By Debbie Gardner
dgardner@thereminder.com
As a member of the Springfield College faculty in the 1990s, Joan Simmons was on campus for the “birth” of the Massachusetts Senior Games – and has been a part of the event ever since. Now in the role of games coordinator, Simmons is looking increase both awareness and appeal of the state games through new offerings and a lowering of some of the age requirements to compete.
She’s got big plans for the 2023 MA Senior Games. Here’s what she shared with Prime:
Q: What exactly, are the Massachusetts Senior Games (MASG).
Founded in 1991 by Dr. Jack Neumann, a professor of Physical Education at Springfield College, the Massachusetts Senior (Olympic) Games is a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating health, physical and social wellness for older adults through organizing individual and team sports, camaraderie and education (maseniorgames.org). People 50 years of age and older compete in five-year age brackets allowing them to compete with their own age group. Gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded in each of these age brackets, and those who earn first through fourth place are eligible to progress to the National Senior Games. This year’s Nationals take place in Pittsburgh in July and over 14,000 are expected to compete. However, the Nationals occur every odd year and people qualify by competing in state games during even years. So, although this is not a qualifying year, Massachusetts — and all other states — still run their games to continue to meet the wellness goal.
Springfield College was the inaugural presenting sponsor, followed shortly by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Both organizations continue to be legacy presenting sponsors of the Massachusetts Senior Games, ensuring Dr. Neumann’s vision continues.
Q: How did you get involved with the Massachusetts Senior Games?
“I’ve been involved with the Massachusetts Senior Games since the beginning [on the campus of Springfield College in 1991]. For 20 years, as a professor of occupational therapy, I had my students working the games as a service-learning assignment. These are assignments where students learn through offering a community service. They would not be totally happy about having to come back to campus on a Saturday, but I explained that they would see healthy people involved in meaningful and challenging activities. Their journals consistently demonstrated their surprise at how healthy, competitive and skillful the older adult participants were. They often thanked me for the assignment and encouraged it be assigned in the future.
“Once I retired, I said I was going buckle down and help find MASG a permanent games coordinator, something the games had lacked for many years. After a bit of consideration, I said to myself, ‘why not do it myself?’ I thoroughly enjoy the people, both the competitors and the organizers, I love to organize, it keeps me tied into Springfield College and its students while hooking them up to older adults, a fast-growing population.”
Q: As the new Massachusetts Senior Games coordinator, what do you hope to bring to the competition?
“As 2023 is not a qualifying year for the National Senior Games, I’m hoping to try some new events without any pressure to make sure they run exactly as is required by Nationals.
“I’ve got an unbelievable new MASG Senior Softball Committee made up of four senior softball coordinators from four Massachusetts areas, the Cape, eastern Massachusetts, central Massachusetts, and Steve Lepow from Western Mass. There will be two teams from the Relics participating Saturday and Sunday, July 29 and 30, in Worcester with two teams from each of the other three areas.
“We have soccer planned for the first time in Boston in August. And cornhole will run for its first time at Springfield College on Saturday, June 17. I believe we are restarting billiards west, hopefully in Agawam, maybe shuffleboard in Hampden, and bowling on Saturday, May 13 in Chicopee. Relatively recent additions are pickleball in the mid-part of the state, but also disc golf, run by my husband, is scheduled in Wilbraham (Crane Hill Disc Golf Course) on Sunday, June 25. Both disc golf and cornhole allow athletes aged 30 and older to participate in order to attract people to the MA Senior Games. They get a discount on registration if they bring a parent!
“Our Super Saturday always takes place at our legacy sponsor, Springfield College, and although it does not include all the events, as it did in 1991, there will likely be eight events this summer: 3-on-3 basketball, track & field — including high jump, triple jump hammer throw and all track runs — volleyball and cornhole, strength and fitness, racquetball, swimming and powerwalk. We hope to start off the event with the East Longmeadow COA Morning Glory Walkers, who walk the track twice and carry the Olympic-style torch. The students will be involved with helping the officials at the field events, timing in the swim events and scoring for basketball and assess vitals and physical skills while giving advice to stay fit, and athletic training students help with first aid, along with, we hope, getting a couple EMTs from American Medical Response.”
