[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 27, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S67]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     TRIBUTE TO THE GALLATIN AMERICAN LEGION POST 17 SOFTBALL TEAM

 Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, as a physician I have long advocated 
maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I'm always amazed when individuals 
prove that exercise and eating right are simple requirements for 
remaining healthy and staying young at heart. The Gallatin American 
Legion Post 17 Softball team is just such a group that is having fun 
staying healthy and exercising regularly.
  This is no ordinary softball team, these ladies are sixty-years of 
age and older. This special team is comprised of women from all over 
middle Tennessee. The team was formed in 1994. They practice each 
Monday in Gallatin and in the winter they keep up their stamina by 
using the Gallatin Sports Complex for their weekly softball practices. 
That same year they participated in the State tournament and won. Since 
then they are proud to be a force to reckon with on the Senior's 
Softball circuit.
  This past spring the team traveled to Tucson, Arizona to participate 
in the International Senior Olympic Games. The competition drew more 
than 12,000 seniors over sixty-years-old from all over the world who 
competed in a variety of athletic events. The Gallatin American Legion 
Post 17 Softball team, with 13 players and two coaches, faced 
competition from nine teams across the United States and Canada. These 
ladies played hard and their dedication and determination paid off when 
they came home with the gold medal. They won each of the six games in 
which they played and outscored their Olympic competitors 122-10.
  Since winning the International Olympics gold medal these women have 
not rested on their laurels. They're back on the field practicing and 
playing the game. Because of the increase in interest in women's 
softball for seniors, leagues have cropped up across the country, and 
they gather for yearly tournaments. The ladies of Gallatin American 
Legion Post 17 maintain their busy schedule with practices and games to 
defend their international title.
  This newly developed enthusiasm for senior athletic groups is truly 
inspiring. These women serve as role models for younger generations and 
encourage participation from other seniors. They are living examples of 
the happiness that seniors can find in exercising and maintaining a 
healthy lifestyle. I want to congratulate the Gallatin American Legion 
Post 17 Softball team not only for winning the gold medal at the 
International Senior Citizen's Olympics but for also winning in the 
game of life. These ladies are active and healthy, taking advantage of 
their older years rather than letting old age take care of them. I wish 
them the best of luck in the future.

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