The Long Run February 2022
Association News
Title IX 50th Anniversary: WATCH Live Storytelling Feb. 22
It has been 50 years since Title IX brought girls and women access to organized sports in schools and elsewhere. The Senior Games Movement has more active female athletes from that era than any other event or organization, so we want to share many of their stories this year to help younger athletes appreciate “the pioneers.”
Join us LIVE for Before Title IX: Tales from Senior Athletes on Tuesday, February 22 at 2pm ET on NSGA and Growing Bolder’s Facebook and Youtube channels. Senior Games athletes include De Ette Sauer, Leurene Hildenbrand, Alice Tym and Jo Dill along with special guest Kathrine Switzer!
We will also announce a new survey will be sent to registered female National Senior Games athletes from the era. We plan to select more stories to feature in another program after The Games. The program will be archived on the channels if you miss it live.
New Fountain of Youth Podcast Spotlights Senior Athletes
The Fountain of Youth Podcast is a new weekly Growing Bolder program that features interviews with masters athletes and people who organize or support them. Many guests will be Senior Games athletes. The first program featured Olympian Rowdy Gaines, who will be a contributor to GB’s upcoming Games coverage. The second guest is NSGA’s Media Director (and power walker) Del Moon who sets the table for the wave of athletes who follow. Check out their archived podcast page to catch up and subscribe for free!
2022 Personal Best Profiles “Irresistible Force” of Alice Tym
Our second Personal Best athlete feature spotlights a fierce Senior Games competitor in racket sports who is a very tough “out.” That’s because Alice Tym was an elite pro tennis player once ranked #13 in the world. Alice talks about her whirlwind career hanging out with the likes of Billie Jean King, how her hall of fame coaching career was impacted by Title IX, and how she does not regret ending her pro pursuit in order to raise a family and mentor young women. Enjoy!
Irresistible Force – Alice Tym
Game On!
2022 Registration Ends Tuesday, March 1st
The 2022 National Senior Games presented by Humana is only three months away! NSGA wants to remind our athletes that registration will close Tuesday, March 1, 2022.
HELPFUL REGISTRATION LINKS
- Competition Schedules Page with Age Specific Schedule (which provides dates for most events and age groups) as well as Golf Course Assignments, Racquetball Schedule, Track & Field Schedule and Swimming Order of Events.
- NSGA Registration Webpage for registration dates, entry fees and deadlines.
- NSGA Hotels and Lodging Page – Find guaranteed low-price rooms. Please be advised that once the NSGA Group Contracted inventory (NSGA Rates) is sold out, J Team Management and NSGA has no control of the best available rates being offered by the hotels.
- Volunteer at The Games – Some love to help out at the Games. Register in advance to find the right spot and time.
Updated 2022 Games COVID Safety Statement
NSGA has updated its COVID Safety Statement to reflect current conditions and guidelines in place in Broward County. Please take time to review at the link provided below. Also note that some sports have additional guidelines which will be posted on their sport information pages and communicated directly to the athletes involved.
As we all know, guidelines can change as the situation changes and NSGA will notify athletes of any updates and post it on our website as the Games approach.
2022 National Senior Games COVID Safety Statement
Celebration of Athletes May 16- Another Reunion Party by the Beach!
Last month we revealed the Flame Arrival Ceremony on May 11 will be located next to the beach. Get ready for something different, because this year’s Celebration of Athletes will also be an outdoor party in the same area!
Don’t miss the Celebration of Athletes at 7pm ET on Monday, May 16 at Los Olas Intracoastal Prominade Park. This space is immediately adjacent to the LOOP at Oceanside Park where the Flame Arrival event will be, set right between the intracoastal waterway and the beach. There is a water taxi stop and a large parking garage within easy walking distance. We have some fun things planned at “A Reunion for the Ages!”
Make Your Plans to Qualify for 2023 Games
More of our 52 Member State Games are sharing information about event dates and sport offerings this year for athletes to qualify for the 2023 National Senior Games in Pittsburgh. NSGA updates the State Information Page when states send us the details, so check back if yours has not yet been updated. We appreciate the hard work being done by our states to recover from the pandemic and return to action. When you go to compete, make sure to give them a big “Thanks!”
2022 Venue Spotlight: Cycling
If you ask our cyclists, they will tell you they are the big wheels of Senior Games, and the road races are indeed exciting to watch at the venues we’ve set up. Come cheer them on!
The 5K and 10K Time Trials will be held at Florida Live (formerly BB&T Center) in Sunrise, Florida. NSGA is pleased to add competition for Two Wheel & Trike Recumbent Bikes for time trials in 2022. The 20K and 40K Road Races will both have the staging area at Miramar Regional Park in Miramar. Each distance race will have two laps. Find route maps, rule book and other information on the Cycling Sport Page.
Take the Ale Trail
Whether you want to just relax with a pint or enjoy a more active afternoon while sipping on your beer, Greater Fort Lauderdale has plenty of breweries. Choose among countless taps, flavors, and experiences as you work your way through the Greater Fort Lauderdale Ale Trail, featuring nearly 50 spots.
LauderAle Brewing is a small brewery located near Port Everglades and the airport which features 30 rotating taps from red ales and fruit beer to sours and Belgian tripels. If you’re looking for an expansive list of beer bottle options, head over to either one of the three Riverside Market locations. They have hundreds of beers to choose from, plus a café that serves everything from fresh salads to subs and pizza.
For those looking for more of a gastropub atmosphere, Tap 42 Bar & Kitchen has 42 draft beers including popular craft favorites paired with delicious comfort food. If you want to feel like you’ve stepped onto a movie set, check out this Fort Lauderdale brewery: Tarpon River Brewing. This gastropub has plenty of craft beers and serves a tasty Sunday brunch. For something a bit more active, head over to Chops + Hops Axe Throwing Lodge where you can throw axes (in a safe, regulated environment) while enjoying a pint or two.
One place to not miss is Gulf Stream Brewing Company, which named their Hefeweizen after Visit Lauderdale’s new tagline, Everyone Under the Sun. This velvety, medium-bodied wheat beer is refreshing and approachable for both new beer drinkers and craft afficionados. Like the destination’s diverse community, it’s a blend of styles and tastes. It’s a beer that really is perfect for celebrating the forever Florida summer with everyone under the sun.
Greater Fort Lauderdale’s Ale Trail
February Athlete of the Month
“Don’t Wait!”
Bruce Boyd, 82, Neptune Beach, FL
Bruce Boyd isn’t one to shy away from second chances. When he found Senior Games, he embraced the second chance to throw things around on a field as in his youth. The two-time Florida Senior Games track and field athlete is excited to discover masters sports and to be a newcomer to the 2022 National Senior Games presented by Humana in Greater Fort Lauderdale this May.
There was an even bigger second chance that drew him from California to his current home near Jacksonville. “I tell people I moved to Florida because I wanted to chase chicks,” he says with a chuckle. “And I found one – my high school sweetheart!”
Bruce explains that after his first wife passed away, Bruce found that Renee Faure was somewhere in Florida. “I got online one day to research if I could find her. Google wasn’t nearly what it is now, but I found two Renee Faure’s, and the one in Miami turned out to be a movie star. I figured that was her because she was so beautiful, but it wasn’t.”
He recalled her birthday and found his match in Neptune Beach and decided to play the “guess who this is” game. “I gave her some clues and she almost hung up on me before I told her who I was.” They clicked when the two met in California, and Bruce moved east where they were married in 2005.
A decade later, at 77 Bruce was at a class reunion and heard that his friend John Bronstein could not attend because he was competing in a track meet. “John was a record holder in discus at Dartmouth. I found out how far he threw in his meet and thought, ‘Gosh, I could beat that’ because I threw pretty far in college.”
A self-described gym rat, Bruce played many sports and was on the football and track teams in college and missed the camaraderie and competition. He bought a shot put and after some practice went to New Hampshire to meet John and was invited to join the Thor’s Stone Athletic Club. He beat his friend’s shot distance, then picked up the discus and hammer throw with equally impressive results.
The javelin is a new challenge he has picked up. “It’s a lot of fun, but it’s a really different animal,” he says. “I always admired those guys and always wanted to throw it but never had the opportunity.” He connected with National Senior Games record holder Michael Brown at a meet in Tallahassee and the two have become good friends. “Mike is always coaching kids, and I’ll go throw on the side and watch how he coaches them. I have absorbed a lot.”
Bruce was undaunted when he found he had prostate cancer last June, and he looks forward as he undergoes 40 proton therapy sessions and medications that weaken his muscles. “I’m gonna beat it,” he quickly says. “I’m in the gym every day, and the treatments stop in a year, so I’ll be in good shape. I’m still competing!”
With medal success at the past two Florida Senior Games, Bruce is not putting pressure on himself to be a giant killer on the national stage. “I compete against myself, and I don’t worry about anybody else out there,” he says. “I just want personal bests every time I go out, no matter what I’m throwing.”
Bruce has a standard response when others ask if they should take a second chance at sports. “There’s two words I always use: Don’t wait! You can defeat yourself before you even start. We cheer each other on in Senior Games. It’s fun, way more fun that going to the gym. It’s just so worth it.”
What’s YOUR story? To submit yours, or to nominate a fellow athlete, Please Click Here.
Health and Well-Being
3 Ways To Avoid Overtraining
This informative article comes from KOHLER® Walk-In Bath, a proud National Senior Games partner.
As your big competition approaches, you may be tempted to push yourself even harder. But too much training without enough rest can hinder your progress—and even lead to mental and physical burnout. Here are a few tips for avoiding overtraining to ensure you’re on your A-game in time for your next race or event.
- Gradually Increase Your Activity Level
Training too fast or demanding too much of your body is dangerous. It often leads to injuries, muscle soreness, and lack of motivation. To make progress safely, ramp up your workout load gradually. This means only making one change at a time when it comes to exercise frequency, duration or intensity. - Mix Up Your Routine With Cross-Training
Instead of focusing on one type of exercise, build variety into your fitness program. Incorporating different low-impact activities—such as walking, biking, swimming and yoga—allows your body to use different muscle groups and not overload any one particular group. Alternate between low-, moderate- and high-intensity workouts to keep your workouts fresh and motivation high. - Build In Rest Days
Rest days are just as important as exercise. Taking regular breaks gives your mind and body a chance to recover, repair and grow stronger so you can avoid injury and perform at your best. As a general rule, those newer to exercise should take two or three rest days a week while more experienced athletes may be fine with one.
Listening to your body helps you to know when to train harder and when to scale back. For more tips on staying active, healthy and strong at any age, visit the KOHLER Walk-In Bath blog!
*Note: Please use your best judgment and/or consult your physician before modifying a workout routine.
Game On – Athletes are Ready to Play Safe
High registration and vaccination numbers show that athletes are positioned and motivated to make the 2022 National Senior Games presented by Humana “the best Games ever” when they reunite.
Like everyone, athletes experienced the disruptive impact of the Corona virus. However, more than 10,000 athletes have already registered one month before the deadline to enter. The great news is that nearly ninety percent (89.4%) of those registered thus far report being vaccinated, which is an important component for the creation of a safe Games environment.
We are also encouraged by continued reporting on the athlete survey recently conducted by Dr. Becca Jordre from the University of South Dakota and Dr. Meng from the University of South Florida, with guidance from the NSGA Health and Well-being program:
More than 5,000 athletes found that over 90% of the National Senior Games athletes surveyed were fully vaccinated against COVID-19, which mirrors the responses from athlete registrations.
Only 24% of athletes had suffered a known or presumed infection and a very small portion of those (<2%) had infections severe enough to require hospitalization.
More than 63% were consistently meeting or exceeding national guidelines for physical activity. This statistic is impressive considering the survey also found that nearly 60% of NSGA athletes suffered from reduced ability to train for their sport as a result of the pandemic.
It is inspiring to learn that more than 50% of athletes reported that their involvement in Senior Games motivated them to keep training despite limitations from the pandemic.
At three months before the Games, it is important for athletes who have lost training time to build on strengths and manage weaknesses. Physical therapy training can be helpful including assessment, exercise prescription, and progression, all with appropriate monitoring. If used more in this way, physical therapists, along with certified trainers can play a key role in the prevention of injury and maximizing performance. Contact your local physical therapist if you think you would benefit from a fitness assessment.
Finally, don’t forget to sign up now to participate in the free Senior Athlete Fitness Exam (SAFE) assessment during The Games. Reserve your appointment here!
This article was prepared by Andrew Walker, MPH, NSGA Health and Well-being Director
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- Published in Newsletter
“Don’t Wait!” February 2022 Athlete of the Month
Bruce Boyd, 82, Neptune Beach, Florida
Bruce Boyd isn’t one to shy away from second chances. When he found Senior Games, he embraced the second chance to throw things around on a field as in his youth. The two-time Florida Senior Games track and field athlete is excited to discover masters sports and to be a newcomer to the 2022 National Senior Games presented by Humana in Greater Fort Lauderdale this May.
There was an even bigger second chance that drew him from California to his current home near Jacksonville. “I tell people I moved to Florida because I wanted to chase chicks,” he says with a chuckle. “And I found one – my high school sweetheart!”
Bruce explains that after his first wife passed away, Bruce found that Renee Faure was somewhere in Florida. “I got online one day to research if I could find her. Google wasn’t nearly what it is now, but I found two Renee Faure’s, and the one in Miami turned out to be a movie star. I figured that was her because she was so beautiful, but it wasn’t.”
He recalled her birthday and found his match in Neptune Beach and decided to play the “guess who this is” game. “I gave her some clues and she almost hung up on me before I told her who I was.” They clicked when the two met in California, and Bruce moved east where they were married in 2005.
A decade later, at 77 Bruce was at a class reunion and heard that his friend John Bronstein could not attend because he was competing in a track meet. “John was a record holder in discus at Dartmouth. I found out how far he threw in his meet and thought, ‘Gosh, I could beat that’ because I threw pretty far in college.”
A self-described gym rat, Bruce played many sports and was on the football and track teams in college and missed the camaraderie and competition. He bought a shot put and after some practice went to New Hampshire to meet John and was invited to join the Thor’s Stone Athletic Club. He beat his friend’s shot distance, then picked up the discus and hammer throw with equally impressive results.
The javelin is a new challenge he has picked up. “It’s a lot of fun, but it’s a really different animal,” he says. “I always admired those guys and always wanted to throw it but never had the opportunity.” He connected with National Senior Games record holder Michael Brown at a meet in Tallahassee and the two have become good friends. “Mike is always coaching kids, and I’ll go throw on the side and watch how he coaches them. I have absorbed a lot.”
Bruce was undaunted when he found he had prostate cancer last June, and he looks forward as he undergoes 40 proton therapy sessions and medications that weaken his muscles. “I’m gonna beat it,” he quickly says. “I’m in the gym every day, and the treatments stop in a year, so I’ll be in good shape. I’m still competing!”
With medal success at the past two Florida Senior Games, Bruce is not putting pressure on himself to be a giant killer on the national stage. “I compete against myself, and I don’t worry about anybody else out there,” he says. “I just want personal bests every time I go out, no matter what I’m throwing.”
Bruce has a standard response when others ask if they should take a second chance at sports. “There’s two words I always use: Don’t wait! You can defeat yourself before you even start. We cheer each other on in Senior Games. It’s fun, way more fun that going to the gym. It’s just so worth it.”
- Published in Athlete of the Month
Irresistible Force
Alice Tym, 79, McDonald, Tennessee
Alice Tym has been known by many people for different things. Tennis fans knew her as a rising star of the ‘60s, challenging other rising stars like Billie Jean King and ascending to a #13 world ranking in 1969. Teammates at the University of Florida knew her as the woman who started their women’s tennis team so they could all play. Scores of younger women knew her as “Coach Tym” as she carved out a hall of fame coaching career at UT-Chattanooga and Yale. Other college students knew her as their geography instructor. She’s also been known as a knowledgeable writer for tennis and pickleball publications through the years.
Currently, she is known as “that lady you don’t want to play” in Senior Games. Alice has always exhibited determination, courage, skill and competitiveness, and it’s no different now as she gives it her all playing table tennis, pickleball and badminton at the National Senior Games level.
We wanted to know a little more about the woman behind the whirlwind on the court, and while Alice was all business in fielding questions in the following edited interview, she revealed a deeper current of caring for others, advocating for fairness in sport, and making good decisions leading to her better quality of life. She played as a pro for six years and could have continued, but the path she chose has been rewarding as she raised a family and poured her energy into coaching and teaching. She’s still called on to coach others to elevate their game, and she’s happy to do it for love of the sport and the people who live it.
Alice had the skill and the opportunity to chase her tennis dream but was always aware that most other girls her age did not have organized sports in school. She had to fight to start a tennis team to play her college level, and there would be many more fights as Title IX brought sweeping changes for equal access to sports. Read on to learn how she was personally impacted as a college coach.
It seems like it has been second nature for Alice Tym to pursue her own Personal Best for a lifetime, and she is enjoying the rewards for taking care of herself, keeping active and persevering through life’s challenges, still ready for whatever comes next. Wanna play?
When did you start playing tennis? You were so good you were probably born with a racket!
Actually I started late, in the summer before my senior year of high school. I played baseball (not softball) and it reached a point where your father would like you to do something more ‘lady like.’ [Laugh] Maureen Connolly came to Illinois and gave a tennis clinic. I just took one look at her and thought, ‘That’s what I want to be’ and I started playing tennis. Several years later in Miami, someone was needed to give a clinic with her and they asked me to do it. I was just thrilled to tell Maureen what she had meant to my life.
I learned how to play practicing on the brick wall of my next door neighbor’s garage. I went on to the University of Florida and they didn’t have a women’s tennis team. So, I started the women’s tennis team at the University of Florida.
You say that so nonchalantly. This was almost a decade before Title IX came in. You must have faced some resistance.
At that time Florida was the men’s university and FSU was the women’s university. Florida became co-ed shortly before I entered, and I don’t think they felt particularly threatened by having a women’s team because we really didn’t get very much money. I’m not sure anyone saw what was coming on the horizon either. And yes, there were tremendous barriers. Our PE teacher Miss Pie drove us to matches in her station wagon. We didn’t have all of the money that the men did.
It’s good you had the talent and opportunity to pursue tennis to a high level. Not very many girls were fortunate to have organized sports in those days.
Title IX impacted me most as a coach after my playing career. I started coaching tennis at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga in 1974 and we won the national championships 3 consecutive years. Yet I made exactly 10% of what the men’s coach made at the same university and he barely won conference championships. The woman who followed me sued them and gained parity.
I went on to Yale where the woman before me had sued and won. So, I walked from one of the lowest paid into the highest paid tennis coaching job in the country because of somebody else. So yes, I’ve got a Title IX attitude as well.
You are a relentless and passionate competitor, and you must have been a fierce advocate for equality.
Oh, you had to fight so hard. There were many real courageous women and there was always a fight. My daughter says that I just like to fight, and I do. But if I didn’t, then what was going to happen?
Billie Jean King must be a role model for you. Did you know her back then?
[Laugh] We have the exact same birthday, and I was actually just reading her latest book All In. I have hundreds of stories about Billie Jean.When I first started, I was chosen for the Western Junior Wightman Cup team and she roomed right across the hall. I was really a beginner and Billie Jean was already really good at 18. She treated me and all the players that were coming up really well. There are a lot of athletes that don’t take the time for the lesser players. I remember at Wimbledon, Billie Jean took Cici Martinez to another court and worked with her during Wimbledon to help her. She really was classy about that. Everybody helps the stars, but she helped the lesser players.
Let’s stay in those days for a moment. How did your tennis career take off?
Bill, my husband-to-be, played number 1 at Florida and he had worked with a good pro and helped me with strokes and stuff. I always wanted to travel because I had never really been anywhere, so every summer after school I would go to Europe and play. That competition really helped me. I got to play all the players. In those days men and women traveled together and I played all over the world, year after year.
Alice beside her International Tennis Association Hall of Fame display.
At your peak you were ranked 13th in the world and played at Wimbledon. Must have felt like a dream.
That was in 1969. I graduated in 1964 and got my Master’s in 1966. I played all those years, and then I started playing all year. In those days, you could buy an annual ticket on Pan Am for $1,200. You had 52 weeks to travel, but you had to go back to where you started so you had to progress in the same general direction. I would start in Chicago, play San Francisco, Los Angeles, Honolulu, then jump over the Tokyo or Hong Kong or Taiwan, then drop down and play the Australian circuit for two or three months, and then back up to the Indian circuit for two or three months, and then you could play the Israeli circuit in the Middle East, drop down to Africa for two or three months or you could come into Europe and there were tournaments all over. One or two every week.
Then you move to Wimbledon. I would stay after and play the Irish championships on grass before going back to the U.S. Tennis Championships. And then I would go back to Chicago, buy another ticket and then start over again. That was from ’66 to ’70.
Wow! Just the constant travel is challenging. Did you realize you couldn’t keep it up forever?
Actually, I never realized I can’t do this forever. My husband wanted to settle down. He had been hurt and couldn’t play anymore so we moved to The Bahamas and I had to make the decision either to go to the women’s tour or to stop and have a family. That was the time that Billie Jean and Rosie Casals decided to sign contracts and became pros.
Then, Alex Guerry, who was important in southern tennis, asked my husband to come teach his children to play so we moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee. That is where I had my children, and I did nothing but kids sports for 25 years. They played every sport and I was too busy taking them everywhere. My daughter showed horses all around the country. My son Danny had a credit card at nine years old and played soccer and ended up playing professional tennis. And Billy skied. I loved having kids, they were so much fun and they still are. The only match I ever missed while coaching was when I gave birth to my daughter, but other than that I was at every game.
You have succeeded as a coach with an elite background. Some like you find it difficult to communicate and teach what comes naturally for them. Was that a challenge for you?
That’s a great question, and you are absolutely right. The USTA made that mistake when they brought in a lot of coaches right off the tour and it wasn’t the same.
I really think it is an academic attitude. I was very fortunate that my husband learned from a good coach and he was very observant. I went to a lot of clinics, and then a lot of trial and error. I taught 90 hours a week for years and you learn what works if you want to be successful. As far as coaching goes, if you want to win, you gotta find a way. Frank Ryan of the Cleveland Browns was my athletic director at Yale and we were on the same wavelength. We wanted to win.
Coaching women is much more difficult than teaching men. All guys think they can do it and think that they are great. Women have to believe if they are going to be any good. You have to make them believe that they deserve to win. For example, you can have them run so they can be fit and if they are fit then they won’t quit. They believe they earned it. Same with lifting weights. At Yale, I had them lift weights but I always picked the time that the cute boys, like to hockey team, would be lifting weights. One of the girls married one of the hockey players. That was when people thought that their uterus would fall out if they lifted weights, but they were willing to do it because of the guys. Coaching women is a hard job. [Laugh]
Alice partners with pickleball legend Dick Johnson in 2018.
When did you get back to playing as a senior?
I happened to be in a store one day and Yvonne Stevenson came up to me and asked me to come play at the Wyatt Recreation Center and to partner in the Tennessee Senior Olympics. We won table tennis doubles in the state together and became good friends. She was a classy lady and one of the great joys of playing. That is how I got into it. Someone just walked up to me in a store and told me about it. [Laugh]
I went to table tennis because back in those days, you couldn’t play a sport if you were considered a professional in that sport. So I couldn’t do tennis and started playing table tennis. There was badminton at the club so I started that, and then they brought in Pickleball.
You’re in for anything with a racket. What are you playing in this year’s National Senior Games?
I’m playing pickleball and table tennis – singles, doubles and mixed doubles. The difficulty for me is not everyone wants to travel to different places for meets so I have different partners all over the country.
What did you think of Pickleball when it first came out?
I think pickleball is so easy that it makes it possible for people to play who aren’t able to play other sports. I think it’s fabulous. I would like to see them put it in urban areas where kids can play. It has tremendous potential.
I am competitive about everything, so it fit right in with me. It is much simpler than tennis, but if you want to be successful at the sport then you have to learn the strokes. You can’t be a tennis player on the table tennis court and be a good player. Having tennis strokes and tennis mentality has helped, though. It is chip and charge and that is the way grass tennis is. That is how pickleball is, but it has its own nuances.
You are a fierce competitor by nature, Alice. Is there anything you do to intimidate your opponents?
No, I think you do it with your paddle or with your racket. I grew up where you wore white, you spoke multiple languages and you acted like you’d been there before. You try to be a class act. I wouldn’t want to trash talk someone else because I have as much respect for my opponent as I hope they do for me. You don’t always know what people are going through either. Billie Jean was classy.
I like Senior Games the most because they really respect the seniors. I have made tremendous friends through them, and some have become very dear friends. I think that is true for a lot of us.
What about tennis? Still play?
It’s sad. I don’t. I decided to stop because when I would play tennis, I would see how far I slipped. But when I play table tennis, I can see how far I have come. Mentally, I just couldn’t handle being crappy.
That’s an honest answer. Are you coaching seniors now?
I try not to, but I do that all the time because people ask. [Laugh] We have a little group that goes and gives clinics and exhibitions in pickleball, and I run drills whenever there is a club that wants me. It’s not a formal thing, but it’s the right thing to do. So many people don’t realize that they need to drill and they need to learn. If I don’t do it, who will?
You wrote about tennis for years and continue to write for Pickleball magazine. You were also a geography instructor while you were coaching in college. Do you still teach?
No, I retired about 5 years ago. I loved teaching but I tell you, I haven’t been back since the day I retired. I was so busy with all the other connections that it was seamless. I know people that miss it and they come back. I just went from one life to another. I do think that happiness is a choice and I think your life is a choice.
You’ve made a lot of good choices, Alice. Thanks for joining the Senior Games Movement!
- Published in 2022 PB, Personal Best Featured Athletes