RICHLAND TWP. - Jim Cale ranges to his left and goes down on one knee to field a roller to shortstop. From his knee he flips the ball to second base for a force out.

Cale always has been slick with the glove, dating back to his days as a Cincinnati Reds hopeful.

Now 63, the Mars resident is the shortstop and cleanup hitter for the Simons Construction 60-to-65 softball team competing in the 2005 Summer National Senior Games.

"It's really competitive out here," said Cale, who looks much younger than 63.

Cale is a softball junkie. During a typical summer, he plays on four different teams. Simons Construction is an all-star team made up of players from the league in North Park.

The team had to qualify for a spot in the Senior Games and did so by placing second in a tournament last year.

Cale was a standout baseball player in the Johnstown area and had a tryout with the Reds in 1962. He didn't make the cut.

"I was too slow," Cale said, chuckling. "They put me on the bases and clocked me."

Cale moved to Mars 10 years ago and didn't play baseball or softball for nearly 20 years.

"I gave it up when I was 38," Cale said. "I had a family. I was more into watching my kids playing ball."

Cale has five children - four girls and one boy. The eldest is 31 and the youngest 19.

Cale returned to playing field at 54 and found he hadn't lost his touch, particularly in the field.

"I think it's like riding a bicycle," Cale said. "I've always been real good defensively."

Paul Emmitt, 76, of Zelienople has a similar story.

Emmitt plays for the Baierl Automotive team in the 75-and-over division. Baierl is one of six teams in that division participating in the Games.

Emmitt played in the Eagle County Baseball League from 1946 to 1951 before stepping away from the diamond for almost 30 years.

The hardest part for Emmitt, who had never played softball before joining a league in his late 50s, was adjusting to the arc of the pitches.

"It took quite an adjustment," Emmitt said. "It took me two or three years to adjust."

Emmitt played first base for the Warrendale team in the Eagle County League and he plays first base for Baierl Automotive.

"I think I'm a good fielder," Emmitt said. "I'm a good hitter, too. I think I'm pretty balanced."

Emmitt's team qualified for the Senior Games uncontested. There was no other Pennsylvania team in its age bracket.

"We kind of made it by default," Emmitt said.

Emmitt said his team will be very competitive when seeding play is over and crunch time - the single-elimination tournament - begins today.

He said all the teams in every age bracket are very competitive.

"You can see some good ball played," Emmitt said. "Some of us have a little more talent than others."

Emmitt said he is still in awe of playing in an Olympic Games.

"I never thought I'd ever be competing in the Olympics in softball," Emmitt said. "It's definitely an honor to play. It's great for all these guys at our age to be out there playing."