I'm terrible on the field. But my amateurism might actually have benefits

"Then, last year, a friend invited me to her birthday kickabout a casual game of football, I gathered. (I believe some call it soccer.) Had we been less close, I might have made my excuses. Instead I turned up to the park, determined to keep as far away from the ball as possible. To my great surprise, I enjoyed myself. Instead of running down the clock on the sidelines, I got swept up in the game, rooting for my team to score."

"the worst on the team, infamous for always instinctively fending off the ball with my hands (though somehow never when I'm actually playing in goal). But I'm also slightly better than I was a year ago and I would no longer say I hate playing sports. What keeps me turning up every Sunday? Unexpectedly, it is not the socialising or the exercise. I love the slightly intoxicating sense of challenging myself, with zero expectation or even hope of ever being actually skillful."

A person with a lifelong dislike of sports changed perspective after joining a casual birthday kickabout that produced unexpected enjoyment. The informal game grew from five or six friends to a rotating lineup of about 40 meeting every other Sunday at a local sports complex. The individual remains the least skilled player but has improved and no longer hates playing sports. The primary motivation is the slightly intoxicating sense of challenging oneself with zero expectation or hope of becoming skillful. Amateurish originates from Latin meaning 'one who loves', and intentional amateurism promotes pursuing activities out of love rather than aiming for mastery.

Read at www.theguardian.com