Put Me In, Coach
I'M READY TO PLAY 
As printed in Humana Magazine, Summer 2008

Kiwanis Field is alive with ballplayers and their chatter.  The field is home to the Corpus Christi Senior Softball Association in Texas, where Humana member Dan F. plays for a team called The Old Guys - six of them are 70 or older.

Dan started playing senior softball 10 years ago when he moved south from Minnesota.  He thought joining a team would give him the opportunity to meet people in his new hometown.  "I got on a team immediately and made a lot of friends; I've just enjoyed it from the very beginning.:

Dan is also a member of The Relics - a 60 and over team - and The Silver Spurs - a travel team that competes  in tournament play.  "We promote the camaraderie and the fun of it - of course it's more fun when you win."

The senior softball phenomenon is sweeping the nation, with nine national associations already in existence and an estimated two million senior players taking to the field each year.  "More and more people are trying to stay active and healthy, and softball is a good physical activity to meet that goal."  It seems that seniors all over the country are using the Little League model of the 1950s and '60s to create leagues of their own.

Al Schneider, national director of Senior Softball Winter Camp in Orlando, Florida, is far from surprised.  "You never lose the fun of participating in dugout chatter regardless of your age," says Schneider, who has helped organize senior softball since 1989 and is a frequent speaker around the country on the subject.

"Although there are significant physical benefits," says Schneider, "the psychological benefits are even greater.  It's one thing to take the field, but the feelings you had as a teenager and the euphoria of getting a hit or catching a fly ball come rushing back during the game.  For older players, it's like being a kid again."

There are local, statewide, regional, and national leagues, with tournaments all over the country and even a Senior League World Series for softball.  "It's amazing how quickly a novice player can begin to move up to more and more competitive environments," says Schneider, who encourages even the most sedentary to get off the sofa and hit the field.  "You don't stop playing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop playing."

In camp, everybody bats and nobody sits on the bench for long.  All must play in the field, which, incidentally, has 11 players instead of the usual 10.  "We supply runners for players who don't feel comfortable running anymore."

Schneider sees incremental changes and significant improvement among the players who spend just five days in his annual camp.

The combination of play and travel that camp participation creates is another major reason senior softball camp is so popular.  "You have an immediate group of friends; you're setting goals and looking forward to the next game.  It's a very positive force for the older adults."

All in all, it's a lot of fun.  "The camaraderie we have with people our own age is very important.  If you're sitting around and don't know what to do with yourself, I'd suggest joining a team.  Don't assume or go with the mindset that you can't do it...give it a shot...you might find out you can do more than you think you can do."

For more information about joining a team or going to camp, check out the following websites: www.SeniorSoftball.com and www.SoftballCamp.com.

For more information, email Al Schneider at info@softballcamp.com or call (888) 335-3828.

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