LAKEWOOD, Colo. — There's a softball team in town that's catching fire.
"Colorado Wildfire is a group of women ages 50-80 plus who play softball and we practice and we play in tournaments and we support each other and we have great teamwork and we have a lot of fun," vice president and 50s manager Fran Simon said.
The Colorado Wildfire is an organization built on the pillars of encouraging fitness, teamwork, camaraderie, and friendship, with a bit of competitiveness sprinkled in. Plus, the players in the league appear to have hit a line drive straight into the fountain of youth.
"People are aging backwards! I see some of my teammates who are getting better and better and running faster and faster and making plays and hitting the ball harder and farther," Simon said. "Age is just a number."
81-year-old Laura Sawyer is the oldest member of the Wildfire, but she's more of a spitfire if you ask her teammates.
"If you don't play with somebody younger and better, then you're not going to get any better," Sawyer said.
Betsy Anderson is the manager of the 70s team, but only recently aged into her role.
"I was invited by a friend and an older team needed to have people to practice from, but my friend said we can't practice on the team because we're too young. Since I had just retired from a long teaching career, I said, 'what do you mean I'm not old enough for something?'" Anderson said.
But for Anderson, and many Wildfire players her age, playing an organized sport is personal. There were few opportunities for girls prior to the passing of Title IX 50 years ago.
"I don't like to be put in a box, so don't tell me I can't do something or I will fight my way out," Anderson said. "I find that the women who are brave enough to come try something new, as softball is to many of them, are brave enough in other aspects of their life, so they're people I respect and like to be around."
They honor bravery and benevolence.
"We joke around, we have a good time, we support each other in hard times -- which we all have, that's part of life -- and we encourage people to try anything and everything new."
The Colorado Wildfire volunteer and support underserved communities and non-profit organizations, as well as volunteer in high schools to serve as role models and set an example that an active, healthy lifestyle is achievable as people age.
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