Art of Aging: Water volleyball brings teams together

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Summer weather usually has people heading for the pool to relax, but a Bucks County retirement community has taken the opposite approach, using the pool for team sports.

The Manor at York Town has assembled a group of residents with the same passion: water volleyball.

"It's fun. We go at each other and we have a good old time," said resident Ruth Schmidt.

John Miller, the fitness director at The Manor, developed this program about 12 years ago with fitness in mind.

"So, you can hit it as many times as you like. What's fun about that is that they're using their muscles to engage to get that ball over the net," Miller said.

"It's excellent exercise because you're doing your stretching, you're going back and forth in the water," Schmidt said.

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday you can find Bob Scheithauer in the pool.

"It's a little competitive at the end of the hour. You're ready to, shall we say, take a little respite," Scheithauer said.

Team members say they aren't playing to win - just playing for fun.

"We have team names. I'm on the Dolphins side. Bob is on the Jellyfish side," Schmidt said.

"We all thought it was a funny name to have," Miller said.

Good-natured ribbing is very much a part of the game.

"They are very dedicated," Miller said. "Approximately they play for about an hour, three times a week."

"So, John really has made our fitness program evolve into what it is today," said Robyn Fine, the community life director at The Manor.

"The exercises are designed to keep the residents functionally fit so they can enjoy life, Miller said. "And that's important to me, no matter what age."