Wii World Cup goes national

Aged care and retirement living residents across Australia are invited to participate in the 2013 Amana Living Wii World Cup.

Registrations open for the fourth annual Amana Living Wii World Cup – a virtual bowling competition among aged care and retirement living facilities across Western Australia, with teams from other states also expected to compete.

The annual Wii World Cup, created by WA aged and community care provider Amana Living, has proved so popular that a number of other organisations are now putting up teams – and this year the games are set to expand further.

The games are open to all aged care centres and retirement living villages that can source a Wii and Wii sports resort game, pull together a team of around eight participants, and coach them to become the world’s greatest over 55 virtual ten pin bowling crew.

“This is a great way to get older people up, moving, excited, socialising and generally having fun,” said Amana Living chief executive, Ray Glickman.

“As part of a wider enrichment program at Amana Living, it has been extremely successful, attracting support from the Department of Sport and Recreation last year, who provided an ‘Exergaming’ officer to assist staff and residents at our sites.”

Launched with a Lotterywest funded pilot program in 2010, the initiative is driven by Amana Living’s enrichment coach, Kylie Mathieson.

Following the pilot, Ms Mathieson refined the rules to create a sustainable competition with a resource kit for each team.

By 2012, 38 teams were competing, totalling about 300 seniors getting up and active. Along with 25 of Amana Living’s care facilities and retirement living villages, several other teams had joined in: eight from Brightwater Care Group and three from Southern Cross Care in WA, one from Chesalon in Victoria and one from Carrington Aged Care in New South Wales.

The popularity and health benefits of the games attracted government attention, and Amana Living is now looking for a sponsor to help sustain and grow the initiative even further, for example by providing cash prizes for the facilities putting up the winning teams.

Prizes are awarded in three divisions – Residential Care, Day Clubs and Retirement Living – at the conclusion of the games, which take place during September and October.

“If we get enough teams this year, we may introduce a state award too,” said Ms Mathieson, who is looking for a sponsor to cover the cost of this year’s prizes to avoid charging teams an entry fee.

The value of the Wii World Cup, however, lies primarily in the social, physical and cognitive benefits to those taking part.

“Here at Amana Living, we believe in helping our older people to really live the second half of life – to stay healthy and active at every age and stage. It would be fantastic to see the Wii World Cup become a national event with a generous sponsor to provide cash prizes that can go back into enriching the lives of our older people.”

Participants are assisted by staff and supported by a resource kit and need to keep score – texting their team’s score to Ms Mathieson each week. A scoreboard is kept and circulated back to teams throughout the two-month season.

To register a team for the 2013 Wii World Cup, or to discuss sponsorship, contact Kylie Mathieson: kmathieson@amanaliving.com.au or (08) 9424 6335.