National Senior Games

The National Senior Games is the sports competition created for seniors. Sometimes called the "Senior Olympics," this competition is divided into a number of events. Seniors age 50 and up may participate in the games, and they are placed into different brackets depending on age.

The 2009 Summer National Senior Games is being held in San Francisco, California between August 1-15. The majority of the events will be held on Stanford's campus. Some of the sports which will be offered at this competition for medals include basketball, bowling, golf, racquetball, and shuffleboard. The Senior Olympics also features a few sports that require no qualification, including lawn bowling and water polo. Qualification for medal-winning sports can be quite tough, as most qualifiers must finish in the top three at state level competitions.

Despite the tough nature of qualification, the number of competitors in the National Senior Games can be huge, with up to 10,000 people competing for the chance to earn a medal. The expected number of participants for 2009 is estimated at almost 13,000. Crowds can also number around 20,000, as the audience of the competition grows biennially. Though the age of participants is set at at least 50 years of age, competitors over 100 years of age have participated in the games. This fact fits in well with the organization's theme of encouraging seniors of all ages to lead healthy, active lifestyles.

Since debuting in St. Louis in 1987, the National Senior Games has strived to provide an opportunity for seniors to distinguish themselves as athletes. If you would like to discuss the National Senior Games with other seniors, please register and participate in the forums.