The South Windsor Senior Center hosts the enjoyable activity, Chair Volleyball, on Mondays, 3:00pm; Wednesdays, 11:30am; and on Thursdays, 1:15pm. This fun, engaging activity is enjoyed throughout the center and is offered for free! All it costs is an open mind and a desire to have a good time.
Seniors take part in a volleyball-like activity which requires the use of sitting in a chair throughout gameplay. This makes it more accessible for everyone to participate and make new connections in the community.
The rules are simple: there are two teams who engage in a friendly competition to win 15 points. The equipment used is a soft beach ball that helps get it over the net easier without much effort. Not much coordination is needed, and before you know it, you will have the rules down by no time.
The thrill of the game and the interactions between community members, make this activity become a way to make new friends and build up self-esteem. The environment is known to be well-welcoming and enthusiastic to have new players join them.
One of these players, Trudy Singer, has played the game for a while and enjoys all the fun occurrences that appear once in gameplay.
“It made me very comfortable in a new setting,” Singer said. “I didn’t know many people there and everyone was very encouraging and welcoming.”
In addition to the open-armed community, the opportunity to get in some physical activity becomes more widely reachable with the help of many fun conversations and laughs all around.
Tiffany Pagano, the senior services programmer, has seen how much chair volleyball has benefited the community and changed the atmosphere at the center.
“They have really come out of their shell and become a family with the other players.” Pagano said. “They are getting some physical activity while also creating a bunch of connections with other people.”
The passion that many of the seniors have for this hobby has pushed them to spread it to other centers as well.
“They go to other centers and play,” Pagano said. “They have matching t-shirts. It has really brought a lot more to the senior center.”
The environment for this activity has grown and it has sparked interest throughout many communities. The connections that many have made have flourished to other towns and chair volleyball has given others a chance to come together.
The seniors are eager to gather more participants for this fun, interactive game. The center is open to more players and can’t wait for even more fun to occur!
