Your friends are your teammates in life, so when it comes to finding a recreational sport or hobby; why not get your favorite people together and do something together. You and your buddies may lead busy lives, and as people move forward in careers and relationships, friends can often drift apart and fizzle away. A team sport, at a regular time during the week or month, will ensure that you have a reason to meet up with one-another. Whether you’re an athletic bunch, prefer to stay inside when you get-together or love to travel as a group; there’s an activity out there for you to try with friends. The following are some ideas for those who need a push in the right direction of a sport to try with their dream team.
On The Field
There’s nothing quite like getting outside in the fresh air and feeling the grass, well, beneath your boots. If you and your buddies miss the locker room banter at high school and feel like burning some extra calories on a local field, think about the sports you loved playing together as kids (or even trying something new).
Football is a great option for those who need to alleviate a stressful week with plenty of running, combative contact, and enjoy the focus and quick thinking of the game. Depending on your skill levels; you could all join an existing team, or form your own to hone your skills. Put an advertisement on Craig’s List to see if there any other like-minded people out there, who want to join you every Saturday. Invest in a few decent footballs between the group, and you can wear what you want. If you’re at a stage where you feel the need to protect yourselves, so that you don’t get to Monday morning black and blue, be smart and get the right protective gear for the sport.
For less physical contact with the opposing team players; soccer is a skillful sport that you can play out in the open, or even find a space inside at a local sports center. Soccer is perfect for those who want to continue their training when they leave the pitch; you can buy a soft soccer ball and hone those skills in your living room or backyard. The matches can be as serious or as in formal as you feel is appropriate; sometimes a friend will just want to hang out, and passing the ball to one another is the perfect excuse to spend some time catching up. You can check out some soccer drills and training exercise here for some ideas on what to practice together. Team shirts with your surname and favorite numbers on them are a fun addition to the weekend meetup with your buddies.
Baseball is the other classic American game for you and your friends to enjoy. You can get-together with a full team, or stick to a batter, pitcher, and some fielders to move the ball around the field. Again, this is a sport for those who enjoy running and perfecting their particular skills in the game. There are several benefits to playing baseball with your friends, including stress relief, overall fitness, and improving hand-eye coordination, so it’s worth getting involved, even if it is just for fun.
On The Court
Indoor and outdoor courts can often be easier places to hire for an hour or two, than a whole field, in public gyms and sports centers. Therefore, court based games are perfect for those wanting to meet up regularly to play sport and hang out. Basketball is an obvious choice, and fortunately, when you’re playing with friends, you don’t have to be seven foot tall (and your buddies are likely to be a similar height). Basketballs, sportswear, and sneakers are the only real requirements when you play, aside from a hoop (you don’t even need a net). Many parks and free recreational areas have a basketball court where you can shoot a few hoops with your buddies for free, and play against those who are already there. Therefore, it’s the perfect sport to play if you want to increase your team size or make some new friends.
Tennis and badminton can be enjoyed by a pair or a small group of you, and are a great way to chat as you play because you’ll be facing each other the whole time. You’ll be able to hire the equipment, or it will come as part of court hire in the recreation center, so it’s not an expensive hobby to get into. You’ll often see tennis stars train with certain equipment; however, it’s very often for sponsorship deals, so don’t feel pressured to buy the sweat band that Federer wore at Wimbledon.
Games like rackets will have a similar vibe to tennis; however, you’ll use your surrounding walls and ceilings to play off. Rackets is another great game for friend to hang out, as you’ll be in an enclosed environment and can catch up as you train. There’s no better way to get over a stressful day than with chatting to friends and letting off steam at the same time, so consider looking into this less popular sporting option.
In The Bar
If you don’t feel inclined to put your sneakers on and head out to a field or sports center somewhere; meeting your buddies in the bar can be the perfect alternative. Aside from a well-deserved bottle of beer at the end of a busy week; you’ll be able to get-together and enjoy a little friendly competition. This does not mean to say that going to a sports bar to watch your rival teams play on the big screen constitutes playing a sport with your buddies; however, if that’s as far as you care to take it, that’s cool.
However, many bars will have a pool or snooker table for you to utilize as you’re sipping on something cold. All you’ll need to remember is to take some change for the table, and maybe your own chalk for the cue. You can play doubles, or rotate the game so that everyone gets a chance in your weekly tournament. Keep it fun and play for the next round of drinks or the cab fare home.
Darts is another skill-based game, that’s synonymous with a bar environment; if it’s something you’d like to try your hand at, get yourself a set of darts and start practicing. You can always get a dartboard for an affordable price and train at home; some professionals train with these which will help to give you an idea of what and where to invest. Having a dartboard at home also means that you can host regular nights to compete with your friends without the need to travel to any drinking holes (and you’ll save on your cab fare home).
At The Table
As mentioned before; hosting a games night is the perfect way to save money and avoid any cold weather or the thought that goes into getting home after a late night. Home-based activities are also often the perfect way to involve a wider variety of your friends in the activity, as people with different athletic or skillful abilities can happily sit around a table to catch up and get involved. Therefore, cards is a simple and affordable (depending if you’re playing for cash) to spend an evening together. You can rotate the houses where you gather together, as all you’ll need to invest in is a pack of the small cardboard rectangles that can bring hours of fun. There’s a card game for every skill level, so you could test the waters with a simple game of rummy before moving into a regular poker night (you’ll need to perfect your poker face).
Those who want an intellectual duel with their friends can play a variety of table-based games, like chess or checkers. Or, why not go old school and get hold of some classic board games for regular meetups of unadulterated fun. Be warned, Monopoly can take a long time to complete; the longest game on record lasted for 70 straight days, so you might have to give your group a time limit each week and start playing where you left off previously.
In Space (cyber space)
Lastly, but by no means least; if you and your buddies are gaming experts, you don’t have to make it a solitary experience. Aside from meeting up at somebody’s home to play GTA on the sofa together; you can get involved in playing your favorite computer games through the internet and connect digitally. Participating in an online tournament with friend is great for groups of people who live too far away from each other to meet up in person, and you’ll be able to connect and chat online at a set time each week.
Whether you’re using a Nintendo, PlayStation, or a PC; choose a video game that you’re all going to enjoy partaking in on a regular basis. You can keep it as fresh, or as nostalgic, as you like; the main thing is you’re continuing to make the time for you friends and keeping in contact regularly. Your buddies are important, so find a place that suits you all, and keep meeting up to enjoy sports, games, and activities together.
