Softball League Keeps 90-Year-Old Feeling Young

LAKE PLACID - Play ball, but don't forget the ibuprofen.

Allan Chipps plays catcher and at 90 years old is the oldest player in the Lake Placid Senior Softball League. He exceeds the minimum age requirement by 40 years, although for those who sport hair beneath their caps, the common color is gray.

Participants are required to have reached the half-century mark and no one old enough is turned away. Even with five teams of 13 members each, there is a waiting list of eight prospective sluggers for the games played at Lake June Ball Fields.

Chipps squats for about half the time during the two-and-a-half-hour games, from a spot behind home plate, scooping up balls and strikes.

"Why not play catcher? asked Chipps. "I've got the best knees and back of the crew."
Chipps said he plays for the fun, camaraderie and exercise benefits.

"What am I going to do, sit in the cottage and look at the water?" said the avid golfer. "This keeps me breathing. Two and a half hours of intense exercise helps.
"Running after a ball is a whole different thing than just jogging."

Allana Merrill was visiting her snowbird father for a week and watched Chipps' team pull off a one-run victory.
She said her dad keeps busy repairing boat motors and fixing mechanical devices for friends and neighbors.

"He comes to Florida (from Ontario) where it's warm and keeps active," said Merrill. "There's hope for all of us."

Sebring also sports a league for seniors aged 55 and up, with another for those 65 and over, with several local senior traveling teams competing outside Highlands County.

Home runs at Lake June Ball Fields regularly clear the fences 300 feet away. The slow pitch hurlers throw 45 feet to the plate and use a screen for protection.

A batter may select a designated runner to navigate the bases, which are 60 feet apart. The Lake Placid Senior League teams play 20 games each, from January through April, on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Organizer Ray Hensley said players are rated for ability and then chosen by category during a draft, in a bid to make every team competitive and with no clear favorite.

"Most are in pretty good shape for competitive softball," said Hensley. "They do try to win, but they have fun."

On Wednesday, Chipps was lauded for the milestone with a birthday cake. The team members and spectators stuck around afterward, as is the custom, for a cook out.
Chipps is highly coveted as a catcher and as an inspiration, said Hensley.

"Al is 90 years old and I'm 65," said Hensley. "Hey, I could have 25 more years here like Al. It keeps you going."