2024 Florida Senior Games Begins Three Days of Pickleball
The Florida Senior Games, presented by Humana, continues to be a trendsetter in the sport of Pickleball, since joining Florida’s only Olympic-Style Sports Festival for athletes age 50 and over in 2003.
Just under 600 athletes will grace the floors of the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County, in the first pickleball event held at the facility that has been open since 2020.
On Tuesday, day one of three, featured competition in Men’s Singles and Women’s Doubles on 24 courts. Athletes from age 50 through their 80s began showing up at 7:00 a.m. and the final medals were handed out after 6:00 p.m.
Mother and daughter, Jimmie Stokes (right in photo) and Terri Tracy (left in photo), both of Zephyrhills were on the court. Stokes played in the 80-84 age group, with Eileen Founds, and Tracy teamed with Michelle St. Jean to win a bronze medal in the 60-64 age group. Stokes, a former tennis player, has played in the Games since 2018 and Tracy has been a Florida Senior Games athlete since 2021.
“She has the finesse and touch, but I’m quicker,” said Tracy. “We team together sometimes during our practices at local courts and sometimes she even beats me one-on-one.
A couple of former Florida Senior Games Male Athletes of the Year were in action, with Toby Kaye, of Boca Raton and Gabe Wong, of Ponte Vedra Beach, playing in the Men’s Singles 75-79 age group, 4.0/4.5 skill level. Kaye, the 2021 Athlete of the Year won the silver medal in the age group and Wong , the 2020 Athlete of the Year, won three of his six matches.
In a head to head matchup, Kaye defeated Wong, 11-9
Erica Gonzalez (left in photo), of Poinciana, and Jana Spano (right in photo), from The Villages, teamed to win the Women’s Doubles 55-59 age group, 4.0/4.5/5.0 skill level gold medal. The duo teamed for the second consecutive year to win a gold medal.
Between Gonzalez and Spano, one of them have won a women’s doubles gold medal every year since 2015. The Florida Senior Games are a must attend event for Spano.
“I plan every year to come to the Florida Senior Games,” she said prior to competition. “I came to Wesley Chapel last night and stayed in a hotel, just so I wouldn’t get stuck in traffic to make me late.”
Taking the silver medal in the same group was Sandra Civitares, of The Villages, who teamed with Kristen Nagrani, of Daytona Beach. Civitares is a multi-sport Florida Senior Games athlete, who returned to the court after sustaining a shoulder injury playing softball.
“I dove for a ball and came down hard on my shoulder,” she said. “I haven’t playe pickleball in a while.”
Civitares has also competed in Florida Senior Games Track and Field events.
Day two of three features Women’s Singles and Men’s Doubles play. Mixed Doubles wraps up the three days on Thursday.
Next Five Days Schedule for the 2024 Florida Senior Games, presented by Humana
Wednesday, December 4
Pickleball (Women’s Singles and Men’s Doubles), Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County, Wesley Chapel
Thursday, December 5
Pickleball (Mixed Doubles), Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County, Wesley Chapel
Friday, December 6
Tennis (Men’s and Women’s Singles), Sarah Vande Berg Tennis and Wellness Center, Zephryhills
Saturday, December 7
Archery – Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, Wesley Chapel
Bag Toss –Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, Wesley Chapel
3-on-3 Basketball –Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, Wesley Chapel
Basketball Shooting – Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, Wesley Chapel
Dominos – Champions Hall, North Lauderdale
Powerlifting – Hyatt Regency Wesley Chapel
Saturday Spectacular (Celebration of Athletes) – Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, Wesley Chapel
Swimming – Temple Terrace Aquatic Center
Table Tennis (50-69 Men’s and Women’s Age Groups) – Mebane Middle School, Alachua
Tennis (Men’s and Women’s Singles) – Sarah Vande Berg Tennis and Wellness Center, Zephyrhills
Volleyball (Women’s Competition) – Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, Wesley Chapel
Sunday, December 8
Cycling (5K and 10K Time Trials) – Florida Polytechnical University, Lakeland
Swimming – Temple Terrace Aquatic Center
Table Tennis (50-69 Men’s and Women’s Age Groups) – Mebane Middle School, Alachua
Tennis (Men’s and Women’s Singles) – Sarah Vande Berg Tennis and Wellness Center, Zephyrhills
Volleyball (Women’s Competition) – Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, Wesley Chapel
Visit www.floridaseniorgames.com/results for results throughout the Games and follow the Florida Senior Games on Facebook for information and photos.
The 2024 Florida Senior Games, presented by Humana, features nearly 2,400 athletes competing in 22 sports between now and December 15, in Florida’s Sports Coast/Pasco County, as well as Alachua, Polk and Pinellas County. Over 300 athletes have already competed in Softball and Racquetball competitions.
The 33rd Annual Florida Senior Games is a qualifier for the 2025 National Senior Games, to be held in Des Moines, Iowa, July 24-August 4, 2025.
The 2024 Florida Senior Games, presented by Humana, are a 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.