A couple of months ago, I said yes when my friend Ninna asked me to join a soccer team that a friend from college was putting together. I'm here to brag about how wildly fun it is.
The team is full of people who are all friends-of-friends. We're in a league that plays every Wednesday. We wear shinguards and cleats and we definitely have our own jerseys (all the teams do, it's not just us). It's a full 90-minute game and we play at night, under lights, so you kind of feel like a professional athlete.
Seriously though, the whole thing is an adrenaline rush. Everyone gets so into it. We're actually pretty good so it's easy to get carried away. There's occasional dirty talk and near-brawls on the field. The inner athlete from glory days past in each of us has a chance to come out. I forgot about how being teammates can quickly spark friendship.
If you have a chance, join an intramural team in your city. My team can actually use an extra lady or two, so if you want in, let me know. Aside from this being ridiculously fun, it's also a better workout than pretty much anything else. When you're sprinting to the ball, you run on pure will and drive, as a fierce competitor, to be there for your teammates. That's something I don't get on my runs or at SoulCycle.
And yes, scoring a goal does make you as psyched as Brandi Chastain circa 1999 Women's World Cup.