History of
the Florida Senior Games
The Senior
Games movement first started in Florida when the Golden Age
Games were created in Sanford in 1974. Soon after, Local and
State Senior Games events began appearing nationwide, especially
throughout Florida.
In 1988, the State of Florida appointed a task force to study
the Senior Games. The purpose of the committee was to conduct
an in-depth investigation on the status of the Senior Games
movement in the state and determine what course to follow in the
future. The committee determined that the time was right to
bring all of the existing Local Games together.
Combining the Games as a series would work to better serve the
needs of the seniors regarding participation in local events and
would also provide an opportunity to standardize all the Games,
thus leading to a State Championship.
At last,
Florida was ready for a State Championships. In 1992, the first
Florida Senior Games State Championships were held in
Bradenton. Over the years, the Florida Senior Games continues
to grow, and together with the Local Games, provides fun,
fellowship, fitness and competition for Florida’s fastest
growing age group. The focus of the Senior Games is not
winning, but participating. The Florida Senior Games is
dedicated to:
-
Encouraging and promoting healthy lifestyles for Florida’s
Seniors
-
Providing Florida’s Seniors with the opportunity to compete
at the local, state and national levels
-
Providing all Senior citizens of Florida with an affordable
and quality multi-sport festival they can call their own
Games
Every year,
the Florida Sports Foundation sanctions Local Games in Florida,
which serve as a qualifier for the State Championships. Every
Olympic year, the Florida Senior Games State Championships
serves as a qualifier for the National Senior Games held every
non-Olympic year.
Information on competing at the local, state and national levels
can be found on this website or by contacting the Florida Sports
Foundation. For information on starting a Local Senior Games in
your community, please
CLICK HERE or contact the Florida Sports Foundation.
Host Communities (1992-2008)
1992 Bradenton
1993 Bradenton
1994 Bradenton
1995 Kissimmee / St. Cloud
1996 Kissimmee / St. Cloud
1997 Sarasota
1998 Sarasota
1999 Kissimmee / St. Cloud
2000 Kissimmee / St. Cloud
2001 Polk County
2002 Polk County
2003 The Villages
2004 The Villages
2005 The Villages
2006 Lee County & the
City of Cape Coral
2007 Lee County & the
City of Cape Coral
2008 Lee
County & the City of Cape Coral
2009-10 Lee
County & the City of Cape Coral
2011-12
Polk County
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