The nine-day event, featuring 23 sports at various locations across Polk County, will take place Saturday, December 3 through Sunday, December 11, 2011.

 Approximately 2,000 athletes are expected to compete in sports such as archery, powerlifiting, softball, golf and table tennis.

 The 2011 Games now carry the International Senior Games designation as a way to offer more competitive opportunities for Floridians. Out-of-state athletes are not required to qualify at one of 19 Florida Local Senior Games events. Floridians are required to qualify, but are eligible for dual state championships and overall medals/awards.

 Athletes who have not yet qualified still have a few opportunities to earn a spot in the State Championships. The Gainesville Senior Games and Ormond Beach Senior Games each begin on October 21, and the Martin County Senior Games and Golden Age Games in Sanford will be held in November.  The Lee County Senior Games will also hold a Tennis qualifier in November. For more information about the remaining qualifiers, visit www.flasports.com.

 Registration is now open! Conveniently register online at www.flasports.com or print the registration form found on www.flasports.com, and send it to the Florida Sports Charitable Foundation in Tallahassee.

The complete schedule for the 20^th Anniversary Games is listed below:

SPORT SCHEDULE OF THE 2011 FLORIDA SENIOR GAMES STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Archery, Saturday, 12/3 – Central Florida Archers, Fort Meade

Badminton, Saturday, 12/10 and Sunday, 12/11 – Kelly Recreation Center, Lakeland

Basketball

Shooting, Thursday, 12/8– Simpson Community Park, Lakeland

 3-on-3, Friday, 12/9 – Simpson Community Park, Lakeland

Billiards, Friday, 12/9 – Sunday, 12/11 – Wally’s Billiards, Lakeland

Bowling – Individual, Saturday, 12/3 & Sunday, 12/4 – Lakeland Lanes

Bowling – Team, Saturday, 12/3 & Sunday, 12/4 – Lakeland Lanes

Cycling 5K & 10K Time Trials, Saturday, 12/10 – West Pipkin Road & County Line Road, Lakeland

 20K & 40K Road Race, Sunday, 12/11 – Lake Hollingsworth, Lakeland

Golf

 Men’s, Tuesday, 12/6 – Cleveland Heights Golf Course, Lakeland

 Women’s, Wednesday, 12/7 – Cleveland Heights Golf Course, Lakeland

Horseshoes, Wednesday, 12/7 – Rotary Park, Winter Haven

Pickleball, Saturday, 12/3 – Monday, 12/5 – Kelly Recreation Center, Lakeland

Pwerlifting, Saturday, 12/10 and Sunday, December 11 – The Lakeland Center

Race Walk/ Power Walk

 1500 Meter, Sunday, 12/4 – All Saints Academy, Winter Haven

 5K Race Walk & Power Walk, Saturday, 12/3 – Lake Hollingsworth, Lakeland

Racquetball, Saturday, 12/10 & Sunday, 12/11, Lakeland YMCA

Road Race 5K, Saturday, 12/13 – Lake Hollingsworth, Lakeland

Shuffleboard, Saturday, 12/10 & Sunday, 12/11 – Lake Parker Park, Lakeland

Softball, Saturday, 12/3 & Sunday 12/4 – DiamonPlex Softball Complex, Winter Haven

Swimming, Saturday, 12/10 & Sunday, 12/11– Gandy Pool, Lakeland

Table Tennis, Monday, 12/5 & Tuesday, 12/6 – Simpson Community Park, Lakeland

Tennis, Tuesday, 12/6-Sunday, 12/11 –Beerman Family Tennis Center, Lakeland

Track & Field, Saturday, 12/ 3 (Field Events only) Tenoroc High School, Lakeland

Sunday, 12/4 (Running Events)  – All Saints Academy, Winter Haven

Volleyball, Saturday, 12/10 (Men) & Sunday, 12/11 (Women) – Polk State College, Winter Haven

The Florida Senior Games is a program of Florida Sports, a division of Enterprise Florida, Inc., the state’s lead sports promotion and development organization and a division of Enterprise Florida, Inc.

 For more information contact Nick Gandy, Florida Sports Foundation Director of Communications at (850) 488-1422 or ngandy@flasports.com

When the games come to an end this year, don’t worry…you won’t have to wait four years until the next Sunshine State Games. You will just have to wait a year because the Games will be back in Polk County in 2009.