As adulthood quickly approaches me, I have become conscious of whether or not I am becoming too old for certain things. At this point in most young adults’ lives, different hobbies have already been put through trial and error. While optimism encourages me to believe that picking up a new hobby is still very possible, realism draws me to conclude that it might be too late. 

Art, music, and sports training in the average child’s life begin at age six. This is the time, according to the American Acadamy of Pediatrics, that motor skills are developmentally ready to be challenged. In complex sports like ballet, for example, waiting too long after this age could potentially hinder a dancer’s success. To be able to stand on pointe, a staple position where the foot is completely vertical, the joints in the foot need to change and mold themselves. A young dancer’s feet are introduced to this early on, so as their body develops, it actually adapts in a way that will support their dancing.

While not every extracurricular is quite as demanding as ballet, it seems that years of experience in academic areas means the difference between success and failure as well. Many high school students seem to struggle with their foreign language courses, for instance. Even those who don’t struggle will most likely forget nearly everything they learned after the course is finished, due to the fact that development peaks in the early stages of a child’s life.

When the brain takes in new information or tries to retain a new way of doing something, neurological pathways are created. The creation of those pathways is called neuroplasticity. As we age, it becomes harder for our brains to establish those pathways. Young children have a much easier time learning foreign languages and retaining the information because their brains are actually in the condition to do so.

While it seems that as we age our chances at success in taking on a new skill are minimal, NASH senior Ben Chamis provides a different perspective.

“As a captain on the Ultimate Frisbee team, I have seen a lot of juniors and seniors that joined the team this year and have excelled,” Chamis said. “With their basic athletic ability and overall support on the team, it wasn’t hard for them to get comfortable in a short amount of time.”

While there are successful late bloomers here at NASH, there are also a few great names in the media that took a lot of time to solidify their specialties. For example, Jimmy Graham, one of the top tight ends in the NFL, was a basketball player up until his fourth year of college. After finishing a successful four-year basketball career on an athletic scholarship to the University of Miami, Graham decided he would return to Miami to take graduate classes. While playing a season of recreational football upon returning, Graham came to find a gift he had not yet discovered. 

Though there are endless challenges that accompany taking on a new task later in life, it would be extremely unfair to say that it is not possible. There are no limits on what our minds and bodies are capable of. We don’t often see it, but success in many forms can come from a number of places at any given age.