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TOM CRANN: Well, we hear it all the time, physical activity, it's one of the best ways to maintain our health. For a handful of Minnesota seniors, Granny Basketball is just what the doctor ordered. There are two self-described Granny Basketball teams in the state. And this weekend, they'll host the state's first-ever Granny Basketball Tournament. The women play for the love of the game. But as Elizabeth Baier reports, they also play to cope with the realities of aging.

ELIZABETH BAIER: Judy Lee likes to set the record straight about her Granny Basketball team.

JUDY LEE: The misconception that people have is that we all just want to sit and talk about grandkids. [LAUGHS] Not so much. Grandkids are great, but still. [LAUGHS]

[BALL BOUNCING]

ELIZABETH BAIER: It's 7:00 at night and Lee is inside the gymnasium at the Faribault Community Center. Lee is 67, a retired Phy-Ed teacher and captain of the Faribault Hot Shots. She's clad in the team's signature golden yellow t-shirt.

On the other side of the court, the Wanamingo Bulldogs warm up in their royal purple shirts. These are the only two granny basketball teams in Minnesota for women over 50. Their games are usually officiated. Tonight, Lee gets the scrimmage going.

[WHISTLE BLOWS]

JUDY LEE: OK, get your teams ready. Our green line there and our green line there are the center. And the bluish line on the edge is the boundary. And that's about it.

ELIZABETH BAIER: Teams at the court for four eight-minute periods. Only forwards are allowed to shoot the ball. Players cannot run or jump, but they speed walk across the court. And like in any game, not all officials call violations consistently.

JUDY LEE: If you hustle, that's OK. But it's kind of arbitrary that way.

ELIZABETH BAIER: Within minutes, the Hot Shots score a point.

[CHEERS]

From the sideline, 60-year-old Bulldogs player Marlene Syverson rallies her teammates who trail behind.

MARLENE SYVERSON: Nice job, Mary! Oh, you should get it. Get it-- and get it, hustle, hustle. Good job. Good job.

ELIZABETH BAIER: Syverson says the women are good-natured but competitive. She joined the team last year for the camaraderie and the exercise.

MARLENE SYVERSON: Well, they keep saying that you've got to keep active. Your joints get stiff if you don't keep moving. And so by going out and practicing, we're not overdoing it. And if we have somebody fall down on the court, everybody stops playing, and they get up.

ELIZABETH BAIER: Across the country, dozens of granny basketball leagues have sprung up in the last decade, as Boomers grow older and want to remain active.

The Southern Minnesota teams include retired doctors, pharmacists, and teachers. Some women live on farms, others in towns from Albert Lea to Pine Island.

[BUZZER]

By the half-time buzzer, the Hot Shots are in the lead. But the Wanamingo Bulldogs hit center court for a cheer.

CROWD (CHEERING): Lutefisk, lutefisk, lefse, lefse. We're the mighty Bulldogs. Yeah sure, you betcha.

[LAUGHTER]

ELIZABETH BAIER: Lee says it was a slow but steady start for the two Minnesota teams five years ago.

JUDY LEE: It was really hard to get a team going. Wanamingo was first, our opposition team. And I answered an ad, and it took two years to get three people or four. And now we've got nine people.

ELIZABETH BAIER: Lee says there are a number of men's basketball programs that cater to older players. But women over 50, who want to play, have had to create their own teams. Minnesota's teams cater to a wide range of skills, from former college athletes to rookies, like 84-year-old Avis Erlanson. Erlanson is the oldest player on the Bulldogs squad. She started playing five years ago as therapy for depression.

AVIS ERLANSON: My husband was sick at the time. And Dr. Blue told me I had to go play basketball. And I says, what have you been smoking? I never played on any sport in my life.

ELIZABETH BAIER: Erlanson listened to her doctor even after her husband died. Now, people ask her why she keeps playing.

AVIS ERLANSON: I just tell them, I love it. Girls are all so nice to play with. I'm a klutz, but they have to put up with me.

ELIZABETH BAIER: This time, the Hot Shots beat the Bulldogs, 51 to 40. Minnesota's granny teams may not be ready to compete in this summer's National Senior Games in Cleveland. But these grannies may just be up to the task by 2015 when the National Games come to the Twin Cities. Elizabeth Baier, Minnesota Public Radio News Faribault.