Photos courtesy of City of Columbus
Staying fit and active later in life is one thing. Staying competitive is another.
Luckily, just as there are sports geared toward older adults in central Ohio, so, too, are there more conventional sports leagues reserved for the most advanced crowd.
Adult sports leagues are common among local municipalities’ parks and recreation departments, but Columbus Recreation and Parks has a couple of leagues specifically for those ages 50 and up: summer softball and basketball.
The 50-plus softball team is by far the most popular sport between all the leagues, says Jack Castle, administrative coordinator for Columbus Recreation and Parks. There are spring, summer and fall seasons at Berliner Sports Park, and with sufficient participation, leagues are divided up between 50-plus, 60-plus and 70-plus teams.
Throughout the season, the leagues participate in tournaments, one of which – the World Series of Senior Softball, running Aug. 1-4 this year – is a national tournament for athletes ages 50 and up.
The basketball league – which also plays spring, summer and fall–has only 50-plus and 60-plus divisions. The league meets at the Barack Community Center.
“The 50-plus leagues offer people to opportunity to be more active at a later age, and allows them to live healthier lifestyles,” Castle says. “The members also appreciate the social interaction that comes with the different activities.”
Leah Kunnath is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
