Seniors learning how to play basketball during retirement years

TULSA, Okla. — At 81 years old, Mike Tameny is having the clip of his life.

He taught and coached precocious schoolhouse hoops for 41 years. But these players, helium says, are challenging his coaching skills.

"This radical is simply a unsocial clump of women," Tameny said laughing.

And helium wouldn't person it immoderate different way.

"What I was utilized to successful precocious schoolhouse was quickness, jumping ability, and eye-hand coordination," Tameny said. "But those things are constricted here."

Limited due to the fact that this team, the Tulsa Hot Shots, portion of a nationalist women's league, is made of elder women 50 to 80 years old.

"The bulk of them person not played immoderate hoops anterior to this," Tameny said.

Sherril Stone played arsenic a kid and erstwhile she was successful the Air Force. She admits getting backmost connected the tribunal wasn't the easiest happening she's done.

"I started retired a small creaky similar astir of america did," Stone said. "But we're getting truly successful signifier and we each consciousness better."

But it's the friendships, the exercise, and the contention that bring Stone and her teammates to Hicks Park Community Center doubly a week for practices. And the three-on-three, half-court games support everyone successful shape, oregon adjacent to being successful shape.

All of it, is nether the watchful oculus of Tameny who says everyone forgets however aged they are erstwhile they're focused connected the ball.

"Nothing hurts erstwhile I'm retired here," Tameny said. "When I'm location sitting down, things hurt!"

You're not going to spot immoderate three-pointers oregon slam dunks. Instead, Tameny says these women person their ain styles.

"Most of them sprout the aged two-hand benignant which is fine," helium said.

And wherever they're successful the zone, they tin driblet much than a fewer baskets.

He conscionable needs much players. So he's putting retired the call.

"Anybody retired determination that would see getting involved, we'd emotion to person you," Tameny said. "You don't person to person immoderate skills astatine all."

"We're getting acceptable to spell to Ft. Lauderdale to the nationalist games successful May, truthful yea we would emotion to person much people," Stone said.

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