2016-03-55+ Newsletter Page 01

“If You Love Sport
Do it for Life ”
2016 | Coquitlam
Zone 2
Newsletter
Zone 2 Badminton
Getting to Know our Participants
As we continue to get to know our
Zone 2 athletes, it appears that they
are the same, but different.
Different make things interesting.
The same is what brings us together
for the 2016 55+ BC Games.
Don Pennell likes sports because
he is competitive. For him
competitiveness is about being
evenly matched and having to give
your all to win. He believes that
competitiveness is about more than
just medals.
He decided to make a life change
and returned to playing badminton
to lose weight and become more
physically fit. Playing badminton
three times a week also got him into
the weight room as it was located in
the same building, so along with
playing Badminton he also lifted
weights. While his fitness level
increased his sugar levels dropped
and Don always attributes
badminton for helping him remain
free of diabetes.
Don’s interest in sports came from
his parents, in particular his dad,
who when he was a young exposed
him to hockey, curling and to golf,
all of which he had the opportunity
to play.
Don did not start playing badminton
until after he became a high school
physical education teacher. He
coached high school students and
naturally played badminton along
with them, but retired from the
game and curled for many years at a
very high level of competition. “I
think I may have a target Gene,”
says Don. “ On top of curling I seem
to be attracted to watching games
like archery, darts and sometimes
lawn bowling.”
About 3 years ago Don was deemed
Pre-diabetic.
“I first heard about the (Seniors)
Games at club level in Langley,
2014 and liked the concept,” he
says. “I have always enjoyed the
social ability that sports allowed me,
particularly between and after the
games and at sporting events.” Don
gladly took part in the opening
ceremonies, the dances and all the
activities Langley had to offer.
Coquitlam 2016 55+ BC Games September 20-­‐24
March 2016
He also liked being identified with a
Zone and wanted to do well for zone
2. He more than succeeded in that
goal by winning a silver in men’s
double and a bronze in the mixed.
When he wasn’t playing badminton
he sat in on other badminton games,
and other sports as well and
managed to take in soccer, table
tennis and tennis.
Most athletes experience a slump at
times and Don finds that reading a
book on the subject or watching the
best players in the sport on U Tube
helps. He may also do some drop
shots or side to side and also likes to
set himself small goals. One that
came quickly to mind was
improving his foot work.
Don did have one embarrassing
moment in badminton. “I should
have defaulted to my partners
forehand” he admits, “but we both
swung at the same time, bashing our
racquets together and rendering
them both useless except for the
garbage.” Fortunately they had extra
rackets with them and were also
able to buy new ones. Don would
like to pass this experience along as
a safety tip. “Default to partners
forehand or at least call - otherwise
don’t swing.”
Injuries happen and Don discovered
the hard way that he could no longer
play in singles competition. After
completing a singles game, his
knees were so bad that he couldn’t
move. He had to walk over as they
say in badminton and forfeit a
doubles game because he could not
possibly play. Since then he only
plays doubles or mixed.
Competing as a senior athlete brings
with it more aches and pains
according to the book of Don, and
he makes sure he stretches properly.
Another difference is that “When
you are young you compete against
many different people who often
have far better skills than yourself,
but as a senior athlete the
competition is more even.”
Much to our advantage, many of our
athletes compete in several different
sports over their lifetime bringing to
the ‘Games” a lot of experience.
We are delighted to have Don
Pennell as our Zone 2 ice curling
co-ordinator.
Les Dane’s interest in sports
springs from his enjoyment of
playing games. And win, lose or
draw, most important to him is
“playing a good game.”
That is not to say he doesn’t play to
win. Les started playing games like
Badminton, horseshoes, and
baseball when he was young. He
was attracted to badminton because
he liked to keep moving and often
played (minus the net) in the back
yard with the entire family. As they
lived on a farm, the perfect place to
play baseball was in the field.
Games like 500 came in handy
when they didn’t have enough
players to play baseball. In those
days Badminton, horseshoes and
baseball were looked upon mostly
as games and as pastimes - not
really as sports. When you think of
it, that is what many of us thought
about sports when we were young.
It seemed that everyone played ball
back then and one day a pretty cool
thing happened while Les was
playing 500 with his brother and a
friend. One of them hit a fly ball
toward him, but about 8 feet over
his head. He threw his glove up
thinking he would drive the ball
down, but to everyone’s surprise the
glove caught the ball and both came
falling back to earth. Les ended up
catching the two of them together
before they hit the ground. What a
play!! A TV shot to be sure.! “But
not a legal catch,” as he was quick
to tell us.
As time went by, neighbourhood
games turned into organized sports.
Back in the day tennis was not
played much, at least in rural areas,
so it wasn’t until later that Les was
able to fully experience the game . It
was fast, requiring you to move
around a lot and the swing was hard.
He liked it.
Les continued his involvement in
sports until he eventually retired to
raise his family. He returned to
play badminton because he had
always enjoyed the game and also
because the swing was easier on his
arm.
Les considers himself an aggressive
player and likes moving forward on
his shots in Badminton rather than
going back for them - something he
really does not like to do. He plays
three times a week because enjoys it
and does not set many goals for
himself.
In the gym Les uses plastic shuttles
whereas in the Badminton club they
use feather shuttles. Feather shuttles
feel much more solid when you hit
them. They also go faster and
farther. “It is an easy adjustment,”
he says.
Les first heard about the (Seniors)
Games after his recovery from open
heart surgery in 2008. A friend told
him and it opened up a whole new
Experience - one to which he was
eagerly looking forward. It was also
an easy drive to get there as the
‘Games’ were being held in
Nanaimo that year - an added
incentive that we would all relish
right about now. Les was happy
with a bronze medal in men’s
doubles and felt that the entire event
was a terrific first time experience.
“ I lived many of my young years in
remote areas, and did not get much
of an opportunity to mix with
others,” he says.“Consequently, I
became a bit of a loner.”
Les feels that for someone like him
being active in sports, and
participating in the 55+BC Games
has provided him with the
opportunity to socialize with people
who have the same interests. Both
have helped him to develop
friendships he may not otherwise
have cultivated
As a senior athlete, injuries
acquired in youth can often affect
you down the road. Les broke his
wrist years ago and mentions that it
gives him some trouble now and
again when he plays.
“I’ve found that as a senior athlete
you have to play smarter,” he says,
and tried to remember the adage that
‘age and treachery will overcome
youth and skill.’ When asked if that
was his motto he just laughed.
Their are many differences in how
Les & Don arrived at the 55+ BC
Games, but they both share similar
views on competitiveness - that it
is about winning medals - but not
exclusively.
Perhaps then, we might all agree if
we said that medals are definitely
the icing on the cake.
April is volunteer month and we would like to acknowledge the time and hard work all of our volunteers have
dedicated in the interest of Zone 2. This year the focus is on our Sports Coordinators
For Your Help
Assisting us in filling out membership, registration, waiver and medical forms.
Informing us on membership fees, ‘Games’ information, and medal winners.
Sending us reminders of any changes in sports, forms ,or procedures and for
organizing playdowns for us, while also taking care of all the advertising and arrangements.
Sport Coordinators
We couldn’t get there without you
Courtesy - It’s A Two Way Street
Not attending the Opening Ceremonies that our host
city puts on for us is like not thanking your friends for
having hosted your child’s wedding in their home.You
can imagine that those friends would feel discounted
and unappreciated, as we imagine our friends must
have felt in North Vancouver last year.
We know that as participants we like to spend as much
time socializing as we can and that any discourtesy was
not intended, but don’t leave it up to everyone else to
attend. The responsibilities of being a good guest are
no less than those of being a good host.
It is not only up to our Zone Boards and the Senior
Games Society to show our host courtesy, it is up to all
of us who participate as it reflects our group as a
whole.
As in most partnerships, courtesy works both ways and
this year will be no exception. Coquitlam volunteers
are working as hard as we are to make this a banner
year for both the participants of the 2016 55+ BC
Games and themselves as the host city.
The relationship between the host city and the 55+ BC
Games is a symbiotic one. The Opening Ceremony
recognizes the partnership between the host city and
Games. They also provide the opportunity for both
Please make every effort to attend and join in the
participant walk- in at the opening ceremonies in 2016.
Let us show Coquitlam our appreciation for all the work
sides to show recognition and appreciation to one
another and let us not forget that it is a lot of work. We
should be showing our appreciation for that work by as
many participants as possible attending the
Ceremonies. It’s a two way street.
they will have done for our enjoyment. We know we
can count on your support in zone 2.
Zone 2 Board 55+ BC Games
Director’s
Report
Welcome back to our existing members
and a special welcome to anyone who is
interested in becoming a member of the
BC Seniors Games Society, Zone 2.
For those who don't know me. I'm Paul
Kingan, the Director for Zone 2. I've
been involved with BC Seniors Games
since 2008, most recently as the Sports
Chair for our Zone. I'm honoured and
looking forward to representing Zone 2
on the BC Seniors Games Board of
Directors. Please feel free to contact me
at any time if you have questions or
need information.
Coquitlam is well underway with their
preparations for 2016 and are very
much looking forward to welcoming
you to their City.
President’s
Message
Welcome to
the 29th Annual B.C.
Seniors Games Society’s
competition countdown to
Coquitlam. (now known as the
55+BC Games.)
I hope you all had a marvellous
Christmas and New Year’s
celebration and are ready to
tackle another year.
We have 22 different sports to
choose from. Unfortunately
Bocce, Horseshoes, and
Equestrian are not among them.
Those of you in those sports,
A couple of notes regarding the
Coquitlam Games: First, I strongly
suggest
that
you
make
your
accommodation arrangements as soon
as possible as there are limited hotels/
motels in the immediate area. The
Coquitlam/Port Coquitlam hotels and
motels are listed on the Zone 2 website.
Second, the Host Community puts a lot
of time and effort in making the Games
enjoyable for everyone, part of which is
the Opening Ceremonies which will
take place on Wednesday, September
21st (time and location are still to be
determined). I encourage you to make
plans to attend the Ceremonies, join the
Zone march in of athletes, and enjoy the
entertainment, it's a great way to kick
off the Games,
The following three years of Games
have been announced and will be taking
place in the following locations:
2017-Vernon, B.C. Sept. 12-16
2018-Cranbrook/Kimberley Sept. 11-15
2019-Kelowna BC Sept.10-14
have faith. They will return. At
least I hope so.
Our Zone 2 Registration closing
date is July 8th, so please, please,
please get your Registration
forms in as early as possible to
our new Registrar to enable her
to do the best job possible. There
is a lot of new information on the
Zone 2 webpage so have a look
and see who is new, and what is
happening. The playdown dates
for your sport may already be
posted.
As usual our publicity person,
Corinne, is doing a marvellous
job of getting our newsletter out
with some informative articles,
and some further information
about Coquitlam. Our board of
Starting this year, there is a new process
for selecting which Sporting events will
be in the Games. The Host Community
simply chooses (from the list of 31
approved sports) those that fit both
their
facilities
and
surrounding
communities. A minimum of 20 sports
must be chosen for the Games.
Also starting this year, there are new
Membership, Registration and Waiver
Forms for participants to complete. The
forms can be found by going on to the
BC
Seniors
Games
website
(www.bcseniorsgames.org).
Click on the 55+BC Games header and
then click on the Registration header
and the new forms will appear. Simply
click and print. Please be careful when
you complete the forms as there is some
added information required.
I wish you all a great year and look
forward to seeing you in Coquitlam.
Directors is working hard to
make your experience at this
year’s Games even better than
before. Everyone on the Zone 2
board is wishing you a great
season, lots of fun at the Games,
and the best experience of
camaraderie ever.
Zone 2 President Trish Anderson
To All Our Volunteers
Thanks for all the little things.
The ‘done-and-then-forgotten things,
The ‘oh-it’s-simply-nothing things,
That make our lives much brighter.
With unobtrusive, friendly things,
And ‘never-mind-the-trouble-things’,
And ‘won’t-you-let-me-help-you’ things
You’ve made our hearts much lighter.
(Author Unknown)
Good Luck Maggi!
What’s up with Brooke?
Maggi Slassor, our Zone 2 Board Member
and Dragon Boater will be Competing in
the Club Crew Worlds in Adelaide Australia
Next month.!!!
55+ BC Games in BC Legislature
It was great to connect with Selina Robinson yesterday on behalf of BCSGS. She invited me to Ques>on Period where she proceeded to do a great promo. for BCSGS and the Coquitlam Games which is also her riding. Watch it here!
hDps://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=lo136vxYNsI
Since the 2012 Senior Games, the
Gorging Dragons have grown into full
Senior B (50+) and Senior C (60+) teams. Last year, in
June, at Welland Ontario, the Gorging Dragons qualified to
send 4 teams to the club crew Worlds in Adelaide, Australia
in April 2016.
Zone Pamphlets and Posters will be coming your way if you have not received them already.
Several Zone 2 men and women from Port McNeil, Port
Alberni, Courtenay, Nanaimo, Campbell River and Comox
will also be competing.
Senior Living Magazine
is publishing ads for 55+ Games alterna>ng with our ar>cles each month. I have almost finished the next ar>cle due out in March or April.
If you pick up the Feb issue you will see the great advert. that the Coquitlam games have put in.
Liaison with Ministry of Health
We are now connected to HealthyFamiliesBC and their new Aging Well pages!
We are working with the Marke>ng Leader for the Ministry of Health to get more ar>cles and informa>on on this site. They are keen to work with us and realize the immense value of ac>ve, healthy seniors in our Province.
On We Go GCSGS Team!!
Brooke Campbell
BCSGS Communica>on Chair
To Zone 2 members and all other members of the 55+ BC
Games, who may be competing, congratulations on this
exceptional accomplishment and for working so hard at
your sport. The entire Zone 2 membership will be rooting
for you!
Enjoy Everything !
Accommodations!
Accommodations!
Accommodations!
Starecat.com
Pub.19 Nov.2015
The Canada 55+ Games will be held in Brampton, Ontario
August 16-19, 2016
Please note that priority will be given to the medal winners from the 2015 North Vancouver 55+ BC
Games, however anyone interested in attending should complete an application, and send to the BC
Coordinator. Please bear in mind that the age categories may change for Brampton based on your
year of birth. Also spouses that are not competing should complete an application form for the NonParticipant option. For more information Email Gordon Oates gordon.oates@shaw.ca
BCSG Zone 2 Registra2on For 2016
As the new registrar for
this year’s games, I’d like
to welcome you all to a
great season and ask
that you help me do my
part in this big venture by
writing/printing clearly
with accurate info! You
will see that there are
some changes to the
forms you need to
complete as well as a
change in how the
medical form will be
handled. You will be
receiving all of this
information from your
Sport Coordinator in due
course. I hope to meet
more competitors from all
the sports as I have been
in the swimming pool
during most games!
Bring your ‘A’ Game
Athletes!!
Mary Sluyter, Registrar
I Bet
You Didn’t know
That Battledore & Shuttlecock are still being played at the 55+ BC
Games. And so is Poona. They are much the same game and have
been played by ancient civilizations in both Europe and Asia for over
2,000 years. British soldiers brought the game back from India in
1867, where it became the rage after being introduced at one of
Lord Beaufort’s lawn parties. The Poona party was held at
‘Badminton’ - his country estate.
Battledore (bat or paddle)
Shuttle (probably from back & forth motion of shuttle on a loom)
Cock (feathers from cockerel or rooster)
Games at a Glance
Accreditation
!
Opening Ceremony
!
Special Event
!
Banquet & Dance
!
Closing Ceremonies !
Volunteer Appreciation !
!
!
!
!
!
!
Sept. 20-21, 2016
Sept. 21, 2016
Sept. 22, 2016
Sept. 23, 2016
Sept. 24, 2016
Sept. 24, 2016
Zone 2 Playdowns 2016
Badminton
Registration and playdowns, if needed, will be held on Saturday,
April 23 from 12:00 noon to 2:30 pm at the Oliver Woods
Community Centre in Nanaimo. Please contact the coordinator
if you have any questions or require further information.
Darts
Saturday, April 9 at 9:30 am at the Rotary Hall, Filberg Center
in Courtenay. If interested please contact the coordinator no
later than April 1
Ice Curling
Interested teams must register with Coordinator by
March 1, 2016. If playdowns are necessary they will be held
at the Campbell River Curling Club on Thursday,
March 17, 2016. Contact Don for any further details.
Awards become corroded,
friends gather no dust ~
Jesse Owens.
Venues (subject to change)
Archery
!
!
Port Coquitlam & District Hunting & Fishing Club - 5000 Harper RD. !
!
Badmninton - !!
Gleneagle Secondary School - 1195 Landsdowne Dr. !
Bridge
!
!
Duplicate - Dogwood Pavilion, Mike Butler Room - 1655 Winslow Ave. !
Coquitlam
Bridge
!
!
Social - MacDonald-Cartier Room - 630 Poirier Street!
Coquitlam
Carpet Bowling
Cribbage!
Poirer Forum - 618 Poirier Street!
!
Cycling !
!
!
!
Coquitam
!
!
!
Coquitlam
!
Centennial Pavilion, Centennial Room - 620 Poirier Street!
!
Coquitlam
!
Road Race & Time Trials - Staging at Spani Pool, 655 Hillcrest Street !
Coquitlam
Cycling!
Hill Climb - Chilko Drive - Staging at Spani Pool, 655 Hillcrest Street!!
Coquitlam!
Darts !!
Glen Pine Pavilion, Great Room - 1200 Glen Pine Court !
!
Coquitlam
!
Dragon Boat ! !
Old Mill Boathouse - Rocky Point Park, Burrard Inlet - 2800 block, Murray St.
5 pin Bowling
The Zone Bowling Centre - 16-228 Schoolhouse Street!
Floor Curling
Poirier Forum, 618 Poirier Street !
Golf
!
Golf
!
!
Port Moody
Coquitlam
!
!
Coquitlam
Swaneset Bay Resort & Country Club - 16651 Rannie Road.!!
Pitt Meadows
Golden Eagle Golf Club - 21770 Ladner Road!
Pitt Meadows
!
!
!
!
Ice Curling
Poirier Sport & Leisure Complex, Coquitlam Curling Club -633 Poirier St. !
Coquitlam
Ice Hockey
Plante Ice, Coquitlam - 2300 Rocket Way!
Coquitlam
Lawn Bowling
Coquitlam Lawn Bowling Green - Dogwood, 1655 Winslow Ave.!
Pickle Ball
Pinetree Community Centre - 1260 Pinetree Way!
!
So-Pitch
Mundy Park - 641 Hillcrest Avenue!
!
Slo-Pitch
Town Centre Park - 1299 Pinetree Way!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Coquitlam
!
Coquitlam
!
!
Coquitlam
!
!
Coquitlam
!
!
Soccer
Town Centre Park (Fridge, Mobilio & Cunnings Fields) - 1299 Pinetree Way
Coquitlam
Swimming
City Centre Aquatic Complex - 1210 Pinetree Way !
!
!
Coquitlam
Table Tennis
Port Moody RecreaBon Centre - 300 Ioco Road!
!
!
!
Port Moody
Tennis
Coquitlam Tennis Club -1240 Pipeline Road !
!
!
!
Coquitlam
Track & Field
Town Centre Park - 1299 Pinetree Way !
Whist
!
Dogwood Pavilion, Cards Room - 1655 Winslow Ave.
!
Coquitlam
!
!
!
!
Coquitlam
A Few of the Venues of 2016 Coquitlam 55+ BC Games
Rocky Point Dragon Boating
Port Moody Inlet
Accommodation
Executive Inn
Looks like they are getting an early start in Coquitlam
Already looking forward to attending the 55+ BC Games
September 20-24 2016.
Golf -Swaneset Bay Resort
Track & Field - Percy Perry Stadium Town Centre Park