I think this is the key here. You're going to be the FNG (<expletive> New Guy) for a while. So choose your sport and level wisely. Most leagues that I have come across have at least two, if not three or four, levels. Where, say, the "A" level is for folks that played in high school, maybe even college, while the "C" level is going to be accommodating to someone who is just picking up the sport as an adult.
And really, sucking at the sport could be advantageous in terms of socializing. "Hey, anyone want to run some skill drills next Wednesday evening? We'll meet at <local park> at 6:00 PM, practice for an hour, and if anyone's up for it we can go to <pub next door> afterwards." Yeah, you might only get one or two takers if most of the folks have kids but that's just part of adult socializing.
I mean stuff like pickup soccer or basketball that happens in parks and at gyms. I don't think we have much in terms of league sports around here, except maybe employment-based leagues (like Google, Meta, and Microsoft fielding softball teams).
I think this is the key here. You're going to be the FNG (<expletive> New Guy) for a while. So choose your sport and level wisely. Most leagues that I have come across have at least two, if not three or four, levels. Where, say, the "A" level is for folks that played in high school, maybe even college, while the "C" level is going to be accommodating to someone who is just picking up the sport as an adult.
And really, sucking at the sport could be advantageous in terms of socializing. "Hey, anyone want to run some skill drills next Wednesday evening? We'll meet at <local park> at 6:00 PM, practice for an hour, and if anyone's up for it we can go to <pub next door> afterwards." Yeah, you might only get one or two takers if most of the folks have kids but that's just part of adult socializing.