For the first time in eight years, the Florida International Senior Games and State Championships, an Olympic-style competition for athletes age 50 and over, will return to Polk County for the 20th Anniversary Games.
The nine-day event, featuring 23 sports at various locations across Polk County, will take place Saturday, December 3 through Sunday, December 11, 2011.
Approximately 2,000 athletes are expected to compete in sports such as archery, powerlifiting, softball, golf and table tennis.
The 2011 Games now carry the International Senior Games designation as a way to offer more competitive opportunities for Floridians. Out-of-state athletes are not required to qualify at one of 19 Florida Local Senior Games events. Floridians are required to qualify, but are eligible for dual state championships and overall medals/awards.
Athletes who have not yet qualified still have a few opportunities to earn a spot in the State Championships. The Gainesville Senior Games and Ormond Beach Senior Games each begin on October 21, and the Martin County Senior Games and Golden Age Games in Sanford will be held in November. The Lee County Senior Games will also hold a Tennis qualifier in November. For more information about the remaining qualifiers, visit www.flasports.com.
Registration is now open! Conveniently register online at www.flasports.com or print the registration form found on www.flasports.com, and send it to the Florida Sports Charitable Foundation in Tallahassee.
The complete schedule for the 20th Anniversary Games is listed below:
SPORT SCHEDULE OF THE 2011 FLORIDA SENIOR GAMES STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Archery, Saturday, 12/3 – Central Florida Archers, Fort Meade
Badminton, Saturday, 12/10 and Sunday, 12/11 – Kelly Recreation Center, Lakeland
Basketball
Shooting, Thursday, 12/8– Simpson Community Park, Lakeland
3-on-3, Friday, 12/9 – Simpson Community Park, Lakeland
Billiards, Friday, 12/9 – Sunday, 12/11 – Wally’s Billiards, Lakeland
Bowling – Individual, Saturday, 12/3 & Sunday, 12/4 – Lakeland Lanes
Bowling – Team, Saturday, 12/3 & Sunday, 12/4 – Lakeland Lanes
Cycling 5K & 10K Time Trials, Saturday, 12/10 – West Pipkin Road & County Line Road, Lakeland
20K & 40K Road Race, Sunday, 12/11 – Lake Hollingsworth, Lakeland
Golf
Men’s, Tuesday, 12/6 – Cleveland Heights Golf Course, Lakeland
Women’s, Wednesday, 12/7 – Cleveland Heights Golf Course, Lakeland
Horseshoes, Wednesday, 12/7 – Rotary Park, Winter Haven
Pickleball, Saturday, 12/3 – Monday, 12/5 – Kelly Recreation Center, Lakeland
Pwerlifting, Saturday, 12/10 and Sunday, December 11 – The Lakeland Center
Race Walk/ Power Walk
1500 Meter, Sunday, 12/4 – All Saints Academy, Winter Haven
5K Race Walk & Power Walk, Saturday, 12/3 – Lake Hollingsworth, Lakeland
Racquetball, Saturday, 12/10 & Sunday, 12/11, Lakeland YMCA
Road Race 5K, Saturday, 12/13 – Lake Hollingsworth, Lakeland
Shuffleboard, Saturday, 12/10 & Sunday, 12/11 – Lake Parker Park, Lakeland
Softball, Saturday, 12/3 & Sunday 12/4 – DiamonPlex Softball Complex, Winter Haven
Swimming, Saturday, 12/10 & Sunday, 12/11– Gandy Pool, Lakeland
Table Tennis, Monday, 12/5 & Tuesday, 12/6 – Simpson Community Park, Lakeland
Tennis, Tuesday, 12/6-Sunday, 12/11 –Beerman Family Tennis Center, Lakeland
Track & Field, Saturday, 12/ 3 (Field Events only) Tenoroc High School, Lakeland
Sunday, 12/4 (Running Events) – All Saints Academy, Winter Haven
Volleyball, Saturday, 12/10 (Men) & Sunday, 12/11 (Women) – Polk State College, Winter Haven
The Florida Senior Games is a program of Florida Sports, a division of Enterprise Florida, Inc., the state’s lead sports promotion and development organization and a division of Enterprise Florida, Inc.
For more information contact Nick Gandy, Florida Sports Foundation Director of Communications at (850) 488-1422 or ngandy@flasports.com