Do you play sports or are you part of any clubs?

[Sheogorath]

I have always enjoyed sports and games. Whether it was soccer or a game of chess - I loved being busy. And I still love to be busy. As someone who is easily bored, I am always looking for things to do; a hobby.

...But my Aspergers is kind of an obstacle. I feel very uncomfortable at locations I've never been before - especially when I am on my own with strangers. I've developed an interest in Kung Fu as of late, and I am thinking about joining a local club. But that means dealing with all those things that I find so difficult.

Do any of you play sports or are you part of any clubs? How do you cope with that and what was it like when you just got started? Do you have any advice for me? My anxieties have sort of kept me from playing team sports and have limited me to a few soccer games with my younger brother. I am 19 now and I just really want to have something to do.

 

[King_Oni]

The closest thing I do now is attend the gym. Which clearly isn't a team thing. To add, it's open 24/7 so I can go when I want... part of those flexible times, is why I choose to sign up there.

As a kid I did a lot of sports; multiple martial arts, soccer, swimming and I was part of an atheletics club when I was younger. I suppose most stuff was either solitary or didn't rely on a lot of teamwork.

Soccer for me was the one sport which has shown I'm incapable of being a teamplayer. Also the reason I picked up martial arts. The times I was sent of for disorderly conduct and violence against other players... as I ended up being sent to the locker room, it wasn't rare someone else got sent off as well.. with an injury. So eventually I ended up being a last resort when they had no one else to put on the field anymore, but my mom at some point took me out of the soccerclub for other sports.

I've thought if I should pick up any sport again, but I don't like the restriction that I have set times to train. And added that most sports I like are the really physical ones, I don't know if I should still look into it anymore. Broken bones for trying to be more active are not what I consider an awesome plan. Not too long ago I've looked if there were any Krav Maga classes in my area though, but there weren't any (and 2 hour travel for a 2 hour combat sports class twice a week really isn't worth it IMO)

 

[clg114]

I like sports of all kinds with football being my favorite. But this is only as an observer. I have no desire to be involved in any kind of team sport. I have tried several individual sports. I like them, but I'm way to clumsy to be any good at any of them. I have studied several sports. I know the proper procedures, what kind of equipment is best for me and put in a lot of effort into them, only to be fair at it. My youngest son (a Aspie) and I are both clumsy and not athletic. My oldest son is very athletic and competitive. His mindset is "second place is just the first loser". He does good, but gets upset if everything doesn't go just right. I really think that us losers have more fun. My daughters have no interest in sports.

 

[Lealea]

I used to surf (waves not the web lol) one of the best feelings ill always remember is riding a wave when it's raining while the suns going down. At this present moment tho my boards are gathering dust. I do have I little kick around with the kids but that's about the most energetic thing I do lately.

I would like to take up a kick boxing class or something, but I know mentally I can't handle it.

 

[Aspieistj]

I avoid all sorts of group activity except that I have always loved singing in a choir/chorus and playing in a band or orchestra. I guess it was easy for me to do because we had had music we had to follow and every voice or instrument had a special part to offer. However, I never enjoyed improvising and never joined a group that didn't always have sheet music to follow. I also hate all team sports. Finally, I am quite competitive.

 

[On the Inside]

I've played baseball and soccer, those were the only team sports I've participated in. I stopped playing them when it started to get really competitive. I had a hard time getting along with the serious jocks. I also played tennis through high school, but quit when I was a junior, after I was trounced in the regional tournament by the guy who went on to second place in the state meet.

Then I started bike racing and cross country ski racing, I've been doing those ever since. I've also taken up trail running races in the past four years. While I don't belong to a club, I do run with a loosely organized group. While I am still nervous before group runs, I know that I am a strong runner, and that gives me the confidence to get over my shyness.

So I cope with it the same way I cope with everything else; I try to be really good at it. If I'm no good at something, or have a bad experience, I quit.

 

[Datura]

I've always hated team sports. I resent the fact I was subjected to them through my school years. Track and field also bored me. It is a fine measure of baseline physical performance, but lacks anything remotely interesting to me. Add to this a lack of coordination and asthma and one might come to think my hatred of sorts is a defense mechanism against my own ineptitude. Regardless of ability though, I still do not think I would like these sports.

I did try roller derby once, voluntarily, as an adult. I actually find the notion of a full contact race on skates exciting. More than that though, I love the post-riot grrl / third wave feminist underpinnings of the roller derby revival. I tried very hard to be successful but I could never master even the basics of roller skating. To make matters worse I sustained a knee injury which I only aggravated by continuing to skate. Eventually I quit and spent about a year with a serious limp. Though I met a couple of cool people through the sport, I never really felt I belonged either. While derby is generally more accepting of queerness and eccentricity, it is still very much a sport and populated by it's own brand of jocks. I could admire the loud, hard partying, super competitive derby girls from a distance, but I was never one of them, and never felt comfortable among their ranks.

 

[Sheogorath]

I always wanted to play sports. I just can't get myself to do it. Sometimes I wonder if it's worth the stress or anxiety that I experience. What doesn't help, is the fact that I gave up too fast in the past. I joined a few clubs and quit after one or two trainings. So basically; I never really gave myself the chance to feel comfortable somewhere or to get used to new people and new situations. This resulted in me only having negative experiences with sports and clubs; only experiencing the anxiety and not the reward of having fun because you kept trying and worked hard.

 

[giraffesec]

I'm not a big fan of groups so sports are normally a big no. I found a sport where I don't have to do the team bit. Archery I love it and I don't need to socialise too much plus there are a couple of shooters who are on the spectrum also so it's like a safe non judgemental place

 

[On the Inside]

Archery is pretty cool, I've participated in a few 3D field tournaments. Lots of fun.

 

[SameStars]

I like to run, maybe in some small part for the solitary nature of it. Sometimes a friend joins me, and I've done some running events where you're part of a crowd (it's kind of exhilarating). Team sports were okay in school, but not really outside of it.

 

[Progster]

No, I don't belong to any clubs, but I would consider joining one if I could find a suitable one in my area, such as a hiking club, but I don't think I could join and go on my own with strangers, I'd have to already know someone there. The nearest I've come is to attend a class for learning Italian, and a computer skills class. Social anxiety is a barrier, but I can overcome it if there is an activity to focus on, such as learning a foreign language. I've never liked team sports, but when I was at school I went to after school rock climbing and athletics clubs.