Sport is also for adults

Nobody is unaware that the world is aging. There are more people over the age of 65 in the world today than at any other time in history. And, in addition, it is a sector of the population that is active and regularly performs physical and sports activities. This has caused both sportswear brands and sports tournament organizers to set their sights on this growing segment of the population and have significantly increased their commercial action to increase business figures.

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Barcelona hosts this weekend the Master Basketball Tournament with the participation of teams made up of people over 60 years of age

The profile of this type of consumer is that of a person who lives in Western countries, belongs to the middle or upper-middle class and is part of the baby boom generation. They lead an active lifestyle, practice physical activity and consume sports equipment frequently. Their consumption power is stronger than that of younger generations, such as millennials.

In the United States, a Euromonitor report in 2020 revealed that 70% of disposable income is held by people over the age of 55. In fact, there are studies that indicate that the consumers who spend the most money on purchases are the baby boomers. This means for sportswear brands that it is possible to target older consumers, achieve high brand loyalty and constantly communicate new products through digital channels because older people are already users of social media, email and e-commerce. . Brands such as the French Printemps, which has included senior models in its advertising strategy, or the American Tommy Hilfiger, with its collections adapted for the disabled, have shown their sensitivity towards these groups.

“I never know what's happening anymore. Who are any of you people? What're you even doing here?

— rebel spy. Thu Jul 01 17:11:08 +0000 2021

Regarding sports activities, seniors obviously focus on activities that are adapted to their state of health and their lifestyle and, for the most part, the recreational aspect prevails over the competitive aspect, although the number of sports tournaments focused on this segment is increasing exponentially around the world. The most common physical exercises for older people in Western countries include fitness, yoga, pilates, swimming, cycling, walking, Nordic walking, and hiking, among others.

senior competitions

At the same time that sportswear brands are interested in this senior segment, the number of competitions designed for veterans is also increasing. Popular races, such as the recent Barcelona half marathon, offer classifications by age, reaching the segment of men and women over 60 years of age. The same often happens with cycling races and even in team sports such as basketball or handball. Manel Casas, president of the Fundación Seguimos Jugando and representative of the International Maxibasketball Federation (FIMBA), assures that "there is a boom in sports for veterans because older people feel active and want to continue linked to their favorite sport". Casas adds that "it is a phenomenon that is spreading across countries and age groups. Every summer, for example, we alternately organize the World Cup and the European basketball tournament for veterans and in each edition the number of countries and the age of the participants. Casas concludes by pointing out that "the age categories are established in bands of five years starting at 35 years in the male category and 30 in the female category. And the most beautiful thing is that now the category of over 80 years is already consolidated, which that was unimaginable a few years ago.

For his part, Francisco Caballero, organizer of the Barcelona Master Basketball Tournament, which is being held this weekend in the Mar Bella pavilion, considers that "sport for the elderly goes beyond mere sports competition because it is also a tool of socialization that allows people who share affinities to be in mutual contact". Caballero assures that "it is also establishing itself as an excuse to travel with the family, since the number of international tournaments that offer the opportunity to combine tourism and sport at very affordable prices is growing."

José Antonio Nevado, also the organizer of the tournament, is pleased "to have attracted several international teams and, especially, the female participation with teams that came, for example, from Latvia or Great Britain". In the men's category there are two Italian teams with players over 60 years of age. Andrea Bassani, expedition leader and coach of one of these teams, admits that "the combination of the sport we love together with the possibility of getting to know attractive cities is an unbeatable cocktail".

For Bassani, who was the coach of the first Spanish men's team to play in a World Cup for veterans, he believes that "there is room for tournaments with a small format and short duration and for tournaments like the World Cup, in which well-known former professionals participate together with athletes amateurs. Sport beyond youth is an unstoppable phenomenon that will have to be regulated, as is the case with educational sport for children". Bassani, who was coach of the winning team (White C) in 2019 of the Master tournament that was played in l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, is convinced that "we are going to see a jump in notoriety of this type of competition that, shortly, will be they will be able to follow in streaming and will attract the attention of brands because it is a potential audience of great attractiveness".