Elderly Chair Volleyball League Tournament Kicks Off 2026

March 20, 2026

Jeston Morris

Community Newsperson

SANTAN, Ariz. — The Tribal Recreation & Wellness Department (TRW) hosted the Elderly Chair Volleyball League tournament at the District 4 Multi-Purpose Facility on Feb. 10. Gila River teams ‘Unwanted’ defended their title and won the championship. ‘Jack Rabbits I’ placed second, and ‘Hashan Kehk II’ placed third.

According to Cael Bennett, sport coordinator, the Elderly Chair Volleyball League has a dozen teams playing. There were over 130 participants in the annual tournament. The players are all elders, 55 years plus. The Mul-Chu-Tha tournament will be in the last week of February, with 32 teams participating. The Akimel O'odham Pee Posh Invitation (AOPPI) will be in July.

“Today’s event is the conclusion of the elderly chair volleyball league that has been going on for the last couple of weeks. This event determines the winner of the league. Tribal recreation and wellness hosted a lot of round ribbon games throughout the season, and the tournament seating bracket is based on it,” said Ryan Brown, lead fitness instructor for TRW.

“We are excited and elated to defend our title and win the championship. It’s always against Jackrabbit. I give them a lot of credit. They’re an excellent competitive team,” said Rodney Jackson, team captain for Unwanted. “Our team goal for 2026 is to win Avi,” he added.

“We won the championship game. We defended our title. We feel good,” said Loren Jackson, player for Unwanted.

“We are the Jackrabbits from Blackwater. The team has been around for a while. Allen Blackwater started the team. Unfortunately, we lost him in January. I have been playing on the team for five years,” said Gene Coppedge, team captain. “It was a good game, good competition. That’s what we need as a team.” Second place is okay, but we’ll get them next year, he added. 

The Elderly Chair Volleyball League Tournament was a success. Over 130 players participated in the event. Two courts were set up inside the gymnasium.