The Florida Sports Foundation, the state of Florida’s sports promotion and development organization, is pleased to announce an agreement with Florida's Sports Coast (Pasco County), to host the 2022 through 2024 Florida Senior Games, presented by Humana.
The Florida Senior Games is an Olympic-style Sports Festival, for athletes age 50 and over. The 2022 Games will be held December 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, Pennsylvania.
While the 2022 Games will be the first time Florida’s Sports Coast will act as the primary host of the Games, 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 and 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, CDME.
The Florida Senior Games features a wide variety of sports. The roster includes inside sports like 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 & 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.
Confirmed Sports Dates and Locations for the 2022 Florida Senior Games, presented by Humana
Archery - Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, Wesley Chapel, Saturday, December 3, 2022
Badminton – Shula’s Athletic Center, Miami Lakes, Sunday, December 4, 2022
Basketball Shooting - Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, Wesley Chapel, Saturday, December 3, 2022
Basketball 3 on 3 - Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, Wesley Chapel, Saturday, December 3, 2022
Bowling (Individual) - Pin Chasers, Zephyhills, Saturday, December 3 and Sunday, December 4, 2022
Bowling (Team) - Pin Chasers, Zephyrhills, Saturday, December 3 and Sunday, December 4, 2022
Foot Golf – Saddlebrook Resort, Wesley Chapel, Saturday, December 10, 2022
Golf – Fox Hollow Golf Club, Trinity, Monday, December 5, 2022
Horseshoes - Clearwater Horseshoe Club, Friday, December 9, 2022
Padel – Sarah Vande Berg Tennis and Wellness Center, Zephyrhills, Friday, December 9 – Sunday, December 11, 2022
Pickleball - Sarah Vande Berg Tennis and Wellness Center, Zephyrhills, Thursday, December 8 – Sunday, December 11, 2022
Powerlifting - Land O’Lakes Recreation Center, Sunday, December 11, 2022
Power Walk (1500 meter) – Cypress Creek High School, Lutz, Sunday, December 11, 2022
Race Walk (1500 meter) – Cypress Creek High School, Lutz, Sunday, December 11, 2022
Shuffleboard - Zephyrhills Shuffleboard Club, Saturday, December 10 and Sunday, December 11, 2022
Swimming - Temple Terrace Family Recreation Complex, Saturday, December 3 and Sunday, December 4, 2022
Table Tennis – Simpson Park Community Center, Lakeland, Monday, December 5 & Tuesday, December 6, 2022
Tennis - Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Center, Zephyrhills, Saturday, December 3 – Thursday, December 8, 2022
Track and Field - Cypress Creek High School, Lutz, Friday, December 9 – Sunday, December 11, 2022
Volleyball – Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, Wesley Chapel, Saturday, December 10 & Sunday, December 11, 2022
Dates and Locations are subject to change
The following sports are tentatively scheduled for the following days at a location to be determined
Friday, December 2, 2022
Cycling (5K and 10K Time Trials)
Saturday, December 3 – Sunday, December 4, 2022
Racquetball
Sunday, December 4th, 2022
Cycling (20K/40K)
Saturday, December 10th, 2022
5K Road Race, Power Walk and Race Walk
For more information about the 2022 Florida Senior Games, presented by Humana, please visit www.floridaseniorgames.com or follow FloridaSeniorGames on Facebook.
About the Florida Senior Games presented by Humana
The Florida Senior Games presented by Humana are presented annually by the Florida Sports Foundation (FSF), the state’s lead sports promotion and development organization, and a division of Enterprise Florida, Inc. The Foundation works in conjunction with a variety of local sports industry partners to present the different competitions. The Florida Senior Games, presented by Humana, an annual amateur sports tradition in Florida, is part of the state’s $57.4 billion sports industry that accounts for 580,000 jobs statewide.
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