Volleyball team nets silver at senior nationals

  • Published
  • By Kendahl Johnson
  • 377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  A local volleyball team consisting of Kirtland workers is making a name for itself on the senior circuit.

The team, known as the Grey Wolves, recently came home from the National Senior Games in Cleveland, Ohio, sporting silver medals.

"We went down there just hoping not to play badly," said Ray Badua, who works at the Air Force Research Laboratory. "We didn't have any expectations of winning a medal -- we just wanted to play well and be respectable."

The National Senior Games is for amateur athletes over age 50. The Grey Wolves qualified for the tournament after winning the gold medal at the New Mexico Senior Olympics, their fifth consecutive gold medal at the annual event.

The team entered the tournament seeded ninth out of 15 teams, and started slowly, losing three of its first four matches in pool play. Badua said the team didn't fare too well in the qualifying rounds either, and entered the final rounds near the bottom. Two unexpected wins, including an upset victory against a team from Wisconsin that had defeated them soundly two years earlier, put them in the medal round. They then fell to a New York team 2-1, to capture the silver medal.

"Winning silver is a validation that we belong," said Mark Wong, from Sandia Labs. "We are smaller compared to some of the other teams, so to be able to compete against these teams and not embarrass ourselves is an accomplishment."

The team formed over several years, with players practicing together and competing in local leagues. When the players turned 50, they decided they wanted the challenge and experience of competing in state- and national-level senior events.

"It's not easy, as it's a commitment, both time-wise and money-wise," Badua said. "Tournaments can cost more than $1,000, with travel and lodging and fees, so there's a monetary commitment. With hours of practices and competitions each week, there is a time commitment. We all make that commitment, and we make sacrifices to do what we do. We do it because it's something we enjoy."

Wong said they do it not only because they love the sport and enjoy the competition, but also out of pride.

"We hit 50 and we're still playing, and we're still playing at a competitive level," Wong said. "There is less wear and tear on the body in volleyball than some other sports, like football or basketball, but volleyball is still an intense, high-level sport."

Wong added that playing in the tournaments isn't just about the competition, it's also about strengthening friendships.

"When we go to tournaments, we spend a lot of time together, both on and off the court," he said. "It's a lot of fun to get to know each other and there is a certain bonding that happens when you're playing together toward the same goal."

He said it's also fun to meet athletes from around the country and that he's constantly amazed by the athleticism he sees, not just from volleyball players, but senior athletes from other sports, as well.

"Senior athletes can be amazing," Wong said. "When you see people in their 70s, 80s and even 90s doing amazing things in all sorts of sports, it's inspiring."

The next national-level event for the Grey Wolves is the Huntsman World Senior Games in October in Utah.