Can you teach an Old Dog new Tricks?
I played football the other night and not just FIFA on the Xbox, real football (well, five-a-side). I’ve been playing every week without fail for the last month or two, and I’m getting progressively fitter.
The first game nearly killed me, as my fitness was at the level of a 75-year old chain-smoking woman. I ran around for about ten minutes before I had my hands on my knees cursing the fact I had another 50 minutes to play left. I made it too the end (just) but didn’t score a single goal. Gutted.
I’ve only played maybe six more times since then, but I can definitely see an improvement. I ran around non-stop for pretty much the whole match, and I’ve scored consistently every week. I used to be decent at the game; I played regularly for a couple of years, and only stopped playing for about 7 months, but it quite alarming how quickly your fitness deteriorates.
I love playing the game, the competitive spirit will never die in me, and now that I’m getting back to a decent level of fitness (I’m giving it 5 more games to be 100%) I’m looking into the possibility of joining a non-league club.
But am I good enough? Sadly there are no standardised tests you can take. When I was young I had the “Ryan Giggs: Soccer Skills” VHS tape, I used to watch it all the time, and it still stands up, because Ryan Giggs is a great player.
Maybe I’m too old to play. At 27, as far as football is concerned, I’m completely passed my prime. I could probably be a keeper, as I was always a bit nifty in goals, and I’m not scared of getting hit by the ball, but I’d rather be a defender, or a midfielder. I’m not really a striker if I’m being honest, I prefer to run with the ball, and cross it in, maybe take the freekicks, more of a short passing game (I used to watch a lot of Italian football when I was a lad), but I’m not the guy for hammering home the winner in the world cup final – although that would be nice.
So where to start, I’m going to head to the local team in my area, speak to the boss and try to arrange to get in on their training. I reckon that’s the best thing to do, and then at least I’ll know if I still play at my grand old age. Wish me luck.