FYI, Dick has qualified to play two of the four biggest tournaments in amateur sports in July. Gold, Silver & Bronze medalists from all the states and select medalists from other countries will compete for National medals. Although Dick hasn’t made a big deal about it, I thought you might like to be aware of them:
Senior Games of America in Omaha: 60 Sports, month long event, 20,000 athletes of all ages, not just seniors. 48,000 spectators expected at Memorial Stadium for the Opening Ceremonies, where Dick will march in carrying Idaho’s flag. Athletes’ Village, fireworks, Blue Angels show, celebrity concerts, etc.
National Senior Olympic Games in Minneapolis: 60 Sports, month long event, 12,000 athletes age 50+. Similar events as above, plus Olympic Flame.
We are really looking forward to going to these wonderful events. Win or lose, it will be a fantastic experience just to be a part of it all and to associate with such great athletes.
As you know, Dick has played only a very brief couple of weeks of Tennis each year the past two years to compete in the Idaho Sr. Games. But, he’s also been playing his new sport of Pickle Ball pretty regularly, since beginning just three years ago. I’m proud to say, my “Old Duffer,” as he calls himself, has done pretty well in both:
In Tennis, he’s won the Idaho Sr. Singles, Doubles, & Mixed Doubles Championship both years, despite only playing two weeks each year for the tourney…and serving underhand, because of his back fusion. He also won similar Table Tennis state titles. But, because tennis, pickleball, and table tennis are played concurrently at the above tourneys, and to not risk further back injury, he’ll only be competing in pickleball in Minneapolis and Omaha. That’s sad, because he qualified, and would really like to take a crack at national titles in tennis and table tennis, too, but just can’t take the risk to his old body.
In Pickleball, he’s won the Idaho Sr Singles, Doubles, & Mixed Championships for two years and last year added Oregon Mens Doubles and this year Arizona Mens & Mixed Doubles titles. So, he’s physically able to play Pickleball regularly, although still with some pain. Its also kind of cool that he’s won a bunch of non-age tourneys playing people decades younger. Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in North America. You can learn more about it by Googling “Pickleball.” When you do that, link up there to a 5.0 match and you’ll see how exciting the sport is. And, it is not just for seniors. In the other two big national tourneys that Dick will play later this year, the age brackets begin with juniors up to 19 years old.
If you are interested, there’s a ton of information about the two tourneys on the web. Just copy and paste the following to your browser. (The “news” and “email newsletter” links there are especially interesting):
http://www.sga2015.com for the Omaha Tourney
http://nsga.com for the Minneapolis Tourney
