Gratitude Can Change Your Attitude

Alice Barnette, 79, Davie County Senior Games

Alice Barnette has been a Senior Games participant for 25 years. She was working as an elementary PE teacher, then a school secretary in Davie County when she got involved with Senior Games. She was working full-time and taking care of her mother, who had Alzheimer’s. “I just needed an outlet, to go out and be with people who were all well and able to be up and about. I enjoyed having that and not worrying about taking care of someone who is not doing like you’d expect,” she says. “When you’re active, that gives you the energy to go and deal with what you’re dealing with.”

Some of Alice’s friends were Senior Games participants, and when they found out that Senior Games was offering a basketball tournament, they decided to form a team. Alice quickly joined, and the team is still together 25 years later. They have been to every National Senior Games since the team was formed except for 2019, and have even taken home multiple Nationals medals, including a Gold medal in 2003.

“I played in High School for Davie County, and made All-Northwest.” But out of all her high school teammates, she says she is the only one that is still active. “I think Senior Games is part of that, I wasn’t doing anything but working, and doing extra work helping the teachers. I think it was getting involved with Senior Games, that gave me incentive to get out and stay in better shape.” 

Basketball isn’t Alice’s only sport. “Several of us from the basketball [team] played Softball together too, for Davie County then Davidson County. There’s three of us that had played basketball together that play with the Piedmont Plus Wannabees, in the 65+ age group,” she says. She also plays on a 70+ travel softball team with some of her Wannabees teammates. “I had never really done much shuffleboard or horseshoes except in the back yard, but I got involved doing that too, and I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve tried everything, my worst event is discus, but I still do it because why not?” Her best advice for a Senior Games participant is to “Try something that you enjoy first, and then pick up games that you’re not familiar with, because you never know!” 

In addition to being a long-time Senior Games participant and Ambassador, Alice also served as a Local Games Co-Coordinator for 5 years. “I‘ve always enjoyed helping the coordinator with anything that was going on, gathering up stuff, getting it to events, and so forth. I’m just that type of person,” she says. “I enjoy working with other people, if anything is going on that I can be of help with I want to be there. And I’m bossy too! [laugh]”

She says focusing on positivity has always been important for her, and Senior Games has been a source of that positivity. “At work I tried to make everything pleasant, and I think that has to do with aging, too,” she says. “If you can look for something bright instead of dwelling on what you don’t have. What is it, ‘gratitude can change your attitude’? And I truly believe it.” She hopes more people come to find fun in Senior Games like she has. “Hopefully, more people will be involved in something whether its Senior Games or not. But Senior Games is where people laugh and do something for fun. It’s supposed to be a competition, but I don’t care [about the competition]… except for basketball!”