Sports activities currently captivating your attention, whether it’s Olympic gymnastics or others that fascinated you in childhood? Draw upon your cumulative experience, encompassing both past and present pursuits, to inform the selection of your preferred sporting activity.
If nothing demands reflection, let yourself be open-minded? With a background in competitive basketball, Patrick “Pat The Roc” Robinson pioneered adult basketball lessons, specifically designed for parents of young players, allowing them to stay involved during their children’s training sessions. As the years passed, parents began to notice a stark contrast unfolding in their child’s behavior. As the popularity of the gym grows, Robinson notes, “We’re seeing more and more parents showing up uninvited, hoping to catch a glimpse of other families participating.” Now, they’re no longer embarrassed or anxious about joining the group.
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When venturing into a novel athletic pursuit, enrolling in a relevant category serves as an ideal initial move. Trained coaches will instruct you on the fundamentals, rules, and ethics of the sport, providing you with the necessary resources to excel. By following a consistent schedule every Thursday night, individuals can establish a sense of rhythm and consistency, which is essential for developing routines that promote structure and organization in their lives, according to Robinson. While you can join a neighborhood program without cost, the level of personalized guidance is significantly reduced. Avoid succumbing to the temptation to splurge excessively on lavish purchases, advises Alexis and Robinson.
Consider visiting local community centers, public libraries, and colleges/universities to find group or private classes that cater to your interests and skill levels. In the event that your city’s parks and recreation department offers adult sports classes or leagues, these might be more affordable than private gyms. Scour online platforms, such as your city’s dedicated Reddit thread or local Facebook groups focused on specific sports, to uncover expertly recommended coaches or instructors.
Start with tiny, incremental strides each day.
When people are thoroughly enthralled by a new activity, they often throw themselves wholeheartedly into it, notes Mike, the youth programming head coach at Utah Olympic Park – a venue utilized extensively during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. While this initial pleasure is motivating in the short term, a two-hour pickleball lesson may leave you feeling so sore the next day that you’ll never want to pick up a paddle again? According to Glanville, small, incremental efforts made on a daily basis will help prevent burnout from occurring.
Robinson instructs his adult college students to maintain their individualized shooting routines without any basketball activity throughout the week, except during practice sessions. Meanwhile, Alexis meticulously deconstructs each gymnastics movement into a series of incremental steps. Individuals occasionally exhibit an impulsive desire to perform daring stunts, such as backflips. “I’m saying, let’s put in the effort necessary to achieve that.”
You’ll effortlessly manage getting into your sneakers, stepping outside, and hitting the ground running.
Set incremental objectives or milestones to bolster consistency-building habits, recommends Glanville, with a focus on making them attainable and manageable within your scope. Set yourself achievable milestones along the way to the goal of completing a 10K race, such as increasing daily step count or running for longer periods each week? “You won’t be able to predict with certainty whether your body will perform at its best for a 10K run the first time,” Glanville notes, “but you can control small actions like putting on your shoes, stepping outside, and getting started.” Mastering the fundamentals of a new skill or pursuit lies at the intersection of what you can already accomplish and where your aspirations truly reside – the gap between these two entities allows for growth and momentum. By celebrating smaller victories, you foster an environment of self-assurance, empowering yourself to set ambitious goals and strive towards realization.
Nurture meaningful relationships by cultivating strong connections with a trusted friend and being receptive to forming lasting bonds with like-minded individuals.
If you’re apprehensive about starting a new activity among unfamiliar people, consider recruiting a trusted companion to accompany you and help ease any initial jitters. You’ll naturally feel comfortable with someone familiar, and you’ll also maintain each other accountable. At Trade Gymnastics, friends often train together in adult classes, notes Alexis. As people arrive alone, they inevitably form connections with others who share similar circumstances.
Grown adults flock to the athletic center’s basketball coaching program year-round, driven by the social benefits that Steve Bzomowski, the program’s founder, attributes to its enduring popularity. Since By no Means Too Late conducted its inaugural clinic nearly three decades ago, players have consistently praised the organization’s exceptional ability to foster a sense of community and collective collaboration among its members. According to Bzomowski, people genuinely enjoy gathering together, connecting with strangers, and co-creating something previously unknown.
Embrace your full potential, yet remain grounded in reality.
At By no means Too Late, Bzomowski encourages novice adult athletes to recognize that it’s never too late to learn a new skill – a sentiment reflected in the clinic’s name itself. At the conclusion of weekend-long camps, participants are recognized and celebrated for their individual achievements, regardless of whether it’s a skill like passing or effective communication, according to him. Regardless of your proficiency level, there are specific areas where you will excel. While individuals’ bodies and abilities may vary significantly, Hankerson suggests that people may be surprised by the potential of their physical form. At 60, I accomplish more than I ever could at 50, he asserts.
While Kelley Shaw, a systems director at Trade Gymnastics, emphasizes that age is no barrier to learning gymnastics, she notes that individuals shouldn’t feel obligated to master every skill. “To excel in any sport, listen to your body’s limitations and only attempt moves that make you feel comfortable and safe. Apply this principle to every physical activity: push yourself to give your best effort, but also be aware of your physical cues and seek guidance from a coach or instructor if needed.”
Don’t compare yourself to others – compete with yourself.
At Trade Gymnastics, experienced gymnasts occasionally participate in transfers or drills from start to finish, according to Shaw and Alexis. Before refining your skills, instructors agree that acknowledging and embracing initial imperfections is essential when learning a new ability or revisiting old ones. Don’t measure yourself against others’ perceived abilities – neither those of your peers nor your past self. As Hankerson emphasizes, “Each day, strive to excel beyond your own personal best, rather than comparing yourself to someone else you admire on television, YouTube, or a computer screen.” Don’t fear about that.”
Through these very struggles, small triumphs, and significant victories, individuals gain profound insights into their own capabilities. As you refine your understanding of your physical capabilities, you also cultivate an awareness of how you interact with others and the obstacles that can be surmounted through perseverance. “‘It’s not that I didn’t know whether I could do this physically,’ he says.” “As I reflect on my journey, I realize that acknowledging and conquering inner doubts has been a pivotal aspect of my growth.”
