Move over, MJ. Basketball’s new superstar is MC. 

That’s right, it’s Marge Carl, a member of The Splash, the oldest team in the San Diego Senior Women’s Basketball Association, which was recently featured in a short documentary by ESPN Women.

“If you can stand up and move your legs, you’re welcome,” Carl told espnW. 

The team consists of seven players, all of whom are over 80 years old and two of whom are a ripe 91 years of age. This makes The Splash the oldest team in the 50-and-over women’s recreational league. These women are breaking stereotypes about age and gender, showing that you’re never too old to take on a new challenge.  

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“Oh yeah, we play to win, absolutely,” Meg Skinner, one of the 91-year-olds, said in the video.

Grace Larsen, the other 91-year-old team member, purchased her first pair of basketball shoes at 78 and has been playing ever since.  

“Growing up we didn’t have sports like the girls do today,” Larsen said. “We didn’t have the opportunity to play.” 

For many women, Larsen cited, it wasn’t until Title IX passed Congress in 1972 that many women were allowed to officially play sports. Title IX prohibited “sex discrimination in any educational program or activity receiving any type of federal financial aid,” the Women’s Sports Foundation writes. 

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By the time Title IX passed, Larsen was already in her mid-40s. But now, she’s embracing her newfound passion. 

“As long as I can I’m going to play,” she said. “It’s just too much fun.” 

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Demand Equity

Meet The San Diego Splash, an Age 80+ Women’s Basketball Team

By Phineas Rueckert