Having sports in your life is a great way to be social. I know, I know, for those of you who are already into sports (both watching and participating) you’re probably thinking “no shit dude. I don’t need you to tell me that.” I’ve known this for a long time yet I’m still reminded of it every now and then. For over a decade I’ve used soccer (playing) as a great way to meet people and have good times with my fellow soccer people. However, with a knee that is increasingly cranky with each game I play I’ve had to lay low for a bit (yeah, that sucks big time). Yet, even to this day I still run into people I’ve played amateur and semi-pro soccer with ten years ago. Sweet!

As I chill from the soccer goodness I must find new ways to stay active. I’ve always enjoyed riding bikes. In fact, I met one of my best friends back in college because of bikes. Freshman year I saw some of his biking stuff and we started talking. Little did I know this guy used to be a racer in his pre-college days and even beat George Hincapie in the Junior Nationals. Rock on! (he still has the old Colnago he did that with and let me ride that bike from San Francisco to LA in a fundraising ride a few years ago. Niiiice). My love of mountain biking and road biking has also given me great times on the trails and on the road with people…all because of a common interest in cycling. Even now as I post updates on Facebook about this ride or that I find other people popping out of the woodwork who also enjoy cycling.

Then there’s the simple aspect of watching sports. I’m a huge Steelers fan and have been for years. Wow, I can’t tell you all the great stories and friends that I’ve met simply from wearing the Black & Gold. I’ve got friends (not just acquaintances) all over the country who share this Steelers love with me. This of course spills over into other teams with the NFL and I enjoy sharing good times watching Bears games with my friend who lives downstairs from me and catching up on all the latest NFL news.

I could go on and on about this but you get the point. Sports aren’t just for kids. And they aren’t just for watching or for playing. They are great for the body, mind, and soul…and they certainly help get you out there and into social situations. Play a game with your buds, root for your team with your friends. It’s all good stuff in helping your social life thrive.

On a side note, as I try to help everyone improve their lives in one fashion or another, I will be partaking in a fundraising ride for the MS Society. I will be riding my bike 150 miles next weekend (June 27-28) up in Rhode Island to help raise money for research and for those in need. If you’d like to make a donation (which I could still use a few to reach my goal), feel free to go to my donation page and donate what you can. Next year I plan on doing a bunch of rides for cancer as I’ve lost a few family members to cancer in the past few years. Down with cancer I say!