The Games in the News
Two Big TV Features to Watch
The impact of the 2022 National Senior Games presented by Humana continues with two big television features about The Games that are airing this summer.
HBO Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel – National Correspondent and former tennis pro Mary Carillo attended the Games and interviewed several athletes for an extended feature for the iconic cable sports program that has produced excellent sport stories for over two decades. The episode with our feature will debut on August 23 and will be repeated throughout the next 30 days on the HBO main channel. If you are a subscriber, why not have a watch party for your friends to show them what the Games are all about?
Growing Bolder at the National Senior Games – Our Official Media Partner has produced an excellent recap of the 2022 Games that covers a variety of topics and portrays many athletes to emphasize their points. The program is in cable syndication through September, which means different channels are carrying it in different regions and times. Check out the link below to see if one of the channels is in your area with show times. After the syndication run, Growing Bolder and NSGA will make the documentary available for view online so everyone will have a chance to see it.
SAVE THE DATES! – July 7-18, 2023
More to Watch: NSGA’s Showcase Video is Released
After each National Senior Games NSGA produces a Showcase Video that tells our story as a promotional asset for our State Games and host city to use to build excitement for the next Games. The 2022-23 Showcase Video now resides on our website and is also used to share with media outlets to promote coverage. Please feel free to share a link to it to help get the message out. Enjoy!
23 Ways to Qualify for 2023 in September!
September will be a very active time with 23 states hosting qualifying events next month. That number drops to 13 games in October with few options beyond then. If you have not yet qualified, September is your best month to get it done! Having participated in the 2022 National Games does not qualify you for the 2023 National Games, so make your plans to go earn a slot in Pittsburgh next July!
NSGA maintains a State Information page with a calendar and contacts for Member Games that is updated as soon as new details are submitted to us.
Winning Restaurants Abound in the City of Champions
Pittsburgh has a vibrant restaurant scene and athletes will find a wide array of dining options at all price levels when they come for the Games. Visit Pittsburgh wants you to know about some of the new entries you will find in 2023.
Hungry in Downtown Pittsburgh at lunchtime? Look no further than Sally Ann’s, the latest restaurant concept from the Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group and led by Executive Chef Jamilka Borges. Conveniently located in the Cultural District on 6th Street and boasting plenty of outdoor seating options, the restaurant features a vegetable-forward menu, including dishes such as heirloom tomato gazpacho, carrot pierogies and zucchini & cucumber salad, alongside hearty sandwiches. A coffee bar is open daily and offers La Colombe roasts, and a brunch menu is available Saturday and Sunday.
Social Hall combines a comedy club with live music, classic films and a retro ‘70s aesthetic to create one of the most unique venues in the city. This Only in Pittsburgh venture makes Allentown a destination to see nationally recognized comedians while also spotlighting local talent through comedy showcases and open mics. Other events include Bottlerocket’s film club, featuring Pittsburgh documentarian Rick Sebak fielding audience questions, and themed parties leaning into their groovy vibes.
Duo’s Taqueria in East Liberty is open Wednesday-Sunday, 11am-2:30pm, with extended hours on Friday and Saturday. Diners have their pick of Mexico City-inspired tacos, all served on fresh tortillas made in-house under the guidance of Chef Marcella Ogrodnik. Patrons are incentivized to practice their Spanish at the window with Duo’s Español Challenge, with rotating rewards offered daily.
Sit back, relax and drink like it’s 1933 at Bitter End, a speakeasy-style bar new to the Etna scene. As Bitter End was originally bought for a clandestine drinking spot throughout Prohibition, cocktails are reinvented to encapsulate that era: rye- and gin-based drinks with modern twists get the libations flowing, and specialty cocktails from Manhattans to Mojitos are sure to make the night unforgettable. Food options include malt vinegar chips, smoked beef sticks and specialty garlic hummus featuring locally sourced ingredients.
Vegans, rejoice! ShadoBeni, previously a pop-up location, now has a permanent home in the Northside. Chef and co-owner Ulric Joseph brings his unique, vegan twist on Trinidadian cuisine from roti (flatbread layered with seasoned split peas) to fried plantains, sea moss punch and a daily chef’s special. The brunch menu showcases ShadoBeni’s popular doubles, a dish comprised of fried flatbread loaded with curried chickpeas and house-made chutney.
Wind down in the Larimer neighborhood with a pint of Arboretum Trail Brewing Co.’s hop-focused ales. Brewers work around the clock to produce and serve new IPAs and experimental beers with notes such as dark chocolate, caramel and vanilla. Patrons are invited to BYOF, and the brewery plans to incorporate events and live music soon.
Learn more about these new Only in Pittsburgh experiences and attractions and discover what’s in store for the region at VisitPITTSBURGH.com.
AUGUST ATHLETE OF THE MONTH
Jim Siegel, 75
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Tennis = Life
You must have passion to stay with a sport. That passion can be about the need for competition, being socially connected with others with the same interest, or it can be as basic as enjoying an activity for what it does for your health and wellness.
“Without passion you will never get as high as you can go,” Jim Siegel says. “And if you don’t enjoy it you won’t get very good and won’t stay with it.”
Jim’s passion for tennis borders on obsession. A fun obsession. It’s not that he doesn’t dote on his family and have other interests, but he has been playing tennis his entire life and is just as excited to hit the court now as at any time. How deep did the sport became ingrained in Jim? “When I was younger my wife Mary observed me several times swatting at a ball in my sleep. Kinda scared her, but I was dreaming about tennis!”
Jim’s father played tennis and set the serve by sending Jim and his brother to take lessons and play tennis every day in the summer when he was 13. The coach remarked that Jim had potential and should get private lessons. “I played this one kid who beat me every day that summer. I finally beat him in the finals and he went home crying,” he says with a chuckle.
Jim excelled in high school and walked onto the tennis team at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. “Everybody on the varsity team was on full scholarship,” he recalls. “The coach had the rest of us scrubs on his ‘rainbow squad’ and didn’t know anything about me. Then I played Pug Shane, who was the Illinois state champion on the team, and beat him in three straight sets. I made the team that day.”
Tennis stayed with Jim as a player, and he was hired to coach the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus for two years before joining in his father’s business. The obsession continued and Jim became a proven competitor and leader with an infectious, positive attitude, and he was captain of many summer teams for US Tennis Association (USTA) state and regional tournaments through the years.
When he turned 50, Jim blended in time to enter Wisconsin Senior Olympics and has since competed in ten National Senior Games since 1999. He hasn’t come home empty-handed yet, earning 14 medals including eight gold. He was also honored with induction in the Wisconsin Senior Olympics Hall of Fame this year for his accomplishments.
Jim’s gregarious personality has created many tennis relationships, none more important than his longtime doubles partners Ralph Felton and Sherry Ploor. “I pretty much brought Ralph into the game over 50 years ago. He played some high school tennis and we started playing every week and he really improved,” he says. “Sherry and I have been playing together since our 35 age group. We had never lost at National Senior Games until this year when we won a bronze medal, which only stoked the fire. We hope to draw the same team again next year.”
Jim and Ralph also have a special reason to play in the City of Champions next summer. “Ralph injured himself and couldn’t go when Nationals were in Pittsburgh in ’05,” he says. “But Ralph’s sister lives in Pittsburgh and Sherry says it’s one of her favorite towns, so I’m excited to go there.”
Thinking about his good fortune, Jim laughs and adds, “Maybe I’m not that good and I just pick good partners!”
Tennis really means life to Jim because of his excellent health with only the expected sports-related injuries to overcome during his journey. “No one in Dad’s family of 11 made it to be 70. I’m 75 now and everyone comments about how good my health is. I have no doubt it’s because of the tennis.”
Will he ever retire? “Maybe I’ll quit at 115,” he says with a laugh. “Even if my level goes down there’s always someone you can play. I’ll probably go down on the court, which my wife hates me to say. But that’s a good way to go!”
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR ATHLETE STORY
SENIOR HEALTH & WELL-BEING
“The Games” Frame Positive View of Aging
Our well-being is impacted by how we think, act and feel toward ourselves and others regarding age. The influence of ageism cuts across all aspects and age levels of society, including our workplaces, families and other institutions. Although ageism exists throughout society, one in two people are ageist against older adults. Our places of work and other institutions will not thrive if we continue with the negative effects of ageism.
Society benefits from changing how we think, feel and act towards ourselves and others regarding ageism. Our thinking relates to the stereotypes we hold, prejudices are related to how we feel about aging, and our acts connect with discriminatory actions. Combining educational and intergenerational interventions to reduce ageism can be powerful tools.
Local, State and National Senior Games are a strong challenge to ageism through hosting multi-sport events and presenting programming creating awareness about active aging. These multi-sport events show older adults actively engaged in sports of all types.
It has been clearly demonstrated and documented that participation in The Games goes beyond medals. Active engagement in the Games is a positive demonstration of sports participation challenging ageism. Esmeralda, a second year physical therapy student, helped with the SAFE testing in Fort Lauderdale earlier this year. When asked about how the experience impacted her she replied, “Hearing the amount of sport these individuals are involved in blew my mind-so much more than what I do! It inspired me to want to be more active. I want to be able to be 90 and do all of this. It made me realize how capable our older generation is.” Changing the view of future healthcare professionals like Esmeralda has an impact that will be lasting.
In addition to showing how you are defying the stereotypes, we encourage you to join the worldwide movement to promote positive aging through story sharing and positive conversations.
It’s been said that conversations are like drops of water. They can touch a body of water and have strong ripple effects away from its origin. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Understand the basics about the far-reaching impacts of ageism on wellbeing when we’re older:
- It is linked to poorer physical and mental health, including the onset of depression.
- It increases social isolation and loneliness.
- Initiate the conversation
Some questions you may wish to consider to start a conversation with your family and/or friends include: When do you recall first noticing age differences?
- Think of a situation in which you wanted to know a person’s age. Why? What changed when you learnt it?
- Has anyone told you: “You don’t look your age”? If so, how did this make you feel?
- What does the word “ageism” mean to you? Have you heard it before?
- Encourage ongoing reflection and action.
It is helpful to close a conversation by empowering people to act, providing the space for reflection about what each person can do to help create a world for all ages. Consider the following questions:
What can we do to make our family and community more aware of ageism?
What one action is each of us willing to take to make a difference?
To learn more about ageism, click here.
NSG OFFICIAL PARTNERS
Senior Games Partner Spotlight
You know how your body is performing well, but what about your brain?
Aviv Clinics is offering National Senior Games participants a unique opportunity to understand their cognitive performance and brain function with the Aviv Cognitive Evaluation.
This evaluation takes a deep dive into brain activity through advanced imaging and clinical cognitive testing with test results explained in easy-to-understand language.
If areas of concern are identified during the evaluation, options for treatment will be discussed.
The Cognitive Evaluation includes
- Advanced brain imaging: MRI and/or SPECT scans
- Cognitive testing and neuropsychology evaluation
- Summary meeting with a physician
- Review results of your tests and images of your brain scans with a physician, and understand how these scores attribute to your overall wellbeing
The Aviv Cognitive Evaluation package is available for $1,500 exclusively for National Senior Games participants and their family members.
Call 833-576-0074 to learn more or book your evaluation!
HEALTH & WELL-BEING PARTNERS
NSG SPORT PARTNERS
NSG OFFICIAL APPAREL
