Terry Durkin (left) shoots a basket in a game against a team from Maine in the Maine Senior Games held in September.
By John Orrell, Contributing Writer
At ages that to many may signify less physical exertion and not more, a group of ladies across the commonwealth are proving that testing the boundaries in the arena of fitness in organized sports is not so hard to do after all.
They are known as the Massachusetts Miracles, a growing group of women ages 50 to 65 who love the game of basketball and compete with women from other states in tournaments, most notably in the National Senior Olympics which are held every two years.
In July of this year, the Miracles, in the 55-59 age group, competed in the National Senior Games held in Minneapolis/St. Paul. The four-player team came away with a Silver Medal in the Division 2 tournament playing 3-on-3, and tested their mettle by playing 10 games in a four-day span.
In 2011 in Houston, the Miracles won Gold Medals and the National Championship in the 50-54 age group. Their goal is to send three teams to the next National Senior Games which will be held in Birmingham, Ala. in June of 2017.
“It’s the love of the game that keeps us going,” said Miracle player Mal Lannin-Cotton of Pembroke. “We like to stay active and get involved and the competition motivates us.
“Winning at the Senior Games was very exciting but exhausting too. We played 10 games in three days and we wound up pushing one another to get through but it was worth it.”
“This is a great group of women to be around,” added teammate Tina Quick of Winchester. “I’m basically an exercise freak and have competitiveness in my blood so playing with the Miracles is perfect for me. Doing as well as we did at the Senior Games was a thrill I’ll always remember.”
The National Senior Games Association is a nonprofit member of the U.S. Olympic Committee. Its Summer Games have grown into one of the largest multisport events in the world.
The Miracles first came together in 2006 with Jane Mooney of Wellesley being the principal founder. Five years later, they became National Champions.
“It’s really exciting to see older women playing and participating in this sport,” said Mooney, who took up basketball at age 50. “We started with a small core of players and grew. Currently, we have 16 but we’re looking to grow in numbers. We have great camaraderie and doing this is a fantastic way to stay in shape.”
The team practices nearly year round at a location in Natick, taking breaks only around the December holidays. Players come to the team by word of mouth mostly and bring backgrounds of different varieties. Some have played in college or high school and some neither, but possess athleticism that allows them to compete.
Injuries do occur, said Lannin-Cotton. The team has lost players due to back and knee problems, but for the most part, the core of the team has been healthy and participated together for several years.
The Miracles conduct their own tournament known as “The Rock of Ages”. Their eight annual 3-on-3 event is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14 at Rockland High School.
For more information on the Massachusetts Miracles, visit their website at https://mmiraclesseniorwomenbball.wordpress.com.
