Welcome to "The Long Run" monthly e-Newsletter with NSGA association news, National Games updates, athlete features and health and wellness information. Be sure to check our website at www.NSGA.com for up-to-date information.
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Game On!
Athletes - Remember to Check In
Before sharing several cool updates, we want to remind athletes going to the 2015 National Senior Games presented by Humana that you need to check in at the Minneapolis Convention Center to obtain your credential before your competitions. You will get a packet that also includes the Official Commemorative Program and other useful information, and you will be able to check out all of the exhibits and activities that will be going on there throughout The Games. Please note that coaches, spouses, partners or friends may not check-in for another athlete. Each athlete must check in individually.  2015 Games Daily News Online to Debut July 3 Extra! Read All About It! Everyone will be able to enjoy finding news, features, photos and information links updated daily during The 2015 National Senior Games presented by Humana. The news staff and editors will include interns and faculty from the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Communication, made possible by a grant from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Photography and videography will be provided by interns and faculty from Brooks Institute, a highly regarded California visual arts college. Brooks students have captured our official photographs for each National Senior Games since 2009. Visit and bookmark NSGA.com/2015-games-daily-news.aspx beginning Friday, July 3 through July 16. Each Daily edition will also be archived and available to view on our website long after The Games are history.
#SeniorGames2015 - Official Hashtag
For those who actively use social media, please use the official hashtag #SeniorGames2015 when you make posts on Facebook, Twitter and other services during your experience at The Games. If not, take the plunge and get connected to our social media to keep up with NSGA news year-round in between newsletters.
News on our Facebook page (National Senior Games) and Twitter account (@seniorgames1) is heating up with regular posts and updates. Follow us and don't forget to LIKE our page!
Mall of America to Hold Medalist Recognition Ceremonies
The Mall of America is a sponsor of the 2015 Games and will be hosting medalist recognition ceremonies several nights at the mall in Bloomington. Medalists who will attend will receive free non-alcoholic
beverages and a free ride in the Nickelodeon
Park. If you won a medal, you'll be feeling like a kid again, so enjoy the perk!
"Medal ceremonies" will take place at 6:00 p.m. on the following dates: July 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 11th, 13th, and 14th. For all athletes, many of the restaurants there will be participating in a "Show Your Bling" promotion- show your credential to take advantage of special offers.
Lynx, Twins and St. Paul Saints Offer Leisure Options for Athletes
There's plenty to see and do when athletes are not competing. Three of the Twin Cities' professional sports teams will have offerings for you:
Minnesota Lynx - Discount tickets are available for the WNBA game July 12th vs. the San Antonio Stars. Here's the link for the Lynx deal.
Minnesota Twins - There's a home stand from July 6-12, with the July 11 game vs. the Detroit Tigers designated as National Senior Games Day. Twins game information here.
St. Paul Saints - Our Celebration of Athletes will be held in this pro baseball team's brand-new CHS Field on July 10. The Saints have home games from July 3-9. Actor/comedian Bill Murray is an owner, so you know they have a lot of fun. Visit their Home Page for more information.
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Association News
Interactive "Personal Best Empower Hour" Programs at The Games
What really is a person's "personal best"? Experts and athletes will hold interactive discussion at NSGA's Personal Best Empower Hour events during the 2015 National Senior Games presented by Humana.
On Monday, July 6 from 3-4 pm, bestselling author, nutrition/senior fitness guru,
National Senior Games Foundation Trustee, and National Senior Games triathlete
Dr. Pam Peeke
leads informative and informal discussion and storytelling with featured "Personal Best" athletes and the audience. On Saturday, July 11 from 3-4 pm,
Shellie Pfohl
, executive director for the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition will moderate the second Empower Hour with Council member
Dr. Stephen McDonough
as a special guest.
The programs will be held on The Goodman Group Main Stage in The Village: A Health and Wellness Expo and Athlete Experience at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Admission is free and open to the public. Door prizes will be given out.
The Personal Best Tour visited the Indiana State Games in May for a presentation to The Horstman Family of bowlers. Inspired by patriarch Carl Horstman, seven family members have followed to participate in state and national Senior Games. Find their profile, and read more about our visit to Evansville in our tour blog on the Personal Best webpage. |
HUMANA Heroes: Athlete of the Month
Unexpected Plot Twists
In her mid-50s, independent filmmaker Jane Pittman was looking for her next documentary subject. A friend suggested she check out the nearby NOVA United Senior Women's Basketball Association, in which more than 50 women between the ages of 50 and 76 from all around the metro Washington, DC region practice and compete. At the time, four NOVA teams were gearing up to qualify for the 2013 National Senior Games presented by Humana, and the fascinated Pittman decided that the diverse backgrounds of the players, with their joy and intensity to be part of a team on a mission, would make for a dynamic film. As she warmed up to the idea, the ghosts of old memories and unfulfilled dreams welled up. Pittman was once a promising star of her high school basketball team, but the pressure and expectations were too much to bear at the time. She ran off the court during a tournament and put her athletic career behind her. Or, so she thought. The plot suddenly twisted as old passions awoke, and she wanted to play again as a senior. "I had not played in 43 years," Jane recalls. "But once I started my research, I couldn't stand on the sidelines. After joining in, I had such a strong reaction that I realized maybe the hook of the movie could be about my experience of coming back to the hoop within the story of this league and these women." The decision was a good one. The film, Coming Back To The Hoop, debuted in late 2014 and has already been selected and screened at numerous film festivals. To date, it has earned three awards and two additional nominations. Pittman will also screen the movie and comment about her experience at the Minneapolis Convention Center village during the 2015 Games in Minnesota. Read the Complete Jane Pittman Story Here
We're always looking for great athlete stories. Submit yours or nominate a fellow athlete who inspires you at our Athlete of the Month page at NSGA.com!
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| Senior Health and Wellness Starkey Better Hearing Athlete Profiles  This month, Starkey Hearing Technologies, the Official Hearing Partner of the 2015 National Senior Games presented by Humana, wants to spotlight two Senior Games athletes as their Minnesota Better Hearing Athletes. Volleyball player Bob Stanek and pickleballer Rachael Kroog were fit with custom Starkey hearing aids in April.
You will enjoy learning more about these featured athletes. Please follow the link below to read the article, and if you are going to Minnesota for The Games stop by the Starkey Hearing Technologies booth when you visit The Village.
Starkey Better Hearing Athletes
SAFE Screenings Return for 2015 National Senior Games
Physical therapists will be providing Senior Athlete Fitness Exam (SAFE) fitness screenings during The Games at The Village: A Health and Wellness Expo and Athlete Experience sponsored by AstraZeneca Diabetes.
SAFE is a research and service activity intended to promote continued health and wellness in senior athletes while continuing to learn more about the benefits of staying active with aging. Dr. Becca Jordre, a board certified Geriatric Specialist and faculty member with the University of South Dakota, has been conducting the program at the National Senior Games and at selected state Games since 2011.
Jordre has coordinated with physical therapists and physical therapy students in the Twin Cities region to offer the SAFE throughout the National Senior Games in Minnesota. "We've paired with the University of Minnesota Physical Therapy Department, Live your Life Physical Therapy, and other local PTs who are eager to help with the SAFE this summer. We've developed a way to e-mail individual SAFE results to participating athletes the same day they are screened and will have past results available for those who participated in Cleveland in 2013 so they can compare from past years."
SAFE includes screening athletes for cardiovascular risk factors, strength, flexibility and balance and takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. Athletes who participate will receive feedback on their results as they relate to known normative data and will be alerted to any detected risks for disease or injury.
All testing and results are kept entirely confidential.
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NSGA Online Merchandise Store
Get Games Gear in Minnesota or at Home
You've probably heard the expression "Been there...Done that...Got the T-shirt" before. For those of you athletes going to The Games in Minnesota, today's mantra is "Going there...Doing that...Getting T-shirts and lots of other gear to remember what a great time I had!" The official merchandise for the 2015 National Senior Games presented by Humana will have its main store located in The Village at the Minneapolis Convention Center. As before, you have the option to customize your selections on the spot, which was a big hit when introduced in 2013. There will also be merchandise stands at many of the sport venues during competition.
Even if you're not going, you can still order NSGA and 2015 Games items on The NSGA Store at NSGA.com.
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