About SC Sports Classic
The SC Sports Classic is the only SC sanctioned site for the National Senior Games Association, a member of the US Olympic Committee. It is a quality recreation experience for adults ages 40 years and older designed to promote health, wellness and fitness through sport. The SCSC encourages every South Carolinian to embrace the opportunity to create and maintain a physically, emotionally and spiritually healthy lifestyle.
The goals of the South Carolina Sports Classic programs are:
- To maintain and improve the health and wellness of South Carolina’s 40+ adults.
- To provide competitive athletic and recreational experiences that focus attention on the importance of regular exercise in every individual’s personal plan of health.
- To provide an opportunity for socialization for 40+ adults across the state.
- To improve the quality and quantity of athletic programming at the local level by providing an opportunity for community groups to work together toward a common goal.
- To enhance the quality of life for South Carolina’s 40+ adults through education and activity.
This is accomplished through a network of year round Local Games, Invitational Events and the State Games held annually in May.
SCSSC History
The Senior Games in South Carolina began in 1985 when Fulton Hines, a former Harlem Globetrotter, walked into the Recreation Department of the City of Florence to inquire about Senior Athletic Programming in the area. He had just returned from an Invitational Sports Festival in St. Louis and he wanted to know if SC had a similar event. The Recreation Director at that time, Debbie Wall, researched senior athletics across the state and had to tell Mr. Hines that there were no similar programs. But right then and there the seed was planted for a program that would become one of the best in the country. What started as a one day event for fifty, 60-70 year olds in the Florence area has blossomed into over 3000, 50 - 100 year olds enjoying Spring and Fall Local Games around the state and a 4 day State Games Celebration in May. For the past three decades, the State Games have been held on the beautiful campus of Francis Marion University. Every other year, South Carolina qualifies 300 – 400 elite athletes for the National Senior Games, where 12,000 -15,000 competitors from across the globe go for the gold.
