My rookie era: I signed up for over-40s football – it’s liberating to spend hours focusing solely on a game

‘For Mother’s Day this year I bought myself an early present: shin guards, shiny new boots and a registration with the Seaforth Bombshells.’ Photograph: James Gourley/The Guardian

I’ve spent decades on the sidelines watching my kids playing football, envying the laughter, mates and sense of belonging that are the companion to competition.

I’ve never played team sport, instead choosing solo adventures like running, bushwalking, swimming and surfing. A friend almost talked me into signing up a few years ago but I was put off by stories of injuries – achilles, ACLs, ankles – and the logistics of fitting in my games, as well as the games of my three kids, every Sunday.