NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — If Father Time is undefeated, it’s because he’s never played soccer at Mid State Sports Leagues.
“There’s a bunch of young guys out here and us older folks gotta hold it down,” player Dan “Lunchbox” Chappell said. “They see the grey in the beard. They see you and they’re like, ‘This old man can’t play.’ And guess what? I still beat them.”
Soccer has been a program staple for nearly a decade. At Mid State Sports Leagues, longevity is the most important goal. Marileigh Mabry’s career was cut short by an ACL injury, but she joins hundreds of other adult athletes keeping the love of the game alive.
“Unfortunately, you have to prove yourself a little bit more,” Mabry said. “…There are days that I’m like, ‘Oh, I still got it.’ Then there are other days I’m like, ‘I’m showing my age.”
Age is just a number.
“I see these 20-year-olds out here running around and I want to feel like I’m 20,” Lunchbox said.
Here, age is also a measure of just how far one can go.
“Probably the biggest thing is how resilient my body is,” goalkeeper Alex Bowles said. “I probably shouldn’t be playing at this point, but my body is still able and I still love it so I’m going to keep playing.”
In addition to soccer, Mid State Sports Leagues also offers volleyball, basketball, softball, flag football, kickball and pickleball leagues. Follow this link to register yourself or your team.
