Florida Senior Games set for Dec. 3-11

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The Florida Sports Foundation, the state’s sports promotion and development organization, has announced an agreement with Florida's Sports Coast (Pasco County), to host the 2022-2024 Florida Senior Games, presented by Humana.
The Florida Senior Games is an Olympic-style sports festival, for athletes age 50 and older. The 2022 Games will be held Dec. 3-11 with a roster of 22 sports. The 2022 Florida Senior Games is a qualifier for the 2023 National Senior Games, to be held in Pittsburgh.
While the 2022 Games will be the first time Florida’s Sports Coast will act as the primary host, it is not the area’s first venture into the Florida Senior Games.
In December 2020, the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County and Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center combined to host five sports. The former hosted bag toss, basketball shooting, 3-on-3 basketball and volleyball. Pickleball was played at the latter.
“The staff of Florida’s Sports Coast has made Pasco County and the northern edge of Tampa along Interstate 75 a premier sports destination,” said Florida Sports Foundation President Angela A. Suggs. “We look forward to introducing the area to Senior Games athletes, not only from Florida, but nationwide.”
The Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, located in Wesley Chapel, will once again host multiple sports during the nine days of the 31st Annual Florida Senior Games. The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center in Zephyrhills also returns as a host site. Other facilities already identified as host sites include Cypress Creek High School, the Zephyrhills Shuffleboard Club, the Land O' Lakes Recreation Center and Pin Chasers.
“Florida’s Sports Coast is thrilled to be the host destination for such prestigious sporting events that exhibit the level of talent of athletes 50 and older within our statewide sporting community,” said Florida's Sports Coast Tourism Director Adam Thomas.
The Florida Senior Games features a wide variety of sports. The roster includes basketball, volleyball, table tennis, bowling, powerlifting and racquetball. Outdoor sports include track and field, tennis, archery, cycling and a 5K road race. Some sports can be played either indoors or outdoors, like pickleball and swimming.
Besides sports that require strength and stamina, the Florida Senior Games offers events focusing on hand-eye coordination and focus, including shuffleboard, horseshoes and basketball shooting.
Joining the Florida Senior Games roster of sports in 2022 is padel, a racket sport typically played by doubles teams on an enclosed court roughly 25% smaller than the size of a tennis court. Scoring is the same as tennis and the balls used are similar but with less pressure. The main differences are that the court has walls and the balls can be played off them in a similar way as in the game of squash and that solid, stringless bats are used.
“Exceptional teamwork among Experience Florida’s Sports Coast, Florida Sports Foundation and some of our best sports venues created this opportunity that will highlight the best we have to offer when it comes to sporting events,” said Consuelo Sanchez, Florida's Sports Coast sports development and tourism manager. “We’re excited to be the primary host destination for the Florida Senior Games for the next three years.”
Florida Senior Games athletes compete in five-year age groups beginning with the 50-54 age group and increasing through the 100+ age group. 
Previous multi-year host locations have included Clearwater, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, Lakeland, Kissimmee/St. Cloud and The Villages.

The Events
Here’s a look at the events being included: 5K road race, power walk and race walk, archery, badminton, basketball shooting, basketball 3 on 3, bowling (individual), bowling (team), cycling (5K and 10K time trials), cycling (20K/40K), foot golf, golf, horseshoes, padel, pickleball, powerlifting, power walk (1500-meter), race walk (1500-meter), racquetball, shuffleboard, swimming, table tennis, tennis, track and field and volleyball.
For more information about the 2022 Florida Senior Games, presented by Humana, go to floridaseniorgames.com or follow FloridaSeniorGames on Facebook.