Jul. 27—After canceling the annual event last year due to the pandemic, Glenn Graham has noticed a pent-up demand among athletes to compete in this year’s New Hampshire Senior Games.
The New Hampshire Senior Games, which began in June and continue through September, features competition in a variety of sports for people age 40 and older. Athletes age 50 and older can qualify for the 2022 National Senior Games next May in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Last year’s National Senior Games were also canceled because of the pandemic.
“It’s been two years since they were able to do anything,” said Graham, who is the chairman of the New Hampshire Senior Games’ board of directors. “Their desire (is) really to just get out there and be able to compete.”
The 2019 edition of the games had about 600 people participate across all sports. While some athletes have told Graham they cannot compete this year because of other commitments, he said there has also been an uptick in newcomers. Athletes Graham has talked with have not expressed any COVID-19-related reasons for not participating, he said.
One of the most difficult aspects when planning this year’s games was securing venues, Graham said. Some state colleges that have previously hosted sports for the games did not want outside activities on campus and venues are in high demand after many events were canceled last year, Graham said.
“There’s a great number of activities on as the normal availability of venues is less than would be in a normal scenario,” Graham said. “We’ve had to scramble to find a location for some activities.”
Despite the venue shortage, the games have only canceled two sports: horseshoes and volleyball, which would have been a new sport this year. Graham, a 66-year-old Goffstown resident, said horseshoes were canceled because of a lack of interest. Considering the registration numbers and the pandemic-related issues of playing the sport, the Senior Games decided to put off offering volleyball until next year, Graham said.
The senior Games’ most popular sports this year are pickleball and track and field, Graham said.
Joe Santoro, who is the pickleball tournament director and a Senior Games board member, said 202 people have signed up for the singles, doubles and mixed doubles tournaments Friday through Sunday at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro. The field will include players from every New England state and from as far as South Dakota, Santoro said.
Graham said track and field, which is scheduled for Aug. 22 at the Gatsas Complex at Livingston Park in Manchester, has registration numbers close to those of pickleball.
Santoro, a 77-year-old Wolfeboro resident, credited the high interest in pickleball at the games this year to a change in marketing and the sport’s surging popularity among the currently retired generation over the past 15 years.
Santoro, who previously served on the USA Pickleball board of directors, began playing the sport when he retired six years ago after seeing people play one day while riding his bicycle.
“I had no idea what the game was but there were a lot of people my age laughing and joking around playing what looked like a miniature tennis game,” said Santoro, who used to play tennis. “Once I had a pad on my hand, it became so addictive. Most pickleball players play 4-5 times a week.”
Santoro, who will compete in the both men’s and mixed doubles pickleball tournaments, thanked Brewster Academy Associate Athletic Director Katherine Turner for her efforts in bringing the tournament to the school’s campus.
“If (Brewster Academy) had not agreed, we probably would not have had enough time to put together this event,” Santoro said.
Santoro said the tournament will follow Brewster’s COVID-19 protocols. Graham said the games follow the protocols in place at each sport’s venue and recommend people wear masks, socially distance and sanitize their hands. The games also transitioned to providing prepackaged food and drinks for athletes this year.
Cornhole was the Senior Games’ newest sport this year. The one-day event on July 17 at Game Changer Sports Bar and Grill in Londonderry went so well that it will be a two-day event at the same site next summer, said Graham, who competed in both cornhole and 10-pin bowling.
There are plans in place to add 3-on-3 women’s basketball to its slate of sports next year, Graham said. The 3-on-3 men’s basketball tournament has gained popularity recently and its one-day tournament on July 31 at Colby-Sawyer College in New London had 18 teams signed up as of last week, Graham said.
“The response from people has been they’re happy, thrilled,” Graham said. “They more or less have the same demeanor and expressions as before COVID because the majority of our athletes are vaccinated so they’re really happy to be able to do almost everything back to normal.”