No slowing down

By Kevin Hayward | For The Olympian • Published July 24, 2008

You’ll have to excuse them if they don’t make a diving stab for a grounder in the hole or slide to avoid a tag on a close play at the plate.

But keep in mind that many folks their age are playing bingo and balloon volleyball.

The Olympia Computer Central 70-and-over softball team is one of 28 teams competing this weekend in the Washington State Senior Games. Other local teams include Venture Bank Gold and Northwest Silver in the 60-and-over bracket and Venture Bank Silver in the 65-and-over tournament. The action begins Saturday morning at the Mason Country Recreational Area in Shelton.

The top two finishers in each age division qualify for the 2009 National Senior Games in Northern California, but coach and utility player Harry Tronson doesn’t expect the Olympia Computer Central squad to be in contention.

"It’s a lot of fun for us, win or lose," said Tronson, age 80. "We’re not the best team there, and we know that, but we’re going to have a good time and try to play good ball."

Forty-one teams overall entered the softball competition this year, the most ever for the Washington State Senior Games, including three teams that will play in a new 75-and-over division.

The 50-and-over softball division played last weekend, with a team from the Olympia Senior League — The Second Wind — finishing second to qualify for the 2009 National Senior Games.

"We’ll have to look at additional fields in the future," Senior Games softball commissioner Lew Keller said. "It’s getting too big for me to handle. A one-man show doesn’t handle it anymore."

Keller agreed with Tronson that the odds are stacked against Olympia Computer Central in the 70-and-over division but lauded them for playing anyway.

"I think it’s great that they compete each year," said Keller, who will coach and play on the 65-and-over Venture Bank Silver team. "We always have two or three — sometimes four — teams that are of a lower level that have a good time and compete but can’t compete against the teams that have the big budgets and play (in a tournament) every weekend somewhere."