At 9 in the morning on Saturday, Gary Edgington and his teammates are starting to warm up on the fields at Bryant Park in Albany. Players sporting purple and white striped custom jerseys that read “Nearly Extinct” are scattered around the diamond, tossing softballs back and forth.
The team's name is a joke about their age. Edgington said everyone on the team is in their 80s.
Their senior status doesn’t stop them– or any of the other players that they’re going up against.
Nearly Extinct is one of six teams in the park, each one with players that are 50+. They’re here to compete in a men's softball tournament, the first event of the 2025 Oregon Senior Games.
This August, more than 400 senior-aged Oregonians will head to Corvallis to participate in competitive tournaments as part of the Games. With events in swimming, golf, tennis, disc golf, bowling, and more, the annual event encourages competition, camaraderie, and physical fitness for those above 50 years old.
“Our older adults are very active in Oregon,” said Terri Fackrell, the recreation and community services supervisor of the Corvallis Parks Department. “We have a lot of people that don’t let the rain get them down when it’s bad weather, and we don’t get too hot in the summer.”
Climate isn’t the only reason that people are drawn to compete. Making the effort to exercise regularly can make a big difference for lots of seniors.
Edgington is the captain of Nearly Extinct, which hails from Federal Way, Washington. He has a defibrillator, a pacemaker, and Parkinson's disease. Still, he plays in two softball leagues and practices three times a week.
The motivation comes from “knowing that it’s doing me good,” Edgington said. “I’ve seen too many people give up and go home.”
Danny Sanchez, captain of the Corvallis team at this year's softball tournament, said older teams like Nearly Extinct shouldn’t be underestimated. “Some guys don’t show their age,” he said. “They don’t hit like they’re in their 60s, 70s, 80s, and even 90s. They’re serious batters.”
It’s Sanchez’s second year bringing a team to the Oregon Senior Games tournament, and the players on his team range from 50-72. They don’t compete as a team in other traveling leagues, and are a meld of different players on other local teams in Corvallis. Still, Sanchez says they came back to play at the Senior Games because of the camaraderie and friendly atmosphere.
“I love the sportsmanship here. Everybody’s out here to have a good time,” he said.
Creating social spaces for seniors is one of the purposes behind the Senior Games. Fackrell noted that the importance of continued communication throughout the aging process can be underrated.
“Loneliness is one of those things that can get to seniors,” she said.
Over 40% of Americans above the age of 60 report feeling isolated, and those suffering from loneliness can have an increased chance of stroke or functional decline, according to a 2020 study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Fackrell said that the social-emotional connections created at the Oregon Senior Games can hold a tangible health benefit.
David Renton moved to Corvallis three months ago, and played in an intramural softball league called “Relics” in Grants Pass for five years. When the opportunity came to join a new team, he jumped at the chance. He said even though there’s a winning team at the end of the day, competition doesn't outweigh the community created through the sport.
“We’re all retired, or most of us probably are, so you might as well just have fun. Don’t worry about anything anymore,” Renton said.
Every odd year, the National Senior Games take place in Denver, Colorado. Seniors who perform well in the Oregon games can qualify for the national competition.
The Oregon Senior Games will continue throughout the month. Tournaments for bowling, racquetball, track and field, and cornhole will be held Aug. 8 and 9. The following weekend, Aug 14-17, features pickleball, tennis, table tennis, disc golf, and swimming.
