The last time you went to your local community center, you might have been dropping off your kids for practice or supporting your nephew’s game. However, the next time you head to the sports complex, consider gearing up yourself. Adult softball is becoming increasingly popular. Here are just some reasons why you should consider building a team and the ways this hobby could change your life for the better.

3 Reasons to Sign Up for Adult Softball

1. Stay Healthy

If your New Year’s resolution was fitness-related, spending hours a week on a treadmill or doing squats is few people’s idea of fun. When you join an adult softball team, the excitement of playing the game will make exercise feel less like a chore and more like a fun way to pass the time.

In fact, a 150-pound person can burn up to 360 calories every hour spent on the field. As you swing the bat, throw the ball and sprint around the bases, you’ll also build muscle and strengthen your bones.

2. Get Back in the Game

For many people, joining a team as an adult brings back fond memories of playing sports as a child or teenager. Whether your mother drove you to the sports complex every day after school or you made friends on the intramural team in college, playing games as you came of age may have taught you lifelong lessons—like how to assert yourself with confidence or the power of teamwork. This can also form a connection between you and your own kids.

3. Foster a Sense of Community

You don’t have to have a history as a star player to build a softball team. In fact, some players just build a team of friends in hopes of meeting other players in the community when they compete.

Even if you don’t consider yourself an extrovert, you’ll find yourself driven to communication through the sport itself—whether you’re coordinating the next practice or taking ownership of the ball. As a result, you’ll start to build relationships with your teammates and competitors.

If you’re eager to join an adult softball league in the Jacksonville, AR, area, Jacksonville Parks & Recreation Department is currently offering open registration for teams. You have until March 21, 2020, to create a team, and sign up to join men’s or co-ed leagues at the Jacksonville Community Center sports complex. To learn more about their fitness and event offerings, visit the website. Call (501) 982-4171 to speak with a department representative.