For years, I've struggled to get the hang of sports. My school days were marked by an impressive array of excuses for why I couldn't participate in physical education classes – my "bad foot" being a particular favourite. Even as I grew older and started exercising regularly, I never quite got the motivation to join up with friends' recreational teams.
That was until last year, when a friend invited me to her birthday "kickabout". I'd been hesitant at first, but ultimately decided to give it a go – mostly out of curiosity about what would happen if I actually turned up. What I found was that I genuinely enjoyed myself, cheering on my team as we battled it out on the pitch.
It's hard not to take notice when you're surrounded by people who are just as keen on having fun as you are. And yet, despite our relative lack of experience and skill, we all seemed to be having a blast. From that day forward, I was hooked – and over the past year, we've played an astonishing number of games, with our little group growing from five or six friends to a full-blown team of around 40 people.
Of course, I'm still not exactly what you'd call a sporting star. My hands tend to instinctively fend off the ball whenever it comes near, and I've yet to master even the most basic skills like dribbling or shooting. But despite my questionable abilities, I've found that I'm getting slightly better with each passing game – and I genuinely can't say that I'd hate playing sports anymore.
So what's behind this newfound enthusiasm for an activity I once thought I'd never enjoy? It turns out that amateurism has been unfairly maligned over the years. In fact, according to activist Karen Walrond, who wrote a new book called "In Defense of Dabbling", being a bit rough around the edges and not expecting too much from yourself can actually be a strength.
Walrond argues that intentional amateurism is about embracing activities we love for their own sake – rather than trying to become experts or achieving some sort of perfection. It's about finding joy in the process, rather than the end result – and letting go of our natural tendency towards self-optimisation.
According to Walrond, this approach can be especially beneficial for people who are often driven by ambition and a desire to achieve. By giving ourselves permission to be a bit rubbish at something, we can avoid the pressure to perform and simply enjoy the experience.
It's a philosophy that resonates deeply with me, particularly as I look back on my own past experiences with hobbies. As a teenager, I was always eager to try new things – but once I got older and started focusing more on my career, those interests took a backseat. It wasn't until recently that I rediscovered the joy of playing football, albeit in a somewhat unorthodox way.
Walrond's book is full of inspiring stories from people who have discovered their own passion projects through intentional amateurism. From taking up watercolour painting to customising T-shirts, there are countless ways to get involved and explore your interests without feeling like you need to be an expert.
One of the most compelling aspects of Walrond's philosophy is its focus on mindfulness and self-compassion. By embracing our natural tendency towards imperfection, we can let go of our inner critic and simply enjoy the process – rather than beating ourselves up over mistakes or perceived shortcomings.
Of course, there's also a very practical benefit to intentional amateurism: it encourages us to try new things, take risks, and push beyond our comfort zones. As Walrond points out, this can have a profound impact on our overall happiness and wellbeing – even if we never become experts in the activity itself.
As I look forward to my next game of football, I'm excited to see where this newfound enthusiasm takes me. Whether it's scoring a goal or simply having fun with friends, I know that I'll be exactly where I want to be – and that's all thanks to embracing my inner amateur.
That was until last year, when a friend invited me to her birthday "kickabout". I'd been hesitant at first, but ultimately decided to give it a go – mostly out of curiosity about what would happen if I actually turned up. What I found was that I genuinely enjoyed myself, cheering on my team as we battled it out on the pitch.
It's hard not to take notice when you're surrounded by people who are just as keen on having fun as you are. And yet, despite our relative lack of experience and skill, we all seemed to be having a blast. From that day forward, I was hooked – and over the past year, we've played an astonishing number of games, with our little group growing from five or six friends to a full-blown team of around 40 people.
Of course, I'm still not exactly what you'd call a sporting star. My hands tend to instinctively fend off the ball whenever it comes near, and I've yet to master even the most basic skills like dribbling or shooting. But despite my questionable abilities, I've found that I'm getting slightly better with each passing game – and I genuinely can't say that I'd hate playing sports anymore.
So what's behind this newfound enthusiasm for an activity I once thought I'd never enjoy? It turns out that amateurism has been unfairly maligned over the years. In fact, according to activist Karen Walrond, who wrote a new book called "In Defense of Dabbling", being a bit rough around the edges and not expecting too much from yourself can actually be a strength.
Walrond argues that intentional amateurism is about embracing activities we love for their own sake – rather than trying to become experts or achieving some sort of perfection. It's about finding joy in the process, rather than the end result – and letting go of our natural tendency towards self-optimisation.
According to Walrond, this approach can be especially beneficial for people who are often driven by ambition and a desire to achieve. By giving ourselves permission to be a bit rubbish at something, we can avoid the pressure to perform and simply enjoy the experience.
It's a philosophy that resonates deeply with me, particularly as I look back on my own past experiences with hobbies. As a teenager, I was always eager to try new things – but once I got older and started focusing more on my career, those interests took a backseat. It wasn't until recently that I rediscovered the joy of playing football, albeit in a somewhat unorthodox way.
Walrond's book is full of inspiring stories from people who have discovered their own passion projects through intentional amateurism. From taking up watercolour painting to customising T-shirts, there are countless ways to get involved and explore your interests without feeling like you need to be an expert.
One of the most compelling aspects of Walrond's philosophy is its focus on mindfulness and self-compassion. By embracing our natural tendency towards imperfection, we can let go of our inner critic and simply enjoy the process – rather than beating ourselves up over mistakes or perceived shortcomings.
Of course, there's also a very practical benefit to intentional amateurism: it encourages us to try new things, take risks, and push beyond our comfort zones. As Walrond points out, this can have a profound impact on our overall happiness and wellbeing – even if we never become experts in the activity itself.
As I look forward to my next game of football, I'm excited to see where this newfound enthusiasm takes me. Whether it's scoring a goal or simply having fun with friends, I know that I'll be exactly where I want to be – and that's all thanks to embracing my inner amateur.
it's about havin a blast with ur mates! the key is findin joy in the process not gettin too hung up on perfection 
and if u r rubbish like me 
at least ur tryin!
but it sounds like finding a group of people who just wanted to have fun together really changed everything for you! 
its so true that when we surround ourselves with people who are passionate about something, it can be super infectious and make us want to join in too 
because honestly, who is? its all about finding joy and peace of mind in the process, not just the end result 
i think thats something we could all learn from! 
its about finding joy in the process not the end result being perfect at it is overrated
I love how the author highlights the benefits of embracing imperfection and self-compassion - it's so easy to get caught up in trying to be perfect, but that can lead to burnout and disappointment. By giving yourself permission to not be great at something, you can focus on having fun and learning for its own sake.
And I think it's great that Walrond highlights the importance of mindfulness and self-compassion in this approach - those are such valuable tools for navigating life's challenges with more ease and joy. 
I've met some amazing people through my football team and we all just vibe out on the pitch together 
. And yeah, getting involved in new activities can be super beneficial for our mental health 
.
! So, if you're thinking of trying out a new hobby or sport, just give it a go - who knows what amazing experiences you'll have? 
#AmateurismIsKey #SportsForLife #MindfulnessMatters
. But instead of getting frustrated, they just had fun with it! 
but seriously, it's awesome how sports can bring people together over shared enthusiasm for the game rather than individual skill levels. and omg, i love this idea of "embracing activities we love for their own sake" - like, why do we need to be experts at everything? 
life's too short to spend all our time striving for perfection 
. All this emphasis on embracing our "natural tendency towards imperfection" just sounds like an excuse for mediocrity to me 
. If you want to get better at something, don't just accept being rubbish – put in the effort to improve! It's easy to say we should be happy with ourselves when we're not achieving greatness, but that's just a cop-out 
"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great."