Why should age be a factor,...

Why should age be a factor, asks Bonita resident and sports nut Dorene Gutzmer. She admittedly had a late start in athletics, since organized sports for girls did not exist when she was in school. Gutzmer, a mother of five, put sports on the back burner until her children were older. In her 30s, Gutzmer quickly caught up with her college-age teammates and played middle blocker for a top local volleyball club. If that wasn’t enough, when she reached 40, she played running back in a women’s professional football league--where the average age was around 22. Now 56, Gutzmer remains active by playing in a women’s soccer league where her competitors are sometimes nearly one-third her age and playing outfield in a men’s 50-and-over softball league. Gutzmer was interviewed by Times staff writer Terry Rather and photographed by Bob Grieser.

When I was in school, there weren’t any interscholastic sports for girls. All we had were physical education classes, which were my favorite.

I was always the first one out there, the first one dressed before roll call.

Some women could care less for sports, but I’ve always loved the competitiveness of sports.

It’s just something that God puts inside you. It’s fun and provides an outlet. Sports keep you going and keep you physically in good shape.

I got married in 1952 and had five children, two girls and three boys, the last born in 1960.

When my children were older, I joined a volleyball team, Bully’s Girls. I was 34, so I was the oldest on the team. We’d practice through the week and would play tournaments.

Because I was the oldest and they wanted youth on the team, the coach would work me twice as hard to see if I could cut it. Sometimes coaches cease to look inside the player and see the desire and determination. He let up once I proved that I belonged there. We went to nationals in 1972.

My husband was always very encouraging. My family was always behind me, but they had to come first. I had to see that they were fed and everything was done before I could leave at night to go play volleyball.

But I couldn’t have done it without the support of my husband and kids. It made me feel good, because my kids were proud of “mom.”

I learned about women’s football through my husband. There was an advertisement in the paper and he pointed it out to me.

It was around 1975, so I was 40 at the time. He said, “Hey, they’ve got ladies’ football.” I said, “They wouldn’t want me, I’m too old.” He encouraged me because I was a little bit embarrassed because of my age.

I went down there, and they had 230 people signing up. They made us run drills. Then we started practices at Marian High School.

I ran into the same old stuff about my age. So I had my work cut out for me.

But I can understand the coaches’ point of view. Here was this 40-year-old lady coming out there to play tackle football. After all the tryouts and practices, I ended up playing first-string tailback.

We were paid $25 a game. The ad had said, keep your present job. At $25 a game, you would have to!

We played our first game on my birthday back in 1975 against the Los Angeles Dandelions. What a way to celebrate my 41st birthday, getting banged around!

Whenever I play sports, I don’t stop to think about age. If I can keep up with the younger athletes, why should it matter?

It always made me more determined when someone didn’t think I could do it. You just can’t let other people tell you that you can’t do something. I have a 56-year-old body and sometimes I have to listen to it, but I still have a 20-year-old mind.

Time goes so fast. That’s why you have to do what you can while you can.

Age will slow you down some, but don’t ever think you have to stop just because you are a certain age.