Angela Alford is no slouch on the basketball court, but it seems that she may have met her match in the Senior Women’s Basketball team at the A.E. Finley YMCA. Alford, a standout basketball player for Vanderbilt and USA Basketball in the 90s, is now taking on a role off the court.
When Alford returned to school to earn a film degree, she chose the Senior Women’s team as the subject for a documentary.
Alford started going to the “Fabulous 70s” practices, following them to their games and learning their stories.
“I thought I would find genetic wonders,” she recalls. “But what I found were people who were dealing with cancer and heart disease just like everyone else. The difference was that these women were fighting it together, encouraging each other. Basketball was keeping them active, independent and believing they could do anything they wanted to do.”
Alford spent more than a year with the team filming the documentary. She even traveled with them to the 2011 National Senior Games in Houston. After getting funding, she hopes to make “Granny’s Got Game,” into a full-length movie.
She hopes the film will inspire others to honor and celebrate older athletes, change the perception of the capabilities of the elderly and contest negative stereotypes. In addition, she hopes it will help younger viewers appreciate today’s sports opportunities, highlight the support women get from being part of a team and inspire people of all ages to stay active.
Alford spent more than a year with the team filming the documentary. She even traveled with them to the 2011 National Senior Games in Houston. After getting funding, she hopes to make “Granny’s Got Game,” into a full-length movie.
She hopes the film will inspire others to honor and celebrate older athletes, change the perception of the capabilities of the elderly and contest negative stereotypes. In addition, she hopes it will help younger viewers appreciate today’s sports opportunities, highlight the support women get from being part of a team and inspire people of all ages to stay active.
“I thought my glory days were over. Then I met this team. These women helped me remember how much I loved to play and how much I enjoyed being part of a team,” says Alford.
The Fabulous 70s recently participated in the Raleigh Wake Senior Games. To learn more, view the film’s trailer and find out how you can help Alford raise funds to complete the project, visit her website.
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