From tee ball to high school football, sports are a dominant presence in the lives of millions of kids, but what about adults who still want to compete as they get older? In Centre County, there are a wealth of options to choose from, whether you’re interested in soccer, basketball, or even wrestling. The region is home to several organizations that host and facilitate adult sports leagues, ranging from casual pick-up games to more serious competitive events.
For anyone looking to dip their toes into the world of adult sports leagues, the YMCA of Centre County is a great starting point due to the variety of programs and the convenience of several locations spread across the county. Pickleball is offered at the State College and Moshannon Valley branches, and both open play and scheduled clinics are available. At the Bellefonte YMCA, you’ll find a pick-up basketball group that plays during lunch hours on weekdays. The group began with just a few members and has expanded over time.
“Initially, it was a lot of employees from Graymont and the courthouse coming to play on their lunch breaks,” says Emilie Hettinger, marketing and communications director for the YMCA of Centre County. “Players have come and gone over the years, but the tradition has remained. It’s a fun way to get some exercise and decompress during their lunch hour. They’ve become friends and enjoy seeing each other on the court for pick-up games whenever they can.”
Hettinger emphasizes the friendly environment fostered by the pick-up basketball players, inviting men and women of all ages and skill levels to learn more by contacting the Bellefonte Y at (814) 355-5551 or mjohns@ymcaocc.org. The group, known affectionately as the “Lunch Bunch,” communicates and coordinates play times over a group text chat.
Additional details about other adult sporting opportunities at the Y can be found at ymcaofcentrecounty.org.
Centre Region Parks and Recreation is another organization that facilitates numerous sports teams for adults, including some unique offerings like disc golf and ultimate frisbee.
Disc golf, as the name implies, is similar to golf, but instead of hitting a ball into a hole, the aim is to toss frisbees into a series of raised baskets that are placed around a course. CRPR oversees two of the local disc golf courses, and twice a year they hold a session at the Circleville Park location to teach newcomers how to play. For those looking to toss a frisbee on a team, the ultimate frisbee league may be the answer. The league plays on Wednesdays throughout the summer, and CRPR welcomes players of all skill levels to participate.
CRPR also offers several types of softball leagues, including open women’s slow-pitch softball, open men’s softball, and coed softball. They even have a league specifically for men who are 45 years old and over who are looking to play with people closer to their age. Other sports offered by CRPR include volleyball and adult flag football leagues, which run every fall. More information about all of these sports and other activities can be found at crpr.org/sports-leagues.
Local soccer enthusiasts have several options available in the State College area via the Centre Soccer Association. Matt Vidic, former president of Centre Soccer and current adult director, explains the various leagues they offer.
“We have multiple levels of programs so that competitive and intermediate players can both find what they’re looking for,” says Vidic. “The programs run in spring and fall, and the most competitive league is team-based, and it’s called the State College Premier League.”
This league is run by the teams, and Centre Soccer assists by providing referees for each game. Participants form their own teams, and the league can put people in touch with others who are interested in joining.
“The next level down is called the B-League, and it’s for people that want to play real games with scores in standings who aren’t in the Premier League,” explains Vidic. “We also have our Rec League, and that’s free-agent-based, so everybody just signs up as an individual. You can even write down a friend’s name, and then we make the teams.”
With all three of those coed leagues, each player pays a $35 membership fee annually in addition to their league fee, which varies by league. The annual fee also includes access to adult pick-up games, which typically take place twice per week and are meant to foster a fun and friendly environment to allow players of varying skill levels to participate.
“The pick-up games are a good way to meet people that share the same interest in soccer,” says Vidic. “It’s a good way to see where you fit and take some time to learn parts of the game. People also use the pick-up games to find others to join teams that play at the higher levels.”
Regardless of which league people join, Vidic highlights the sense of community the experience can foster for adults.
“We had a guy who joined after the pandemic. He was new in town and found us and he started making new friends,” Vidic says. “He even got involved in coaching our youth programs. Recently, he told me he was moving and wanted to say thanks on his last day because playing soccer here really made him feel comfortable in State College.”
More information about Centre Soccer’s adult programs, including their winter and summer leagues, can be found at centresoccer.com/adultprograms.
While many of these organizations have been around for decades, a new opportunity for adults just became available this past January with the opening of the Overtime Adult Wrestling Club, which was founded by Kevin Glossner and Joe Eaton.
“I’ve always been a wrestling fan, but I only ever wrestled through high school,” says Glossner. “I’m 62 years old right now, but as I’ve gone through the years, I’ve gained more respect for the sport and the training wrestlers go through.”
Glossner identified a need for an affordable and friendly club in the Central PA area and worked with Eaton, now the club’s coach, to find a location in Lock Haven to get started.
“We liked the Lock Haven location because it’s central and we can draw from these different communities and it’s kind of proving out that way,” says Glossner. “We have members from State College, Bellefonte, Milesburg, Williamsport. We even have a guy driving all the way down from Emporium.”
The club has been steadily gaining members since its January opening and currently has more than two dozen cardholders. The first two sessions are free, and an ongoing membership requires a $70 card purchased through USA Wrestling, which is a requirement for clubs like Overtime Wrestling for insurance purposes. For Glossner, the club is more of a passion project and a way to bring people together, rather than a business.
“We’re not out to make money right now,” says Glossner. “We just want to be able to cover our overhead cost. We’d even like to give back to the members and maybe reimburse them part or all of their fees for the membership card if we get in really good standing. We’d also like to take some of that extra money and put it back into the youth wrestling programs in the communities where our members come from.”
Even though wrestling might seem like an intensive and competitive sport — which it no doubt can be — the team at Overtime Wrestling is hoping anyone interested in the sport will give it a shot, regardless of age or level of experience.
“You know it’s all ages,” says Glossner. “We have people in their 20s through their 60s now in the club.”
In just a few months, the club has already fostered a friendly atmosphere where people who wrestled throughout high school are helping those who have never wrestled a day in their life. And the danger that some people might associate with the sport is not something the club wants people to seek out.
Glossner explains, “Our motto is ‘nobody gets hurt.’ I think some people are afraid of it, but they really don’t need to be.”
For anyone interested in trying out a session, a typical practice includes warm-up exercises followed by some instructional time led by Coach Eaton. Each night ends with open mat time where members get a chance to actually wrestle each other under different conditions. They also offer a second session each week that is more focused on open mat wrestling.
Currently, the best way to learn more about Overtime Wrestling is to email overtimeadultwc@gmail.com, and the club will provide an information packet. Glossner assures those who might be apprehensive about joining a club alone, without knowing anyone, that there’s no need to worry.
“One of the things we noticed just within the first few weeks is people who didn’t even know each other a couple weeks ago, now they’re walking into the club together and socializing before practice. People are giving each other instructions and tips while we’re practicing. It’s been really neat to see everybody’s got each other’s best interest in mind while they’re having fun.” T&G
Matt Farley is a freelance writer in State College.
