By Debbie Gardner
debbieg@thereminder.com
Massachusetts Senior Games Executive Director Larry Libow said he “couldn’t wait to turn 50 years old” so he could participate in the Massachusetts Senior Games. A lifelong sprinter, he started out in 1999 as an athlete and slowly got more involved with the Games, volunteering to re-do the nonprofit organization’s website, accepting an invitation to sit on the Board of Directors and in 2012 after 12 years on the Board, taking over the role as managing director of the games.
On the cusp of turning 66 years of age, Libow has seen the Games from many perspectives over the years, and has a vision for its future.
Here’s what he shared with PRIME about the 2015 – and future – Massachusetts Senor Games:
Q: You've made it your mission to shake up the Massachusetts Senior Games. What changes will athletes see in the 2015 summer competitions?
“We are trying to spread the Games to more areas of the state. Badminton has moved to Wellesley, pistol shooting to Sharon, and the 5K road race to Northborough. We have added canoe and kayak whitewater racing in the Berkshires. Disc
Golf – which we added last year – was very popular so it's back. Pickleball, which we started three years ago, has grown so popular it is now a three-day
event in Shrewsbury. And, we are moving our golf tournament to the fall for a one-day event which includes an awards luncheon.
We have also consolidated all our flagship events into a single day at Springfield College. On June 13 we will host a triathlon, swimming, track & field, table tennis, racquetball, tennis and 3-on-3 basketball events at the college.
We are always striving to make our events better and I encourage anyone with ideas or suggestion to contact me.”
Q: You added sports like kayaking, pickleball and disc golf last year. How have these new events affected athlete participation numbers?
“All states have qualifying and non-qualifying years (which determine which athletes qualify to compete at the National Senior Games), and we find participation numbers are always greater during qualifying years. Last year was such a year and this summer, those who qualified will hopefully be making the trip to Minneapolis/St. Paul. So, we sort of expect lower numbers this year, but my hope is that with a very active Facebook page (Facebook.com/MASeniorGames), where we have reached thousands of people who never heard of the Senior Games, we might just have similar numbers to last year.
“Kayaking, pickleball and disc golf are all events we added to the Massachusetts Senior Games as a result of people coming to us with a
proposal on how they can help us run the sport they are involved in. We have potential plans to add mountain biking, trail-running, even rock
climbing to our events.
“Today's seniors are not like our grandparents. Reaching 50 [years of age] is nothing to dread. It should be celebrated and if you're active – or want to become active – the Massachusetts Senior Games is here with more than 25 different winter and summer sporting events.”
Q: 2016 will mark the Games' 25th anniversary. Do you have plans for this milestone?
“Our 25th Anniversary is a milestone that we hope to mark with some spectacular events and celebrities. The plans are in the works and I can't provide any details at the moment.”
For more information about the Massachusetts Senior Games, including online registration and a schedule of events, visit www.maseniorgames.org.
Please note: registration for teams closes tow weeks before scheduled events; registration for individual athletes closes one week before scheduled events.
