General Competition Schedule Released for 2023 National Senior Games in Pittsburgh
Softball Tournament to be held in Columbus, Ohio
CLEARWATER, FL- The National Senior Games Association (NSGA) has released the General Competition Schedule for the 21 sports that will make up the 2023 National Senior Games presented by Humana. The massive multi-sport event for adults ages 50+, will host 20 of the 21 events in the Pittsburgh region, July 7-18, 2023. View the schedule here.
NSGA and the Pittsburgh Local Organizing Committee also announced they will partner with the city of Columbus, Ohio, to host the National Senior Games’ Softball competition at Lou Berliner Sports Park in Columbus from May 3-8, 2023.
Pittsburgh’s David L. Lawrence Convention Center, located downtown, will serve as the main hub of activity in July. This flexible, multi-use venue is located near event-specific hotels and in close proximity to other competition venues. Athletes and the public will gather for several sports and to relax in The Village expo area in the convention center.
Medal sports that will be contested in Pittsburgh in July include: Archery, Badminton, Basketball, Bowling, Cornhole, Cycling, Golf, Pickleball, Power Walk, Race Walk, Racquetball, Road Race, Shuffleboard, Soccer, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Track & Field, Triathlon and Volleyball.
NSGA CEO Marc T. Riker said the decision to move Softball came from several factors. “The National Senior Games hosts one of the largest senior softball tournaments in the country,” he explained. “When Columbus presented the opportunity to host our event at the nation’s largest ball diamond complex, and within such a short proximity, we had to consider the option. Fortunately, the Pittsburgh LOC fully agreed the experience at Lou Berliner Sports Park would be the best for the softball participants. In return, our Pittsburgh host can redistribute focus and resources on the 20 sports headlining the National Senior Games in Pittsburgh in July.”
“Softball is a unique situation within the National Senior Games. It’s the largest single-sport competition hosted during the Games - large enough to spin-off into its own event,” SportsPITTSBURGH Executive Director Jennifer Hawkins said. “Our reality is that mountain ranges and rivers surround Pittsburgh and the surrounding region. While they make for a beautiful topography and challenging endurance races, they limit our abilities to consolidate uniform, competition-quality ball fields.”
While Pittsburgh successfully hosted the Softball competition in 2005, the last time the National Senior Games were held in the City of Champions, participation growth has necessitated the move in city and venue for the 2023 Games. “Our goal is to provide iconic Pittsburgh sports experiences to our clients, their athletes, staff and fans,” Hawkins noted. “The Pittsburgh Local Organizing Committee and NSGA Staff agreed that the move to Columbus was the best way to provide that experience. We have a long history of competing against and partnering with Columbus and know they will be great Softball hosts. Pittsburgh will exceed expectations and provide iconic experience to all the attendees in July. We look forward to crowning many deserving champions in the City of Champions.”
Riker noted the 2022 National Senior Games in Greater Fort Lauderdale was the second largest in its 35-year history with more than 12,000 athletes and generating an estimated $30 million in economic impact. “The 2019 Games were our largest, so the event is clearly growing,” he said. “We had a great experience in Pittsburgh in 2005 and are excited to return in 2023 to enjoy all of the great offerings to be found in the City of Champions.”
Competition is for athletes 50 and older and organized in five-year age divisions with medals awarded for each level. Traditionally held on odd-numbered years, the National Senior Games also requires athletes to first qualify at one of 52 Member Games spread across the country in the previous year.
Following this General Competition Schedule, NSGA will release an Age Specific Schedule later this year. Specific details are added to each of the Sport pages when information becomes available. Visit NSGA.com to learn more.
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About NSGA
The National Senior Games Association (NSGA) is a nonprofit Florida corporation that promotes health and well-being for adults 50 and over through education, fitness and sport. NSGA is an Affiliate Organization Council Member of the United States Olympic Paralympic Committee and governs the biennial National Senior Games, the largest qualified multi-sport event in the world. The Association is comprised of 52 independent Member Games that conduct qualifying competition events. For more information, please visit NSGA.com.