Staying young, one serve at a time

WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. — At the YMCA, one member is making a big impact while celebrating a major milestone. While most 90-year-olds might not be playing volleyball, Miss Anne is doing just that — serving it up poolside, proving that fun knows no age limit.

Miss Anne worked for 2-3 years to bring YMCA Pool Volleyball to Wicomico County, and just eight months ago, the game became a reality.

“The first time we played, everybody got tired, so I brought cookies the next week, and I kept bringing cookies every Friday when we played,” she said. “The volleyball we play is unconventional because we don’t follow a lot of rules — we just make it fun.”

Every Friday at 10 a.m., they meet for an hour of exercise and laughter.

“It’s a community thing. I know some people only from the Y, but we all have our little names for each other — like Anne the Hammer, Delightful Diane, and they call me Barnacle Bill,” Miss Anne said. “It’s like, OK, let’s play.”

Amid the smiles, exercise, and friendships, Bill Maher said this class is a blessing.

“You can just see the smiles on their faces, and we play songs that bring back memories from when they were younger. They’ll hear a song and say, ‘Oh, I haven’t heard that in years!’ It releases a lot of good endorphins, and they feel better, play better, and just enjoy themselves,” Maher said.

He added that Miss Anne embodies the idea of staying young while growing old — a concept she’s now sharing with the Y through her class.

Miss Anne’s daughter, Joy Stribey, said sharing the pool for her mom’s 90th birthday was a priceless experience.

“It’s memories I’ll have forever,” Stribey said, holding back tears. “She’ll be 90 in three days, and these moments are irreplaceable. I always try to capture them on video or in pictures. My Facebook is filled with photos of her. She’s, my world.”

That joy is contagious on deck.

“You’ve got people from their 50s to their 90s laughing, having fun, and calling each other nicknames as they play volleyball,” Stribey said. “They don’t think about anything else — it’s all about the experience.”

Miss Anne believes more people should have the chance to experience the same joy.

“It’s a shame that more people don’t have a chance to do this,” she said. “Everybody has fallen in love with it. We’re even trying for a second day now, so it’s really beautiful.”

In the wise words of Miss Anne: “If you’re 90 years old, you have to work for it.”

Happy 90th Birthday, Anne!

If you’re interested in joining the group for some pool volleyball, they meet every Friday at 10 a.m.