I was just a spectator/casual player of this game for over 2 decades, but after just a month of playing this game seriously, I now have a shitty Marth that loses 1-2 at weeklies. This game is a blast even when I lose because even when I get bodied by a sweaty Falco player with years more experience than myself, I still get to see some sick combos and see what I too can achieve someday.
Find your local Melee Discord server, go to some events, play friendlies, play online with Slippi and make new friends. This community is fantastic and super inviting, especially since Melee players tend to be a bit older than Ultimate players, which generally means more maturity and a less cliquey community.