More navel-gazing, yet possibly back on-topic...
At some point I lost interest in playing in academic tournaments.
During the school year that's just as well; I certainly don't belong
behind a buzzer then. Some summer tournaments are fun but if they're
academic, playing on the questions isn't in itself what appeals to me.
Playing trash still appeals to me in a way that playing academic
questions doesn't. Maybe a lot of people my age or older feel that
way. That might be a big reason for the trash-specific
(lowercase "trash" there) dinosaur situation.
In any case, in contexts without formal eligibility rules, a player's
conscience seems important: If your time has come and gone, might as
well step aside and let others play. But if in your heart you think
you still belong, well, follow your joy.