Get inspired by this family’s commitment to an active lifestyle.
Dwight Smith’s true love in high school was shooting hoops. But after graduating in 1947, the then-18-year-old Louisianian got married, had a son, then had a daughter — and time for sports went out of the window. “I did not set foot on a basketball court [again] until I was 63 years old,” says Smith.
In his 60s, after being invited by coworkers to play basketball on a rainy day, Smith started dribbling again in his free time, and his teammates told him they liked that he played good defense. Those small moments inspired him to keep training — and eventually led him all the way to competing on the court during the National Senior Games. Now 94, Smith has played in nine National Senior Games and just returned home from this year’s competition, hosted by Humana in Pittsburgh, PA.
Since Smith picked up basketball again, sports have become a family affair: He’s been joined on the court by his son and granddaughter. Dwight’s son Terry was also a jock growing up, but hadn’t played his dad’s favorite sport. That is, until Terry was asked — at 49 years old — to play basketball on his dad’s team at the gym: “I [had] never played basketball and I really fell in love,” says Terry. “And of course, getting to play with your father at that stage of life — what a thrill.”
But Christi, Smith’s granddaughter, wasn’t as obsessed with sports growing up: “You could put me in the stands of any game and [I’d] be there cheering and eating my Snickers bar and Coke, but I was not the athletic type,” she says. Today, the social worker loves pickleball, and plays with both her father and grandfather for fun. Sports have brought this family closer together. “We get to watch each other and cheer each other on, and it’s just fun,” says Christi.
Gathering grandma and grandpa, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandkids together for a match — whether it’s basketball, badminton, or baseball — has more benefits than just being a photo opportunity or a chance to foster familial connections. Not only do sports help your body stay fit and flexible, but they can even lead to a healthier relationship with yourself, especially if you’re yearning to pick up a new (or long-forgotten) passion.
Overcoming limitations and trying new activities
“Aging is an adventure, and opens up the possibility of trying new things, or things that were once familiar to us,” says Dr. Bea Harris, a New York-based clinical psychologist and Humana’s Director of Human Behavior. “Just because you might not make baskets right away, or you have limitations as to what your body can handle, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it.”
Whether you want to star in the National Senior Games or just shoot some hoops at the local park, it’s important to be intentional, and ask yourself What am I lonely or starved for? explains Dr. Bea.
Then, you have to take the next step. Joining a community center, like one of Humana’s nationwide Neighborhood Centers, or simply telling a friend or family member what you’re looking to accomplish, can help encourage passions and social connections. “You do actively have to do something,” says Dr. Bea. “If you’re passive and think your feelings of loneliness will only change if things come to you, it’ll be more difficult.”
When it comes to revisiting an old passion, it’s perfectly natural if a hobby you once were infatuated with (be that swimming laps or playing ping-pong) fell to the wayside; that’s often a part of growing older and busier as the years go by. But remember that new beginnings are simply waiting for you around the bend — and that you’re more capable than you might initially think.
“Just like our heart rate goes up and down, we can’t expect our feelings to be perfectly wonderful all the time,” says Dr. Bea. “Moments of loneliness are an opportunity: They’re telling us it might be time to change course.”
