History of the Mesquite Senior Games

The Mesquite Senior Games, also referred to as MSG, began in 2002, a result of the queries of representatives from the Nevada State Games in Las Vegas to recreation centers in small communities throughout the state.

That first year, thanks in part to a generous donation from Cindy Risinger of Remax Realty in Mesquite, the games began with softball, track and field, basketball skills, 3 on 3 basketball, tennis, golf, bowling and swimming. David Pierson was the first chairman and Frank Pati the vice chairman of MSG, which in 2004 became an official non-profit agency under the 501(c)(3) section of the federal tax code.

The games, which really took off that first year, are open to men and women ages 50 and older, with competitors as old as 79 having taken part over the years.  The games now feature all the sports that were held in 2002, plus sporting clays, archery and radio-controlled airplane races.

Even though the sporting clays competition was offered in 2002, along with ballroom dancing, neither event found enough participants signing up, so both were dropped at the time, and ballroom dancing to this day still is not a part of the games. 

Sporting clays, however, have been quite popular since 2006, when a representative from Mesquite’s gun club began spreading the word of their availability in the games as did Rich Johansen, who is a member of the 2008 MSG Board along with Pati, the current chairman, and Ron Kirchen, Theron Jensen and Miriam Ricci. 

The lion’s share of game participants always have been softball players, who in 2002 made up 13 teams.  Since then, softball has grown about 12 percent per year, with 2007 fielding 36 teams. 

The Mesquite games feed into a national competition that is held every two years, and which twice has seen local participants involved.  In 2005 three Mesquite women’s softball teams vied at the nationals, which were held in Pittsburg, PA that year.  In 2003, one of MSG’s javelin throwers, Jerry Ransdell, represented Mesquite at the nationals in Baton Rouge, LA that year, placing third and coming home with a bronze medal to his credit. 

Swimming, which the first year was held in an indoor pool with a limited number of participants, became more popular once the venue was changed to an outdoor pool and held in late May of each year, when Mesquite’s desert weather is more conducive to outdoor swimming.  In addition, unlike the indoor pool that was of smaller dimensions, the outdoor facility of is competitive size and thus is far more appropriate for the swimming events. 

Tennis was held during the first few years of the games, after which it was dropped for three years (2005 to 2007) because the tennis courts being used for the competitions fell into disrepair.  The sport is back again this year at Hafen Park, where newer courts now are available. 

As a non-profit, the games generally have broken even or been just below the break-even point since 2004, with expenses including such things as pay for softball umpires and the cost of t-shirts for all participants and gold, silver and bronze medals for winners.  Other expenses come up from time to time, such as the $3,000 MSG spent in 2007 to purchase its own track and field equipment that had been borrowed in previous years.

Comments by participants have been positive since the beginning of the games, with softball players especially pleased with the condition of their playing fields at Mesquite’s Pioneer Park Softball Complex.

Track and field participants also have made positive comments about their venue at Virgin Valley High School, and basketball players have said that they greatly enjoy participating in the Mesquite Recreation Center, which some saying that it is one of the best gym facilities around.

Participants include people from neighboring cities and states not only because they enjoy the games but also because of the support of area hotels, which charge reasonable rates; most rooms cost $59.95 on weekends and between $19.95 and $34.95 on weekdays.

The City of Mesquite is very supportive of the games, including doing such things as taking care of the softball fields, dragging them every third game and relining them to make sure that players have the best fields possible on which to play.