According to "Tucson Home Magazine," one-fifth of all residents in Arizona are senior citizens, with many of them living in Tucson. U.S. Census Bureau numbers from 2008 estimated that 14.2 percent of all Tucson residents were 62 or older. This has led to a wide range of services and activities aimed at giving senior citizens plenty of exciting and healthy things to do in the area.
Senior Athletics
If you want a chance to compete for a gold medal, you can enter the annual Tuscon Senior Olympic Festival, which draws more than 3,500 athletes who are 50 and older to compete in more than 30 sports including basketball, racquetball and tennis and more than 100 activities ranging from euchre to Frisbee toss. You can train in Senior Olympic Activity Series classes held throughout the year in different sports. Competitors face off against each other in age group levels.
Senior Golf
If you are a duffer who wants a chance to compete against other local players, there are several options available. The Arizona Seniors Golf Association allows players 50 and older a chance to play in seven different tournaments each year at courses throughout the Tucson area. The Arizona Golf Association also has tournaments if you are 55 or older including the Southern Arizona Senior Series. Play in the Senior Series is in teams of two, playing a better ball format.
Senior Softball
If you are 40 or older and want to play some softball against other people your age, the SaddleBrooke Senior Softball Association is for you. It offers weekly men's, women's and coed leagues. Some leagues are competitive while others are more fun and set up with the less-skilled player in mind. The league also sponsors tournaments throughout the year. If you are 50 or older and want a strictly competitive softball experience, you can join the Tucson Bandits, a traveling team which plays in senior softball tournaments throughout the country.
Other Senior Sports
The Arizona Masters Swimming program lets you take part in swim competitions held throughout the state. There are several local swim clubs, such as Ford Aquatics, which have programs for beginning swimmers looking to improve their health or expert swimmers looking to compete. The United States Tennis Association offers you a chance to play tennis against other seniors thanks to their Southwest League, which plays at Tucson's Reffkin Tennis Center.
Senior Centers
Tucson's Parks and Recreation Department operates three senior centers. These facilities give seniors a chance to interact and be active with other seniors. Activities available at the three centers include card games, weight rooms and exercise programs, swimming pool use and field trips.
