Every morning, a group of ten senior citizens gets together to play volleyball in the Tukwila Parks and Recreation building.
The group of 73 and older say they joined the league to meet new people and stay active.
“This is such a wonderful way to make friends and connect with people sharing the same interests,” said Ellen Kropp, 73. “The great thing is that we are exercising in a fun way, but the most important thing is the social aspect of our group.”
The team won a silver medal last week at the Huntsman World Senior Games, a world-wide athletic competition held in Utah. They played against other senior teams in volleyball and some members competed in other sports individually.
“People that come to the games are highly competitive, so I think we did really well,” said Russ Haag, 73. “It was four days of fun times and serious volleyball playing.”
Haag has been part of the league since 2000 and doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
“The camaraderie keeps me coming back,” he said. “At my age, it’s just nice to say you’re out there doing something.”
Lee Curry, 81, joined the league at age 64, shortly after retiring.
“I never dreamed I’d be playing volleyball at this age,” she said, laughing. “I’d retired from being a flight attendant and my son told me to join the league in order to stay active and keep my mind going.”
Curry thinks playing with people her age is the perfect way to spend her mornings.
“I love the people here; they are just really good people and we have a lot of fun,” Curry said.
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