fun sports to play as an adult

Red rover, tag and hide and seek may be exhilarating games for five-year-olds, but they may not be your gig as a grown up. It’s not that those games aren’t fun — but there are some better options to get competitive and healthy even if you’re grown up. Adults don’t always get the same pleasure and benefits from team sports that kids or teens enjoy. Throughout our lives, the sports and activities we deem as “fun” constantly evolve. 

When it comes to finding fun sports to play as an adult, there’s no right or wrong option. It’s all about finding the sport that offers you the most enjoyment. At eseo, we know that regardless of what you play, it’s just important that you play. That’s why we’re committed to providing you with the best Philadelphia sports resources available. Keep reading to learn ideas for fun sports to play as an adult. 

‍

Ultimate Frisbee

Ultimate frisbee, also called “ultimate,” is a non-contact, self-officiated sport played by two teams of seven players. The objective of ultimate frisbee is to score goals by catching any legal pass in the endzone. Its structure is similar to other field-oriented sports, such as football and soccer. Unlike football and soccer, players don’t make physical contact with each other and face minimal risk of injury. Interested in playing ultimate frisbee in Philadelphia? These ultimate groups and venues can get you started: 

• Penn Park Ultimate Frisbee, an ultimate frisbee pickup group that meets several days a week at Penn Park.
• Philadelphia Area Disc Alliance, an ultimate frisbee league that hosts games at Edgely Ultimate Fields in Fairmount Park.
• 48th and Woodland Playground, a greenspace with sports fields for ultimate frisbee. 

‍

Rock Climbing

In competitive team sports, players work together with the common goal of winning. Other sports activities, like rock climbing, don’t have winners and losers. People choose to rock climb for a variety of reasons, including personal achievement, physical fitness and fun. Here’s where you can find the best rock climbing in Philadelphia: 

• Philadelphia Rock Gyms, indoor rock climbing gyms throughout Philadelphia that offer walls of varying difficulty levels and climbing lessons. 
• Tufas Boulder Lounge, an indoor rock climbing gym that provides climbers with over 5,500 square feet of climbing wall, classes and youth programs. 
• The Cliffs at Callowhill, a fitness center and climbing community that offers bouldering, roped climbing, lead climbing and speed climbing.

Volleyball

Volleyball is a popular team sport played on indoor, grass and sand courts. An indoor volleyball match is the best of five games, and the first team to win three games wins the match. Teams win a game by scoring 25 points with a two-point difference; the final deciding game is only played to 15 points. A team scores when they volley the ball over the net and the other team fails to volley it back over before hitting the ball three times. 

Most indoor volleyball teams consist of six players, although they can have less. Most beach volleyball teams consist of two players. Beach volleyball is generally the best of three games (the winning team is the first to win two matches). Here are some resources for Philly volleyball players: 

• Philly Volleyball, a coed indoor volleyball league that offers recreational, intermediate and competitive play opportunities throughout Philadelphia.  
• Philadelphia Volleyball, a group that organizes adult pickup volleyball games in recreation centers and parks in Philadelphia. 
• Spring Valley Park, a public park and recreation center that offers two sand volleyball courts located north of Philadelphia near Lansdale. 

‍

Swimming

Swimming is an attractive sport for kids, youth, adults and seniors all over the world. Whether you’re interested in joining a swimming club or just swimming laps to improve personal times and physical fitness, Philadelphia has plenty of indoor and outdoor pools for you. Here are some of Philly’s best pools: 

• The Salvation Army Kroc Center of Philadelphia, a family-friendly swimming environment with multiple pools, including a competition pool, a water slide and a hot tub. 
• Philly Parks & Rec’s Pools, a list of Philadelphia's outdoor pools including Kelly Pool, a large public pool with lap lanes that’s located in Fairmount Park. 
• The Sporting Club at The Bellevue, a Philadelphia sporting club located next to the Kimmel Center that reopens in summer 2022 following renovations to its 100,000 square foot facility that includes a swimming pool

‍

Soccer

Soccer is the most popular team sport in the world, and it’s been a staple in the Philadelphia sports scene for over a century. A highly accessible sport, soccer only requires a relatively flat space or field, two makeshift goals at opposite ends of the space and two teams of players who don’t mind running a lot. 

Using only their feet to dribble and pass, each team tries to work the ball toward the other team’s goal and successfully kick it into the goal without the goalie intercepting it (the goalie can use their whole body to touch the ball). The team with the most goals at the end of the game wins. Professional games last 90 minutes (plus stoppage time) and are divided into two 45-minute halves. Here are some of the best Philly fields for amateur and experienced soccer players: 

• Edgley Fields, public sports fields maintained by Fairmount Park Conservancy and located in beautiful Fairmount Park. 
• FDR Soccer Field, a large, well-maintained field located in FDR Park. 
• Sofive Elkins Park, a large indoor soccer facility that offers world-class turf fields for players and teams of all ages and skill-levels.

‍

Kickball

If you’re looking for fun sports to play as an adult, kickball should be at the top of your list. Few sports are as fun — or nostalgic — as kickball, and many adults find enjoyment from revisiting this childhood favorite. The rules of kickball are simple; they’re basically the same as baseball, but instead of a baseball, bat and gloves, players use a large rubber ball. The goal is still to get players to cross home plate by pushing them around the bases with subsequent “hits.” 

When it’s time for the team on defense to pitch, the pitcher stands on the mound and rolls the ball toward the plate for the batter to kick. If the batter kicks the ball and it isn’t caught, they run the bases until the ball is secured. This continues until the offensive team accrues three outs. Then the offensive and defensive teams switch places. After a certain number of innings, the team with the most points wins. 

Ready to join a Philadelphia kickball team? Here are some of the best Philly kickball leagues for recreational play: 

• Philly Kickball League, a laid back group that hosts weekly kickball games for adults of all genders at Starr Garden. 
• Heyday Kickball Philadelphia, a coed league that hosts kickball games and happy hours. 
• Stonewall Kickball, an inclusive recreational kickball league designed for LGBTQIA+ players and allies.

‍

Find People to Play Sports With

There are so many fun sports to play as an adult in Philadelphia — all you have to do is take a chance on one. At eseo, we know that meeting like-minded people for recreational sports or physical activities can improve mental and physical health, as well as foster a sense of community. That’s why we’re committed to connecting Philadelphia players of all skill-levels with the resources they need to get out and play. To find more sports resources and opportunities in your neighborhood, visit eseo.