Senior Games planned in Cordele

CORDELE — Seniors have just over a week to sign up and participate in the first Watermelon Capital Senior Games, to be held here on March 24. The Olympic-style event will feature 20 different games and will be open to baby boomers and seniors over the age of 50.

Joe Wright, a former high school coach and a recent sports reporter for the Cordele Dispatch, accepted a position as program director for the Crisp County Recreation Department last September. he is responsible for bringing the games to the county.

“One of the first things everyone started asking me was why there was so little programming offered for seniors,” Wright said.

Wright said has lived and worked in the community for the past 37 years. He said he agrees that more sports-related activities for older residents are needed.

Most of the promotion of the event is being done online, with posters and through area media outlets. Wright said he also is contacting recreation departments in nearby cities and counties in hopes that they will announce the event and even bring teams to Cordele to participate.

“We will have competition for different age levels starting at ages 50 to 54, 55 to 59 and on up in five-year increments,” he said.

Wright said there will be running events and more traditional strength and endurance-type events along with “less strenuous” games such as corn hole toss and table tennis.

The event agenda shows the games scheduled to get underway at 8 a.m. with a 5K road race taking off from Destiny Fitness, and a 3-on-3 basketball game at the Crisp County Recreation Department. At 9 a.m., a golf tournament is planned at the Georgia Veterans Memorial Park. Also at 9 a.m., a 50-meter run at the Crisp County Recreation Center is planned, tennis will be held at Crisp County High School and corn hole (bean bag toss) games are set at the recreation center.

The morning events also include beach volleyball starting at 10 a.m. at Georgia Veterans Park, horseshoes at 10 a.m. at Turner Park, several running events at the Crisp recreation department, along with shot put, Wii bowling and bait casting at the recreation center.

At noon, archery competitions are planned at Veterans Park and more running games will be held at the recreation complex, including an 800-meter run. The afternoon will feature more running and traditional Olympic-style games such as a long jump competition and a free throw contest. At 2 p.m., an open-water swim event is scheduled at Veterans Park, and at 4 p.m. kayaking competition is set at the same location.

“We’re excited about all of these events,” Wright said.

Asked how many participants he expects, Wright said he wasn’t sure since this is the first year of the competition.

“I figure if we get 50 people, we’ll be lucky,” he said. “If we get 100, I will be astounded.”

Jimmy Culpepper is an active Cordele-area senior who said the activities are specifically chosen so all seniors, all ages, with or without an athletic background, can participate.

Culpepper is 77 years old and a former coach, educator and college administrator. He played football, basketball and ran track in high school and in college. He also spent 12 years working at Georgia Tech, where he helped to start the women’s athletic program. At Georgia Tech, he coached football, track and women’s basketball.

Culpepper said he also coached for several years at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a private research university in Worcester, Mass.

Born in Mississippi, Culpepper attended high school in Thomas County in Georgia. He retired in 2007 and soon after began participating in Senior Games in Georgia, Mississippi and in Alabama. In 2009, he and his wife moved to Cordele from Rochelle.

Some of the highlights from his involvement in Senior Games include being chosen last year for the Sportsmanship Award at the Georgia Golden Olympics held in Warner Robbins, receiving gold medals in the triple jump, the 50- and the 100-meter runs at the Senior Games last year in Alabama, and recently receiving six awards, including four gold medals, at the Senior Games in Mississippi.