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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