There’s a couple of fables that apply to the state of seniors’ sports.
One is the old tale of The Little Red Hen, who couldn’t get any of her farmyard friends to help her make the bread. Of course when the bread was baked, they all came looking for a share.
The other is the grasshopper and the ant. While the grasshopper hopped and played and fiddled all summer long, the ant worked diligently to make sure she had enough to sustain herself and her colony through the winter.
If you are not yet in the “seniors” category, take heed!
Sports, games, arts, crafts, and all kinds of other activities are vital for a healthy and happy old age. While the skill and fitness of the athletes at the Leduc Alberta 55 Plus Games was impressive, the real story was the joy of participating.
Some came to win, some came to try. Everyone came to play.
The Games combines sports, art, and culture with an amazingly friendly social atmosphere. The Leduc committee laid on a variety of tours and experiences that encouraged participants to meet each other off the field.
This was my sixth time attending an Alberta Games. What struck me at my first Games (Cold Lake 2019) and every Games since (Medicine Hat, Edmonton, Peace River, Brooks-Newell, Leduc) is the way people from all over the province come together and intermingle over their shared interests.
At the Opening Ceremony you won’t see huge blocks of people from their respective Zones all sitting together. You see friendships and maybe friendly rivalries being renewed. For many people, sport serves as the pretext for a good get-together. Nothing could be healthier.
It takes a lot of volunteer hours in every city and town in the province, in every sport and activity. The hosting communities rally the proverbial army of volunteers to make everything come together.
There are many men and women who, like The Little Red Hen, are leading the effort. And they get a lot of help. But there are also plenty of people who have something to offer but for whatever reason are waiting for the bread to be baked.
There is an important role for seniors-to-be. If you help sow the seed, reap the grain, grind the flour and knead the dough, you can be assured there will be fresh bread when you want it. Sports associations, community groups, corporate sponsors, governments, and individuals should all be pitching in if they want to enjoy a healthy active lifestyle well into their old age.
There’s a lot said about the importance of sport in raising healthy well-adjusted young people, and it’s all true. But athleticism peaks early. The real value of sport continues well past our twenties and thirties and can serve us for life.
Youth sport and seniors’ sport are not two different things—they are merely age categories. The physical, mental, and social health benefits continue to apply regardless of the age of the participants. All levels and categories need solid community investment of time, effort, and money.
It’s fine to enjoy the summer of life as a frolicsome grasshopper. But learn from the ant: autumn is coming for you too, and you would be wise to prepare for it.