Our Mission

Our mission is to provide older adults the opportunity to engage in competitive and recreational sporting events as well as enhance their quality of life through fellowship and socialization in a safe and enjoyable environment to gain, maintain, or enhance an active lifestyle.

 

Our History

Indiana State Games (ISG) has been hosting senior games since 1986. Indiana State Games is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization. ISG is affiliated with the National Senior Games Association. Every other year is considered a qualifying year for our athletes.

ISG operates and continues to grow through the generosity of sponsors, local businesses, donations, and fundraisers. These funds not only support the games but also the clubs/clinics and quality programs that benefit and educate athletes at all levels of their sport. Indiana State Games offers the 50 plus population competitive sports and a network of people with the same ideals and lifestyle. ISG encourages active aging to get people off the couch with the goal result to living a healthier more productive life while lowering the health care costs in the State of Indiana.

 

 

Statewide Participation

Each hosting year, our participation numbers grow. 250+ Volunteers and hundreds of spectators attend the games as well. Games are held in Evansville and Indianapolis. The Indiana State Games is the only official site in Indiana to qualify for the National Senior Games.

 

National Participation

The Indiana State Games is the sole qualifying site for Hoosiers advancing to the National Senior Games. The National Senior Games are the largest multi-sport event in the world with over 13,000 athletes competing. The 2022 ISG qualified 500+ athletes to advance to the 2023 Nationals. The Indiana State Games is a proud member of the National Senior Games Association.

As we prepare for the 2024 Indiana State Games - we anticipate 1000 or more athletes will participate. We hope to advance 500 athletes again to the National Senior Games in 2025. Let’s go Indiana and get into the games!!

Again, we are the only host site in the state of Indiana to advance athletes to compete Nationally. Indiana ranks 24th in the Nation in the amount of athletes that attend Nationals. Each year, we increase the amount that attend Nationals by an average of 6%.

Indiana is an ‘Open State’ meaning; We welcome any participant age 50 and over from any state to participate. An out of state participant cannot however take the place of an Indiana (in state) athlete. If an out of state person places in front of the Indiana person, they cannot displace their advancement to the Nationals.

Our next year to host the qualifying event for Nationals will be 2024. In 2024, we will host the annual event to send athletes that qualify in the top four of their age and gender to Nationals to be held in 2025. The 2025 National Senior Games will be in Des Moines, Iowa. Dates for 2025 Nationals have not yet been determined.

 
 

 

2024 Capacity Build Guide

Capacity Building

Moving forward into 2024, we are striving to gain more athletes for participation, paying registration fees that cover half of the budgeted expenses. The remaining is raised through sponsorships, grants, donations, and fundraisers. Our registration fee is economically set at $45 with some sports add on fees. even though the cost is $110 per participant. This is without paid staff. We would like to grow financially to advertise the opportunity to participate and to pay our hardworking staff of one.

This is where you can help. Do you know a philanthropy/grant opportunity that we can submit a request? The more money raised, the more we can advertise which will increase the amount of individual people and communities we can reach! View our GUIDE HERE.

 
 

Meet the Director

Executive Director | P.O. Box 6334, Evansville, IN 47719 | 812-297-9568 | holly@indianastategames.org

Holly Schneider has a passion for working with older adults that began in college in 1997 through volunteerism and internships while attending Indiana University, Bloomington, IN. Go Hoosiers!

Holly was born in Evansville, Indiana, and is a proud life-long Hoosier resident and graduate of IU. In 2000 she married her sweetheart, Marc, and they have two children, now adults. Even though much of her time was spent raising a family, Holly remained dedicated to helping older adults in the community of Evansville. For 20+ years her work has included directing Activities and programs in Nursing Homes, Recreation Centers, Retirement Homes and for the community of Evansville. She became a certified fitness instructor in 2008, specializing in programs for seniors which led to her own business instructing senior exercise.

In 2013 Holly took over as Director of the Indiana State Games – Fit and 50, which is the Senior Games for the State of Indiana. Since taking this position, the Indiana Games participation has grown in capacity each year. She has a sincere passion for promoting Health and Wellness to older adults and encourages participation in sports regardless of everyone’s level of ability.

In 2018, Holly was initiated to the Board of the National Senior Games Association. As Regional Coordinator for the Greak Lakes Region and Chair of the Membership Committee, her role is to communicate questions, concerns, comments, and information with the Great Lakes region of eight states and Nationals. She looks forward to enhancing communication and providing leadership for the region.

Holly takes pride in paying close attention to the details and making sure the athletes, spectators, coordinators, sponsors, and volunteers are safe and happy. Currently, Holly is the NJTL Executive Director of the Evansville Area Tennis Patrons as her day job. She looks forward to another successful year as the Director of the Indiana State Games and loves seeing athletes returning for the competition and fun while also meeting new participants that want to get into the game!

 

Board of Directors

 

Emily Ashby

Accounting | Avid Cyclist
Evansville, IN

Tom Wroblweski

Retired - Engineer | ISG Athlete
Indianapolis, IN

B. Todd Reller

Vice President, ARC Construction | ISG Athlete
Evansville, IN

 

Lexi Bruner

Minsitry Assistant at NorthWoods Church
Evansville, IN

Mark Luecke

Retired - Sales
Evansville, IN

William Knox

Founder/CEO Legacy Sports Group
Westfield, IN

Charles Young Doug Holland


Carmel, IN Lawrenceburg, IN

Open Positions

2 current openings | Fundraising & Communications