By Breven Honda
The 25th anniversary of the MesqThe 25th anniversary of the Mesquite Senior Games began last month.
Throughout March and April, sporting events and activities have been held as part of the spring season.
Events including darts, table tennis, tennis, bowling, hiking, pickleball, target pistol and softball have all gone smoothly so far.
“They’ve been great,” Mesquite Senior Games President Sandy Tudor said. “Pickleball was warm, obviously, because it was just last weekend, but we started a little bit early, so we had them out of there by noon or 1 o’clock every day. So that wasn’t too bad.”
In this anniversary year, Tudor said a lot of work has been done by the board of directors to ensure the spring season runs successfully.
Adjustments were also made to the registration process, making forms easier to complete.
From major organizational work to smaller tasks, board members have stepped up to help make the season a success.
“The board is really excited, and we’ve got some other things planned,” Tudor said. “We get our T-shirts every year, and we had them folded, organized and inventoried in about two hours one afternoon just by everybody pitching in. It’s been very, very helpful.”
Some board members also serve as event directors and help lead activities, including Tudor, who directs the women’s softball competition.
Unlike some of the other sports and activities, many of the softball teams travel from outside Mesquite — and even outside Nevada — to compete in the tournament.
The 50+, 55+ and 60+ age brackets competed March 28-29, while the 65+, 70+ and 75+ divisions played March 31 and April 1.
Each year, the Mesquite Senior Games softball tournament serves as a qualifying event for the National Senior Games. As a result, more teams have shown interest in traveling to Mesquite to compete.
“A lot of these women go to nationals every other year,” Tudor said. “I know we’ve got at least three more teams than we had last year, and that partly has to do with qualifying.”
The first event of the spring season took place March 3 with the darts competition at the Mesquite Elks Lodge. Eight women and 11 men participated.
Wade Bevans, Dale Sadoski and Monte Dibble finished in the top three on the men’s side. On the women’s side, Linda Sadoski, Denny Peterson and Corinne Linderud earned the top medals.
Players competed using electronic dartboards rather than traditional metal-tip boards. Round-robin play determined seeding before an eight-player single-elimination bracket decided the winners.
Based on early feedback, Tudor said organizers are hopeful the darts event will continue to grow and could even be added to the fall schedule.
“I talked to all the women, and I asked them if they liked playing their own gender or if they would rather have played mixed,” Tudor said. “They said, ‘No, no, we like this.’ So that’s the format we’ll use next year, too. In fact, we may even add it as a fall event.”
Another event organizers are evaluating is the fitness hike, which took place March 18. In addition to the event coordinators, Nick Werth and Janice Hase, only two other participants joined the hike.
Because of the low turnout, Tudor said the event may undergo some changes.
“The first thing we’re probably going to do is a little better advertising,” Tudor said. “But I also think we might change the name to ‘nature hike.’ I think ‘fitness hike’ scares off some people.”
Tudor said activities like the hike and the history tour are designed to give seniors additional ways to participate in the games without the pressure of athletic competition.
“I find it fascinating, which is why I’m promoting it as much as I am,” Tudor said. “All of our events are geared toward seniors, people over 50. We want to provide non-athletic options as well. You don’t have to be a javelin thrower to participate in some of our events.”
The history tour is one of several events scheduled in April following the women’s softball tournament, which ran from March 29 through April 1.
Many events have limited spots available, meaning participants are encouraged to register in advance.
To sign up online, participants can select the sport or activity they would like to compete in or attend. Most registration deadlines are about one week before the event.
For those still considering participation, Tudor said the goal is to attract as many people as possible.
“Come play with us,” Tudor said. “I want all the participants we can get, and I want everybody to come out and have fun.”
Even those who cannot compete are encouraged to attend events as spectators or volunteer to help during the games.
“We’re doing great,” Tudor said. “We’ve got a new volunteer coordinator. She’s had a bit of a learning curve, but she’s been very helpful. We use a volunteer system called SignUpGenius, and people can go online and choose where they’d like to help.”
