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The Sunday Magazine

Soccer Stars and Seniors: An Experiment in Intergenerational Housing

"Chivalry is not Dead, It's Just Elderly." It's a surprisingly common complaint from inside retirement residences and homes for the aged. Everybody here is old!
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When Robyn Gayle (third from right) and Diana Matheson (second from right) aren't on the pitch with the National Women’s Soccer League's Washington Spirit, they're hanging out at home with their neighbours at a seniors residence in Rockville, Maryland.
"Chivalry is not Dead, It's Just Elderly."

It's a surprisingly common complaint from inside retirement residences and homes for the aged.

Everybody here is old!

Your bridge partner's old. Your hallway neighbour's old. The book club members are old. The people you have dinner with are old. The only young faces, are those of visitors or caregivers.

Which makes an experiment at a sprawling seniors' complex in Rockville, Maryland pretty remarkable.

Since April, two young, elite Canadian athletes have been living — free of charge — in one of the condos there.

Richard Craut, a neighbour of Robyn Gayle and Diana Matheson, has become a huge fan of the Washington Spirit and tries not to miss a game. (David Gutnick/CBC)
Robyn Gayle of Mississauga and Diana Matheson of Oakville are veterans of Canada's medal-winning Olympic soccer team and on the National Women's Team. This year, they're also playing professionally for the Washington Spirit.

It sounds glamorous. But they have to count every penny, and the housing arrangement has been a godsend. It turns out it has also been a breath of fresh air for the residents and staff of Ingleside at King Farm.

Here is David Gutnick's documentary: "Chivalry isn't Dead, It is Just Elderly."

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