SAN DIEGO SENIOR WOMEN BRING HOME THE GOLD FROM NATIONAL SENIOR GAMES AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY 0
Total Views: 35 They Shoot, they Score, they WIN the GOLD! San Diego’s SWBA Splash Returns Undefeated By Linda Cord August 19,, 2009 (San Diego) – It’s a slam dunk: the golden years are fun and filled with fitness challenges and triumphs for two San Diego women’s teams that scored victories to win gold medals, placing first in the nation at the Summer National Senior Games held at Stanford University in Palo Alto. Splash, a team of women all over 80 years of age, handily won all three of its games, winning the team’s fifth gold medal to date. Sol Class Act (ages 70-75) won five games in one day and three on another, ending with an 8-1 record. Their only loss was by just two points in double overtime. The biennial Summer National Senior Games competition began with a traditional “Torch Run and Flame Arrival Ceremony” and ended with the “Celebration of Athletes” presented by AstraZeneca. The games were held at Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, where up to 30,000 qualified athletes competed in more than 18 sports and seven tournaments or competitions before more than 35,000 spectators. San Diego’s Senior Women’s Basketball Association (SWBA) had nine teams travel north to this year’s three-on-three, half-court basketball competition. Games were held in three Stanford Gymnasiums, the Ford Center, Arrillaga Center for Sports & Recreation and Maples Pavilion. Allnet.com, (50 – 55 age bracket), ended with a record of 4 – 4. The competition in this bracket has become increasingly more skilled and faster paced than prior years. A sign of the evolution of women’s basketball post Title Nine, now seen in senior women’s basketball. Twenty-Three teams participated in this age bracket. San Diego Shooters (55 – 60 age bracket) came in 4th place with a 6 – 2 record. All of the Shooters games were close and proved to exhibit excellent physical and strategic basketball skills. San Diego’s Fusion came in 6th place (65 – 70 age bracket) suffering 2 losses in overtime, also. Splash Coach, Marianne Hall with San Diego’s Senior Women’s Basketball Association (SWBA) said, “One of the team’s most memorable moments this year was regaining the Gold after losing it in 2007.” The octogenarian team has now won five gold and two silver medals. This year’s win was also special because the Splash played for the gold in honor of their former teammates, Lois Davis, Peg Mushrush, Ginger Goss, and Marilyn Spillane. Coach Kathy Marpe, of San Diego SWBA team, Sol Class Act, said the most memorable moment was “playing five games in one day to win the gold.” The only team that beat them, in double overtime by a scant two points had been trying to beat Sol Class Act for the past 10 years, according to one of their players. Kirsten Cummings, also known as “Coach K,” has recently started the National Senior Women’s Basketball Association (NSWBA), an organization designed to help interested women start up regional leagues throughout the nation. NSWBA also offers basketball workshops, camps and coaching for senior women who want to play basketball again, or for the first time. In fact, February 5 – 7, 2010, the NSWBA is hosting a three-day camp right here in San Diego. For more information or to register you can go to http://www.nswba.com. Coach K stated, “The influx of Boomers and now, post Title Nine players are part of the reason for the rise in the level of play. Our camps and workshops will help participants fine-tune and learn new skills which will strengthen their game and build confidence, another big part of anyone’s game.” Organizers note that in addition to the excitement of playing and improving your game in a league, then traveling to a national competition, meeting new friends, strengthening existing team relationships and broadening your life’s journey, there are many health and emotional benefits that come along with participating in a sport or league. Some of these athletes have medical or physical issues and are told by their doctors to “keep playing, it’s good for you and is helping keep you healthy.” For instance, one SWBA players has diabetes, while another has chronic back pain and other health issues. Interested in starting or joining a 40 or 50 + women’s basketball league in your area or hosting camps or workshops or going to the 2011 National Senior Games? Now is the time to begin preparation, so contact the NSWBA at info@nswba.com for more information and assistance. To register for the three-day Women’s Basketball Camp, being held Feb. 5 – 7, 2011, visit http://www.nswba.com . Coach K and the NSWBA are focused on senior women’s basketball leagues and training. However, there are other senior sports open to men and women through the San Diego Senior Olympics Association at http://www.sdseniorgames.org. In fact, the San Diego Senior Olympics are coming September 11 – 27, 2009. Registration deadline is August 28, 2009. Visit the website “Events” page to find a game in which to participate. Printer-friendly version
0 viewsSAN DIEGO SENIOR WOMEN’S BASEKTBALL TEAMS GO FOR FIFTH GOLD MEDAL; ORGANIZERS HOPE TO START SENIOR LEAGUE IN EAST COUNTY 0
Total Views: 28 By Linda Cord, SWBA Player, NSWBA Chief Operations Officer July 24, 2009 (San Diego)–Have you ever heard of a basketball team with women players over 50 years old? How about over age 80? San Diego’s legendary “Splash” team has nine members—all over 80. These spry octogenarians will be going for their unprecedented record fifth gold medal at the National Senior Games next week at Stanford University. Mind you, these ladies are no weaklings. They are serious players who will compete in up to three games per day at Nationals. When not on the road, they put on their shoes and bandage up their fingers to play for the Senior Women’s Basketball Association (SWBA league) here in San Diego at the Mission Valley YMCA. They play every Sunday afternoon and practice two to four times a week. The league includes many players from East County including Santee, El Cajon, Lemon Grove, La Mesa, Jamul, Alpine, Spring Valley and Lakeside. This league is for women over 50 years of age and boasts to be the largest and most successful league in the nation, winning more medals than the runner-up Louisiana Silver Slammers. The SWBA began with humble roots 15 years ago, founded by several women responding to an ad in the San Diego Union Tribune. They lit a spark that ignited desire in hundreds of women across San Diego to play a team sport–and to be the athletes they once dreamed of in childhood. Many of these women had no opportunities to play in high school or college. Now, with several age brackets, there is not only one team to play for but 20. Today, the emerging 50-year-olds are part of the baby boomer generation that fed off of the women’s rights movement of the ‘70s and the running and fitness craze of the ‘80s. They are expecting to play in leagues because many of them have played in high school or college. However, San Diego is currently the only senior league in California. At the Alley Cat Summer Fest in El Cajon, the group hosted a booth in hopes of finding women interested in forming a league in East County. The National Seniors Women’s Basketball Association (NSWBA) offers resources for members and people interesting in creating a new league, including operational manuals, videos, basketball workshops and training camps. San Diego Senior Women’s Basketball Commissioner, Kirsten Cummings has created the non-profit NSWBA with the sole intention of creating leagues, camps and workshops for women over the age of 40 throughout California. A former San Diego basketball standout, Cummings was a two-time CIF Player of the Year at Patrick Henry High and Kodak 1st Team All-American from Long Beach who later played professionally for 14 years. Cummings recognizes the need for basketball leagues throughout California, including San Diego’s East County. “The Splash players have inspired me to continue playing the sport I love,” said Cummings. ”I have come to realize that once an athlete, you’re always an athlete. I would love to still be active and playing like them!” The public is invited to share the women’s passion by watching the SWBA in action at the Mission Valley YMCA on Sunday afternoons. Check out the website at www.swba.org. If you would like to have a league, camps or workshops in your area, please contact us at: info@nswba.com. Printer-friendly version
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