Two senior games competitions coming for USTA Missouri players

A pair of upcoming offerings—the Southwest Missouri Senior Games and the Missouri State Senior Games—provide senior adults a variety of sports to compete in and have fun alongside their peers, including tennis.

The tennis component of the Southwest Missouri Senior Games takes place at Gillenwaters Tennis Complex in Springfield on Saturday, May 4. Interested individuals can learn more and register by the April 30 deadline by clicking here. USTA Missouri President Mallory Weber is the event’s tournament director and noted it’s believed to be the first time tennis has been included in the annual games.

The tennis portion of the Missouri State Senior Games, meanwhile, is slated for June 7-8 at Cosmopolitan Park in Columbia. USTA Missouri Valley is the presenting sponsor for the festivities. Individuals can click here to learn more and register by the June 1 deadline.

“Tennis is a lifelong sport. That’s something we talk about all the time,” Weber said. “Just because you’re of a certain age, that doesn’t mean you don’t want to compete anymore. Some seniors want to hit recreationally, and that’s fantastic. We have those opportunities for them. But some still have that competitive drive. … They have an opportunity to compete still in tennis in a way that is meaningful to them, and they’re still having a good time.”

Southwest Missouri Senior Games

The Southwest Missouri Senior Games is headed by Northview Center, which offers a variety of programs and activities for seniors as part of the Springfield-Greene County Park Board. Events ranging from track and field, archery, billiards, golf and pickleball are taking place beginning on April 25 and continuing through June 26.

According to the Southwest Missouri Senior Games website—where individuals can learn more about the current sports offered for athletes 50 and older—the average age of participants is 68. The oldest female to compete is 99, while the oldest male is 90. Kennon Ellison, Northview Center community recreation coordinator, approached Weber about running a tennis tournament this year.

“At Cooper Tennis Complex, Springfield and our surrounding communities, there are a lot of seniors who play tennis,” Weber said. “They’re still trying to play USTA leagues and doing some other things. But this gives them a bit of a more laidback opportunity to still get tournament play against people at their same age level or ability level.”

The May 4 tennis tournament is set to take place outdoors at Gillenwaters with Cooper acting as an indoor backup. All age groups (50+, 55+, 60+, 65+ and 70+) include NTRP divisions ranging from the 2.0 level to the 5.0 level for both men’s doubles and women’s doubles.

Players can sign up with a doubles partner or individually to be paired with another person. Divisions will get combined if enough players don’t sign up for a given event. USTA membership isn’t required for registration. Participants will receive a T-shirt and the top-three teams from each division will earn medals.

“The opportunity to get some match play against people their own age and have that competitiveness is really exciting for us to be able to offer,” Weber said. “It’s a great way for us to kick off National Tennis Month in May and give these seniors an opportunity to play. Hopefully they have fun with it, and they go on and play in Columbia with the statewide one.”

Missouri State Senior Games

The Olympic-style Missouri State Senior Games is a long-running sports festival for individuals 50 and older. This year’s rendition is scheduled for June 6-9 in Columbia. Participants have more than 20 sports to choose from, including 3v3 basketball, bowling, softball and volleyball.

“It’s really neat what the senior games do,” Weber said. “People have an opportunity to compete against seniors all across the state. For them to go to Columbia and have that experience with people their age and ability and who have similar experiences, that’s just a really important offering to give to our seniors.”

The tennis component at Cosmo Park features singles, doubles and mixed doubles divisions. Participants who register by June 1 can earn qualification for the 2025 National Senior Games, which occur July 24-Aug. 4, 2025, in Greater Des Moines, Iowa.

To qualify for the 2025 National Senior Games, individuals must first compete in a State Senior Games in 2024. According to the 2025 NSG rulebook, individuals who place first, second, third and fourth in tennis at a qualifying 2024 State Senior Games will earn qualification for the 2025 National Senior Games. Learn more about the 2025 National Senior Games by checking out this story.

Weber said the National Senior Games, Missouri State Senior Games and Southwest Missouri Senior Games give locals fun tennis offerings within driving distance.

“They’re getting multiple opportunities close to home,” Weber said. “If you do well (in the Missouri State Senior Games), you’re competing at a level high enough to advance on. It gives you something to work for. It’s not just a tournament as you’re now going to be practicing. It’s just all around good to get people out, exercising and playing the sport.”