I think it might have been a reddit thread where a commenter said that a guy came and played on their rec league that had played semi-pro hockey (maybe AHL) and even then nobody on the team could handle his passes. The commenter said it felt like his wrists were going to break.

I've also managed to hit with some former college guys who made top 500 ATP. they are insanely good with hard serves and insanely accurate ground strokes. the difference between those guys and a top level player is night and day...scary how good top athletes really are.

Also several years ago played in a pickup soccer game with a guy who washed out of Manchester United's academy as a 14 year old. In that same pickup game were guys who at the time were playing D1 soccer, and a few had spent time in MLS academies. The ex-United guy was lightyears ahead of everyone else despite having been out of the game for nearly 10 years and having a bad knee. The guys who make it to the top are utterly incomprehensible for a layman to understand.

It's just like how if you're playing a GM in chess, and you might be a decent enough player yourself, you won't even sniff a chance of doing well much less winning. Those same GMs turn around and get effortlessly destroyed by Carlsen or other top players. It's just a different level that us civilians cannot fathom.

I would also like to say that you must be quite athletic and talented to be playing with former ATP 500 tennis and D1 and youth professional football players. Congrats!

Football wise, even worse - I just picked up the game playing in college and in local games growing up but was never any good. The ex-United kid quit the sport and moved to the US for school and lived near the local pitch where the pickup matches were held and he would just wander over for yucks. He ran (walked, really, due to his knee) rings around everyone.