It's Day 3 of 55+ Sports Days

For years, Cochrane's vibrant Alberta 55+ Sports community has been offering sports days to showcase recreational and leisurely activities for older adults.

For the first time, it's being held in concert with Cochrane Senior Week.

"It just made sense this year to do it in concert with the National Seniors Week, so we've come up with 13 different sports this week to offer to any newcomers that might be interested in trying out anything from as active as pickleball to as sedentary as cards," says Doug Campbell, of 55+ Sports.

Typically, it's in the late summer and has been held about 10 times over the last 15 years, featuring a variety of sports and leisure activities.

Alberta 55+ Sports promotes 35 different winter and summer sports plus other activities like arts and crafts activities on a regular basis, but it's not outside of their reach to offer other opportunities.

Therapist Jo-Anne Paulgaard lead the session "Healing Movement" in the warm water therapy pool at the SLS Centre. 

Yesterday, they hosted one of two scheduled warm water therapy sessions called "Healing Movements" at the aquatic centre of the SLS Centre, lead by instructor Jo-Anne Paulgaard. A second one is scheduled for Thursday.

Pickleball instructor Bill Cooper.

Instructor Bill Cooper introduced 15 people to the sport of pickleball, and will also be leading a second session on Thursday.

They also held carpet bowling and cornhole.

This afternoon (June 5), there's floor shuffleboard and bocce. Bocce goes again at the Samuel Spicer Park on Friday and there's also crib, euchre and whist being played in the Seniors on the Bow Centre, located upstairs in the SLS Centre.

Campbell has been involved with 55+ Sports for 15 years and is an advocate of the benefits it provides.

"Our mission is basically to get older adults involved physically, socially, mentally, and to do that, we offer 35 different sports. We offer eight different card games. We offer arts and crafts and culture and woodworking, so there's something for everybody."

There are also team sports, like women's soccer, women's and men's hockey, slo-pitch, golf, and ice curling.

This winter, the 55+ zone and provincial curling championships were hosted at the SLS Curling Centre. Organized by Campbell, it attracted 160 curlers from across Alberta.

This week's activities have been sponsored by Alberta 55 Plus and Big Country Senior Sports Society with the support of the Seniors on the Bow and the SLS Centre.

Sports Day coordinator Doug Campbell with pickleball instructor Bill Cooper.