Tom Brady has won seven Super Bowl Championships and Michael Jordan has won six NBA Championships. They are widely known as The GOAT, the Greatest of All Time within their sport.
The Florida Senior Games has its own GOAT in Dunedin’s own, Ron Deckard. He’s a six-time Horseshoes Senior Men’s World Championship. Deckard accomplished a three-peat from 2007-2009 and won three more in 2010, 2013 and 2015.
On Friday, the GOAT was not only pitching horseshoes under the oak trees at the Clearwater Horseshoe Club at the 2025 Florida Senior Games, he served as the Event Director. The Club is Deckard’s home away from home and a place where everyone knows and respects the GOAT.
At 84-years old, his status was once again acknowledged as he recorded the highest ringer percentage of the competition, a 56.67%, hitting 56 ringers in 90 pitches from 30 feet. He won his fourth consecutive gold medal in the 80-84 age group.
When Deckard was winning his six championships, he competed in the Senior Division (age 60-69), pitching from 40 feet. Even after he reached age 70, he continued in the Senior Division, rather than moved up into the Elder Division.
Deckard’s World Championship appearances saw him travel to Topeka, Kansas, York, Pennsylvania, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Springfield, Illinois and St. George, Utah.
“We pitched horseshoes for three days in preliminary rounds and then it came down to the top 16 ringer averages out of a field of 60 to 80,” Deckard said. “We pitched for five days total.”
Besides his six World Championships, Deckard has won 14 Florida State Championships. Success like that earns you an induction into the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association National Hall of Fame, which came in 2013.
He’s also a member of the Florida Horseshoe Pitchers Hall of Fame. Photos of Hall of Fame members line the walls of a small conference room at the Clearwater Horseshoe Club.
Deckard’s photo is among the many on the wall and his World Championships are recognized on a wall in the front of the building. It’s located right behind the chair and desk where he sits while organizing and directing tournaments (in photo above).
While Florida’s GOAT of Horseshoes was holding court in Clearwater, Florida Senior Games pickleball players were striving to reach the heights of Deckard’s humble championship pedigree.
Owen Mitchell, of Eustis, won his fourth Men’s Singles gold medal since 2019, taking he 65-69 age group, Division 4 gold. In Women’s Doubles, Jana Spano, of The Villages and Cassandra Rollins, from Lady Lake, won the 65-69, Division 4 gold medal. Spano and Rollins teamed together to win the gold medal in the 55-59 age group in 2022 and won gold medals with other partners to make this their fourth women’s doubles gold medal each since 2022.
Pickleball continues on Saturday with Men’s Doubles and Women’s Singles. Bowling, Shuffleboard and Track and Field begin two days of action on Sunday and the 5K Road Race, Power Walk and Race Walk will be held on Saturday morning.
2025 Florida Senior Games Remaining Daily Schedule
Friday, December 12
Horseshoes – Clearwater Horseshoe Club
Pickleball (Men’s Singles and Women’s Doubles) –Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, Wesley Chapel
Saturday, December 13
5K Road Race, Power Walk, Race Walk – Starkey Wildlife Park, Land O Lakes
Bowling (Men’s and Women’s Doubles/Mixed Doubles) –Pin Chasers, Zephyrhills
Pickleball (Women’s Singles and Men’s Doubles) –Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, Wesley Chapel
Shuffleboard (Singles) –Zephyrhills Shuffleboard Club
Track and Field – (Field Events) Cypress Creek High School
Sunday, December 14
Bowling (Men’s and Women’s Singles) –Pin Chasers, Zephyrhills
Bowling (Team) –Pin Chasers, Zephyrhills
Cycling (20K and 40K Road Race) – San Antonio Elementary School
Pickleball (Mixed Doubles) –Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, Wesley Chapel
Shuffleboard (Doubles) – Zephyrhills Shuffleboard Club
Track and Field (Running Events)/1500 Meter Power Walk/Race Walk – Cypress Creek High School
A total of 1,633 athletes are registered to compete, December 6-14, in Florida’s Sports Coast/Pasco County. Since the Games began in 1992, a total of 66,352 athletes have registered to compete in the Florida Senior Games. For complete results from the 2025 Florida Senior Games, please visit www.floridaseniorgames.com/results.
The 34th Annual Florida Senior Games are an annual program of the Florida Sports Foundation, the official sports promotion and development organization of the state of Florida, presented in conjunction with Florida’s Sports Coast