The Senior Olympics 2003
The National Senior Games
Location is everything! The 2003 National Senior Olympics were the site of many venues spread throughout the region at Hampton Roads, Virginia. And spread out they were. The many venues were scattered about the Hampton Roads area, which made
travel between the venues difficult for competitors as well as spectators.
I guess spectators are usually competitors waiting to have their turn at
competition, but any sport would love to have spectators that have no knowledge
of the sport to get a chance to learn the details of a new sport.
The Horseshoe and Archery venues were held at Chesapeake City Park. This location is approximately 20 miles by interstate highway travel to the main location of the NSGA central headquarters in Virginia Beach. This is also the site of the Chesapeake Horseshoe Pitchers Club, 12 courts in a wooded setting, with 5 of the 12 courts positioned between the trees in a setting, not of that usually seen at horseshoe locations. (All in a row like soldiers) Early NSGA plans had the venue to be located at a military facility and the final decision to locate the venue at the Chesapeake City Park was the best decision they could have made. Having a local club to provide a host of volunteers, especially those with the basic horseshoe knowledge, made my job as competition manager as easy as it could have been. The club members were on hand every day and the courts were kept in top shape, regardless of a few weather problems. Despite any personal setbacks as a result of my wife, Iris, having a
hospital confinement to find out the cause of her fainting spell at the
start of day 1 competition, play remained on schedule. Her problems were
found to be an irregular rhythm in the impulses to the lower heart chamber.
When we got home to Georgia, her problems returned and now she has received
a pace maker implant and all is well.
As Competition manager I had the pleasure of having 2 great assistants, both with NHPA history. Earl Waggy, prior NHPA Virginia Regional Director and Kevin Snelgrove, current NHPA Regional Director and of course, their equally experienced wives ( both , named Pat). Computer errors in NSGA competition entries gave us a host of scheduling issue as to last minute changes in numbers expected. To which, Earl and Pat offered a great night--before – games schedule challenge. The wealth of horseshoe knowledge of this team made the 2003 Horseshoe
Venue the most productive I have seen in all the years I have been at the
Senior Games.
After a brief indoctrination to the idiosyncrasies of NSGA terms and
our way of setting up the venue, Kevin rose to the challenge, and by the
second day of competition was controlling our records by a computer program
which he put together in his motel evenings. This is a vacation?
It’s little wonder that the executives of the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association selected Kevin as 2003 Regional Director Of The Year. Any record keeping of the NSGA competition should be available to assist those working on the venue for 2005 games. These are to be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I hope our team can be intact for the 2005 games.
Al Sandham
Mondays Photos
The view the 2003 Senior Olympic Results! Click here. and visit the www.nsag.com web site. The National Senior Games will be held in Pittsburg Pa, in 2005.
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