“AGE IS just a number,” the old saying goes — and the ladies of the Tennessee Stealers and Tennessee Dinos prove it weekly at basketball practice and annually in Senior Olympics competitions across Tennessee and the United States.
The teams first came together in 2007, when a Shelbyville school teacher, Emily Campbell, put an ad out in the paper through the Shelbyville Recreation Center and its director, Sylvia Pinson. The ad was for basketball players 50 years old and older, and Joan Collins was one of nearly a dozen players who answered. Collins said the ages of the team members were everywhere, from 50- 65, but since the youngest player’s age determines your bracket, they had to play in the 50-54 age group.
“We played in the [Tennessee Senior Olympics] that year,” Collins said. “We realized right then that the talent was there, and we were all out of shape.”
To ensure a more level playing field, they split into three teams. Almost 20 years later, the Stealers and the Dinos still get together to play ball.
As a member of the Dinos, Collins competes with other players aged 65 and older. Her team has played against people all over the United States, and two years ago, they won a gold medal in Pittsburgh. While they aren’t traveling this year, the Dinos have competed nationally in six previous years. Collins said the team loves the game, and the players care about each other.
“It’s just the love of the game — you just want to keep playing as long as you can,” Collins said. “It’s a fellowship. You don’t want to give it up.”
The Stealers currently compete in the bracket for 55 to 59-year-olds. Ann Solomon has been playing with the team for seven years and joined for the love of the sport. Then she went to the Tennessee Senior Olympics and saw the other benefits basketball could offer.
“One of the first years that I played, there were ladies there playing basketball in [the] 80 to 84-year- old age group,” Solomon said. “They were still able to move on the basketball court. That is a sport that can keep you active.”
Solomon said she also views the community she finds with her team incredibly important. The work they have done together has made them a family.
“That’s huge to me — to know that you have people that depend on you, and you depend on other people,” Solomon said. “Outside of playing basketball, the camaraderie and friendships that you build and make are unbelievable.”
The Shelbyville Recreation Center has been the hub for both teams since the beginning, and Collins said anyone interested in playing is encouraged to contact them for more information.
“We wish we had more women that would come and play,” Collins said. “We’re getting older. We need some young blood.”
There is exercise to be found on the courts there, as well as family — and as the ladies of the Stealers and Dinos have proved, you’re never too old to try something new. GN
For more information, contact the team through the Shelbyville Rec Center at 228 Tulip Tree Rd. in Shelbyville or call (931) 684-9780.
