Ageless Athletics: Celebrating Senior Olympic Games and Lifelong Achievements
If you are an athlete who will be turning 50 years old by December 31, 2024, you could compete in the 2025 National Senior Games
Most of us watch the Olympics every four years. We cheer on our favorite athletes and jump up and down when they perform a perfect score of 10. Did you dream of competing in the Olympics, but now you’ve reached your senior years and thought it impossible? Believe it or not… you still can!! If you’ll give me a moment, let me explain a little about the origins of the Olympics first and then I’ll explain how to compete in the Senior Olympics.
The first Olympics was held around 776 BCE in the city of Olympia. The games were held every four years to honor the Greek god Zeus. In the beginning, the featured events were running and wrestling.
It was thanks to Pierre de Coubertin, a French aristocrat, who was inspired by the spirit of athleticism and international cooperation that he revived the Olympics. He founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894. He had the first modern Olympics in Athens, Greece in 1896, it featured 241 athletes from 14 countries competing in sports like cycling and gymnastics. The Olympics has grown into a global wonder that has promoted peace and unity. The idea of the Olympics was to foster friendship, respect, and excellence.
In 1985 a group of seven men and women founded the US National Senior Sports Organization (USNSO). Their vision was to promote healthy lifestyles for adults through education, fitness, and sports. In the fall of that same year, they met with seniors in 33 states who were already conducting senior games.
The first National Senior Olympic Games was held in St. Louis in 1987. It was a triumph success with 2,500 competitors. There were over 100,000 onlookers at the first Games. The success of the first Games was so grand that in 1989 the second National Games was held and hosted 3,500 seniors. New York Times, ESPN, and Good Morning America covered the event.
An agreement was reached in 1990 with the United States Olympic Committee which objected to the use of the term Olympics by USNSO, so the name was changed to National Senior Games Association (NSGA).
NSGA exists as a nonprofit organization to promote the benefits of competitive sports, physical fitness, and active aging to all adults ages 50 and older. Now there are over 30 sports for men and women in biennial competition and is the largest qualified multi-sport event for seniors in the world. To date, there have been 19 summer national championships.
You might be wondering, what sports that you could compete in. Here is a list of the sports in the 2025 National Senior Games.
- Archery
- Badminton
- Basketball
- Basketball- Shooting Skills
- Beach Volleyball
- Billiards 8-Ball
- Bowling.
- Non-Ambulatory Bowling
- Cornhole
- Non-Ambulatory Cornhole
- Cycling
- Disc Golf
- Golf
- Pickleball
- Non-Ambulatory Pickleball
- Power Walk
- Race Walk
- Racquetball
- Road Race
- Shuffleboard
- Non-Ambulatory Shuffleboard
- Powerlifting
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming
- Table Tennis
- Tai Chi
- Tennis
- Track & Field
- Triathlon
- Volleyball
As you can see, the Games are not just for able-body competitors but also non-ambulatory competitors. Each of the 50 states holds its State Senior Games coming together to compete in the National Senior Games in 2025.
I can proudly say that my husband, Michael Prevatte, won the gold medal for the Florida Senior Games in cycling, but we live in Georgia. Most states allow for out-of-state competitors to compete in their state.
Being that his sport was cycling I could only cheer as he crossed the finish line. I made sure I was the loudest voice there when he stood atop the 1st place podium. The months of training both indoors and on the road, led him to achieve this award. He will be competing in the South Carolina Senior Games in May 2024.
You might be asking yourself how to take part in the Senior Games. Here are the 4 steps to qualify to compete.
- Confirm Your Eligibility: An athlete must be at least 50 years of age by December 31, 2024, to be eligible for the 2025 National Senior Games.
- Check the Rules for Your Sport: Here is the website to read the Rules & Minimum Performance Standard. Rules & Minimum Performance Standards — National Senior Games Association (nsga.com). To compete in most sports, an athlete MUST qualify by competing at a State Senior Games. For most sports, an athlete will be considered qualified by placing in the top four places in their age group. Certain sports allow qualification by Minimum Performance Standards (MPS). To qualify by MPS, an athlete must meet or exceed the MPS for their age at an NSGA Member Games. Open sports are available to all eligible participants and do not require qualification.
- Locate a Qualifying Senior Games: Find contact information and dates for Qualifying State Senior Games competitions here.
- Qualifying Notices Sent: Qualifying results will be submitted to the National Senior Games office by staff from the Qualifying State Senior Games where an athlete participates. After results are verified for accuracy, athletes will be sent a qualification/registration notice from the National Senior Games Association.
There you have it. All of the information and where to go to register for your state’s Senior Games and the National Senior Games. I wish you all the luck when you compete in your chosen sport!
