Published: July 23, 2000
It's a typical Saturday morning in Baton Rouge, La. Mavis Albin laces up her hi-tops and heads to the gym for practice. Albin joins the rest of her teammates as they prepare for an upcoming competition. They aren't training for the high school championships or the NCAA Tournament - Albin's basketball team is training for the Senior Olympic Games.
When the members of the Louisiana Tigerettes Hi-Tops senior women's basketball team graduated from high school, they thought their basketball careers were over. They never dreamed that 40 years later they would still have the opportunity to play and would be enjoying the game more than ever.
Several women in Louisiana formed the Tigerettes team two years ago. The team has six players, ranging in age from 52 to 63. Albin and her teammate Barbara Avant are U.S. Senior Olympic gold medalists-Albin winning twice. Several of the players are retired coaches and teachers and some are former high school teammates. Team member Nikki Leader is still coaching basketball. Wanda Blailock, Linda Benge and Kitty Sparacello round out the roster.
The Tigerettes travel throughout the southern United States competing in various tournaments, including the National Senior Games (also called the Senior Olympics), held this October in Orlando, Fla. The Senior Games are held every two years and have been in existence since 1987. Originally, athletes had to be at least 55 years old to participate, but recently, the minimum age was lowered to 50 in order to bring more participants to the Games. In 1997, more than 10,000 senior athletes participated in the Games.
The Tigerettes play three-on-three, half-court competitions, which are quite different from the "roving basketball" these ladies played in high school. In their high school games, guards and forwards were not allowed to cross over to the other half of the court, and players were limited to one dribble. All of the Tigerettes note the huge difference in the current style of play and enjoy the physical aspect and up-tempo pace of today's game. "There is a world of difference in how the game is played now," Albin said. "I've always loved the game; I love it even more now."
All of the players on the Tigerettes are thrilled to have the opportunity to play and enjoy every minute. "I never thought I would play basketball again," said Avant. "I enjoy just being able to get back into something that I can compete in and have fun at."
The team was originally called the Louisiana Tigerettes until Katrina Hibbert of Louisiana State University gave them her team shoes. The shoes drew so much attention that the team decided they had to add "hi-tops" to their name. One thing the team really enjoys is all the support that they receive from their fans. Albin is proud to announce that "there is a huge audience for the 50-year-olds." The fans range in age from young grandchildren to other seniors and include boys and girls, men and women. Not only do the Tigerettes enjoy support from their male fans but also quite frequently engage in competitions with men's teams at the YMCA.
The Louisiana Tigerettes have rediscovered their youth and are living out their basketball dreams. When they were in high school they did not have the opportunities available to girls today, but they are making up for that now. These women enjoy every minute of their basketball careers and are staying in shape and having fun at the same time.
The Tigerettes want to be role models for their grandchildren as well as members of their own generation. They want to show other seniors that the game can still be played long into their later years. Playing on the team has reminded the ladies to eat more healthily and exercise more often. They practice several times a week and work on both basketball skills and conditioning. The competitive nature of the Tigerettes has influenced them to be very faithful to their workout schedules. "I was never involved in any exercise program until the Senior Olympics," Albin said. "In fact, before I got involved with this team, every time I thought about exercise, I would lie down until the thought went away. Now we look forward to each practice time."