Millions of people around the world love to participate in sports. Whether it’s a team sport like soccer or an individual sport like golf, few things beat the feeling of immersing yourself in a new game and having fun while doing it. But how do you get started?

Here are four tips to help you get into a new sport.

Know Your Goals

Before you begin, it’s important to set some goals, as this is how you’ll keep yourself motivated and on track when starting out in a new sport.

Are you trying out the sport for fun? Do you want to become a professional? Are you hoping to make friends or join a team? Knowing your goals will help you focus on what’s important and build the skills necessary for success. For example, if your goal is to become a professional, you’ll need to train more rigorously than someone who is just playing for fun.

Learn

No sport is without rules, techniques, and strategies. Before you can start playing or even just supporting a sport, you want to understand the basics of the sport you’re trying out. For example, in football, it’s important to know the difference between offensive and defensive positions, understand how points are scored, and get familiar with common terminology.

Look up information online or find a book on the topic. If the sport has different levels, such as amateur and professional, learn what each level entails.

Find a Community

Once you’ve done some basic research, it’s time to find a community of people who share your same interest. If your goal is to become a professional, you’ll learn a lot from more experienced players in the game, and being part of a community will help keep you accountable as you learn. Even if you’re simply looking to be a casual player or a supporter, having a community of equally motivated people will make things twice as fun!

Look for local leagues or teams that may need members, or search online for forums and chat rooms where people talk about their shared passion. You can even find mutuals on social media platforms like Twitter and Tiktok.

Have Fun

Most importantly, have fun! Even if your main goal is to become a professional at the sport, remember that it should still be enjoyable. When you’re beginning in any new sport, there’s bound to be some initial failure and frustration, but don’t let that stop you. Take the time to enjoy the process of learning and growing in something new.

So participate in local events -even if it’s just an annual sporting event organized by your local assisted living facility, take tons of pictures with friends and family, or try out different techniques to challenge yourself to do better each time.

Trying out something new can be an exciting, but intimidating experience. Luckily, with the right attitude, motivation, and support of a great community – you’ll be well on your way to mastering a new sport.