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NC Senior Games Still Leading the Way A fter 30 years. Dr. Karla Henderson Brad Allen Lynn Harrell. Components of the North Carolina Senior Games The Legacy of the Program Measuring Success – Now and in the Future How Senior Games can Benefit your Citizens. Overview.
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NC Senior Games Still Leading the Way After 30 years Dr. Karla Henderson Brad Allen Lynn Harrell
Components of the North Carolina Senior Games • The Legacy of the Program • Measuring Success – Now and in the Future • How Senior Games can Benefit your Citizens Overview
Year-round Health promotion and wellness for adults 50 years of age and better through: Fun Fitness Fellowship Family Friends What is Senior Games?
Local Games-53 across the state serving all 100 counties. Over 60,000 persons participate in year-round programs over 5000 volunteers locally. State Finals-annually in the fall for qualifiers. 3000 participants, 900 volunteers Where is Senior Games?
Athletic Events Archery Badminton Accuracy Events i.e. Football Throw Billiards Bocce Bowling Croquet Cycling Track and Field Golf Horseshoes and shuffleboard Racquetball Team sports Swimming Table Tennis and Tennis Visual, Heritage, Literary, Performing, Cheerleaders Components of Senior Games
North Carolina Senior Games is the largest health promotion program of its’ type in the United States and has received national recognition for programming and service for older adults; • Diverse support statewide and locally through: • Corporate Sponsors • 6 Major Coordinating Agencies • 22 Endorsing Agencies • In-kind support by a Vast Network of Volunteers Public-Private Partnership
Inter-generational activities that have shaped and changed perspectives on aging and of older persons; • Providing new opportunities for life enrichment and wellness for older persons, i.e., women raised in the pre-Title IX era; Legacy of NC Senior Games
Transformation of facilities in many communities across the state – shuffleboard courts, bocce courts, shared space between active youths and older persons; • Inclusion of experienced individuals on planning boards, steering committees, etc.; Legacy of NC Senior Games
Nurturing of the “Fun, Friends, Family, Fitness and Fellowship” that Senior Games participants enjoy across lines of cultural, gender, geographic, economic and social diversity; Legacy of NC Senior Games
Empowerment of participants to new levels of civic and political involvement through the Senior Games Ambassadors’ Program; • Better health, greater social involvement and life enrichment for hundreds of thousands of older persons in every part of the state! Legacy of NC Senior Games
There is considerable emphasis from funding entities to PROVE the IMPACT of recreation and health promotion programs - - - How can we measure success? Measuring Program Impact/Success
And the Survey Says…. Research about NCSG 2006-2013
2007, 2010, 2013* Evaluations • Analysis of NCSG Volunteers • NCSG Grandparents • 2012 Selected Sites (for use of sites) • Photo Elicitation of State Games Finals *Preliminary data Research Associated with NCSG
Purpose: Examine the role and influence of North Carolina Senior Games (NCSG) in addressing factors leading to healthy living and successful aging Develop a profile of NCSG participants 2007, 2010, 2013 Evaluations
2007 Systematic sample of 1000 local games participants 2010 Systematic sample of 1127 local games participants 2013 All participants in 2013 State Finals* *Preliminary data Methods
Almost equal number of women and men responded • Average age was 70-71 years with a range of 55-96 years • About 70% were married • About 80% percent White, African American (10%), Native American (6%). Hispanic/Latino (<1%), and Asian American (<1%) • Over ¾ rated present health Excellent or Very Good Demographics
Women Individuals living alone Participants with HS education or less Lower income individuals Perceptions of Greater Benefits
To assess needs and interests of STATE FINALS volunteers to provide better program quality NCSG Volunteers
Characteristics of NCSG Volunteers: ¾ Female 85% White Average age = 49 years with range of 18-95 years 10% were students Average number of years volunteering = 7 years Average hours volunteering at State Finals = 13 20% of volunteers were ALSO participants
Thesis by Liana Dern (2011) Explore perceptions of aging and older adults held by children who had grandparents that were participants in NCSG NCSG Grandparents
Children: • Described a range of perceptions of older adults • Built relationships with grandparents through leisure activities like NCSG • Saw grandparents as role models for aging Findings
Purpose: To examine the meanings associated with physical activity participation by older adults in NCSG State Finals through the use of photo elicitation. Photo Elicitation about State Finals
Distinguishing Oneself Through Competition • Transforming Identity • Being Part of a Collective Experience • Redefining Aging Results
Theme 1: Distinguishing oneself through competition “…they posted the results after the events occur and so everybody goes and looks at the board to see what they got…although everybody likes to participate, the awards are really nice, too, so everybody’s curious to see how they do to judge their performance” – female , age 56 Results Taking home a medal was one way participants separated themselves from others. One male participant said, “I just want a medal – it could be bronze, I don’t care what it is…as long as I got something to bring back as a memory.”
Theme 4: Redefining Aging “It’s just so encouraging to someone at that age still being very, very active” Results “She’s not very fast, she just keeps on going…For somebody her age, it would be a whole lot easier to sit home and not do anything” “This is the oldest runner in the Senior Games history… He’s 101…When you see someone doing that at his age, it really makes you look at yourself and what you do and what you are able to do in a different light.”
Serving a GROWING population • Facilitating Public/Private Partnerships How Can Senior Games Help YOU? Surry County Commissioners recognize Senior Games participants