Is 18 too late?

It’s certainly not too late! If you just put in some work to build up your stamina, get your headspace right, and prepare yourself mentally, you'll be more than ready to dive into chess, and honestly, isn't true experience something that simply unfolds naturally over time?

It’s not exactly too late, but I’m honestly struggling to see where you’d actually go for training.
You can't really jump in with the eight-year-olds—that would be awkward—and I highly doubt any local club would slot you in with the older guys who have been playing since they could walk and already have those powerhouse legs...
My advice? Pick a sport that people typically pick up a bit later in life.
Take rowing, for example—most people don't even touch an oar until they're twelve.
Find something where you aren't trying to play catch-up after a fifteen-year head start, but maybe just five.

Give it a shot, but honestly? It’s an uphill battle. I only know one guy who didn't pick up soccer until he was already 16, and that was because he spent his whole childhood playing basketball instead. Good luck.

It’s way too late for you; honestly, why don't you just go jump off a building with Zoran tomorrow? 😁 Just kidding—mostly—because it’s never too late. 😉

Hey, I could use some advice... I'm 19 and heading off to college in Chicago soon! Back home in my small hometown, I spent my time playing soccer and doing competitive shooting since there wasn't much else to do—you basically pick from maybe 7 or 8 sports and that's it. But now, I really want to get into swimming. What do you guys think? Is it too late to start swimming at my age? Thanks!

vividheron16 said:I need some advice... I'm 19 and heading off to college in Chicago. Back home in my small town, I mostly did soccer and shooting because there wasn't much else to choose from—maybe 7 or 8 sports total, so you just pick one. Anyway, I really want to get into swimming. Do you guys think it's too late to start? Thanks!

If you're looking to go pro, probably not. Unless you want to be an open-water marathon swimmer. I hope I'm wrong, but swimming is one of those sports where even our top athletes struggle to keep up with the Americans and Australians.

Nothing is set in stone. There are people who have been training since they were kids and never made it anywhere, then there are those who started much later—I think Michael Schumacher was one of those, and look how far he went. If you have the time and the drive, start doing it for yourself; if you’ve got the talent, anything is possible. Maybe consider soccer, since that's where most of the money is. I read somewhere that there are about 2 million professional players just in Germany—I believe Ronnie also started later in his career, and we see his success today. You might not become the next Zidane, but it's entirely possible to make a living from it.
Swimming offers fewer opportunities, but hey, you never know; maybe you'll be the exception. If you truly love swimming, you have nothing to lose.
If you don't try, you'll never know...

It’s way too late for that, man.

I’m 18 years old and just started my freshman year at college in Cleveland. I really want to start playing tennis. It’s been a dream of mine forever, but since I grew up in a tiny rural town, I never actually had the chance to get involved in any sports. Is it too late to take up tennis, or would you recommend I try a different sport instead?🙄

Tennis and derby school.

The pro-level results? Honestly, I’m skeptical. But if you just want some recreational play, why not? 😉

Sidney Govou started at basically 18☕

John Evans44 said:I'm 18 and just started my freshman year at college in Cleveland. I really want to start playing tennis. It’s always been a dream of mine, but since I grew up in a tiny town, I never really had the chance to play any sports. Is it too late to pick up tennis, or would you recommend a different sport? 🤷🙄

Just go for it. It might be a struggle at first, but you'll get the hang of it after a few sessions and matches.

You can always just keep driving that ball down the field. It doesn't matter how old you are or how much you think you know... 🤷

John Evans44 said:I'm 18 and just started my freshman year at college in Cleveland. I really want to start playing tennis. It's always been a dream of mine, but since I grew up in a tiny town, I never really had the chance to get into sports. Is it too late for tennis? Or would you recommend something else????? 🤷🙄

I'm 30 and feeling pretty much the same way... 🙂
The only issue is my body isn't exactly cooperating 😂

Generally speaking, in pro tennis—especially for women—if you're starting at 18, there's basically nothing left to chase. By that age, those girls who have been training since they were six or seven are already elite if they want to keep making money, or else... well, you know how it goes.
That's just the common consensus, though, and I'm not one to go against the grain—so here's my advice:

just give it a shot!

And hey, if you actually make it, keep me in the loop... you've got my number 😉

I’m currently 16—turning 17 in about five months—and soccer is pretty much my life, especially when I actually get out on the pitch. To be honest, back when I was younger, I didn't really show much promise at all; I was just another kid running around. But over the last couple of years, things have shifted—I've physically matured, found more grit, and started playing with a lot more purpose. I wanted to say thanks for the comments here; seeing your input has given me the push I needed to make sure I don't throw in the towel just yet. 🙂

Honestly, I feel so much better knowing I’m not the only one thinking about picking up training a bit later in life... 😁

So, here’s my deal: I did some Taekwondo back in the day, then headed off to college in Chicago at 18 and just kind of let it all slide... now I’m pushing 24 (yikes) and since hockey is everywhere, I’ve gotten totally hyped to actually start training and playing...

It’s not like I’ve been doing nothing all these years—running, skating, cycling, snowboarding, the occasional pickup soccer game with friends—but nothing was ever consistent...

What do you guys think? Before I reach out to a few local clubs here in the city, is this actually doable? Has anyone had a similar experience? Any recommendations would be great...

Thanks, everyone 🙂

goldenbear10 said:Honestly, it’s a huge relief to see I’m not the only one who thought about picking up training a bit later in life... 😁

So, here's my deal: I did some Taekwondo back in the day, then headed off to college in Chicago at 18, and well, life happened and I just drifted away from it all... now I'm pushing 24 (yikes) and since hockey is basically everywhere, I've gotten totally hooked on the idea of actually training and playing...

It’s not like I haven't stayed active over the years—I've done running, rolling, cycling, snowboarding, and the occasional pickup soccer game with friends—but nothing was ever really consistent...

What do you guys think? Before I start calling up a few local clubs here in the area, is this actually doable? Has anyone else gone through something similar? Any advice would be great...

Thanks, everyone! 🙂

You don't have a prayer unless you win the lottery and build your own private rink.

1. At 24, you're already twenty years behind the curve.
2. Even when I was 17, they wouldn't let me in (and I knew how to skate and handle a stick)—maybe if I’d been more persistent they would've let me join the practices, but hey, life happens.
3. If you don't even know how to skate yet, don't even bother thinking about it.
4. Most kids start skating between ages 3 and 7, and they're already playing three periods by the time they hit 10.
5. There isn't enough ice or space to fit you in anywhere, not with the juniors and not even with the amateurs (there are way too many of us right now), especially since we only get one ice time per week. 👍

And honestly... no matter how much you think you’ve prepared, believe me when I say, you’re never truly ready for hockey. 🙂

They wouldn't even let you in at seventeen?!
That's rough... 🙂

Man, and I actually thought so too :P

Hahaha, well, other plans then. The crew and I will just head up to the mountains to trek through the snow (if it shows up) and drink some mulled wine, what else...

😁

Raymond Ortiz89 said:It's too late, man.

I agree it’s too late... especially if you haven't touched a ball in your life and suddenly decide you want to go pro now. It's just not happening.👎