Am I Too Old to Play?: Comic Views of Sports and Aging

The book provides a series of comic tests to tell the aging athlete if he or she is too old to continue playing. Each test is accompanied by a cartoon. The book is of interest to aging athletes of all ages and to those who love them. Non-athlete senior citizens will also enjoy the book.

John D. Spurrier is an aging athlete. He played basketball and softball for the Ashland United Methodist Church teams well into his sixties. He knows the challenges and pain of playing against younger, stronger, and faster opponents. He grew up in the small town of Butler, Missouri. Butler is south of Peculiar and west of Tightwad. He was a soft tossing left-handed pitcher, first baseman, and outfielder for Butler's American Legion and town baseball teams. He also dabbled in other sports. Being unable to throw or hit a 90 mile per hour fastball or consistently sink an open jump shot, he had to find another career. He received his Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He retired in 2008 as a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Statistics at the University of South Carolina. He received numerous awards for teaching and research including being named a Fellow of the American Statistical Association and the 2002 South Carolina Governor's Professor of the Year. Since retirement, he helps children learn to read, teaches in a continuing education program for senior citizens, and performs stand-up comedy in various small venues. This book is an expansion of one of his stand-up routines. He lives with his wife in Irmo, SC, and they have two adult children.