Bocce is gaining traction across Northern California thanks to a surge of participation in Special Olympics community programs – and the support of portable Packabocce courts that are making it easier to bring the sport to athletes.

While school-based unified sports are leading the charge in many US states, Northern California’s bocce boom is being driven by community programs – providing opportunities for people to participate in sport outside of school and during adulthood.

Special Olympics Northern California Sports Manager Mikey Parissenti says participation in the organization’s program has grown by 5-7% over the past year, with bocce’s accessibility playing a key role in that growth.

When Greg Travers decided to set up Vino Bocce to roll out bocce ball sessions at wineries across California’s Napa Valley and Sonoma counties, he knew portable Packabocce courts would provide the perfect stage.

“The plan is simple – bring bocce to wineries. The Packaworld courts are perfect.”

Kicking off earlier this month with an event at Jacuzzi Family Vineyards in Sonoma, Vino Bocce is now hosting occasions offering everything from bocce lessons and clinics to mix-and-mingle meet-ups and corporate functions, pairing wine appreciation with bocce fun.

Travers is a former commissioner of one of America’s largest bocce clubs – the Martinez Bocce Federation – and he said the response from its 2,400 members had been “100% positive”.

Australia's all abilities hip hop Team stunned the competition at the recent ICU World Cheerleading Championships to claim gold in their first-ever attempt, supported by a secret weapon – portable line markings supplied by Packaworld to fine tune their training routines.

The 24-strong squad, made up of athletes aged from 11 to 39 with a wide range of abilities and disabilities, stole the show at the world championships over 25-28 April at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, USA.

Australian Cheer Union All Abilities Programme Lead Toni Altschwager says the result was exceptional, with the team triumphing over squads from the United States, England, Wales, Scotland and Canada.

Portable bocce courts are transforming physical education in New York City's schools, supporting an American boom in the Italian sport and opening doors for inclusion across the city's diverse communities.

Special Olympics New York Director of Unified Sports Vance Toure says bocce participation is skyrocketing, with its school programs experiencing 10 per cent growth in participation over the past year alone.

Unified bocce – where athletes with and without intellectual disabilities play together on teams on the same court – is increasingly common in schools across America, but New York’s push to bring it to middle schools, as well high schools, is novel.

"Bocce has been spreading like wildfire through schools in New York."

The 2025 Interscholastic Unified Sports Indoor Bocce State Tournament showcased the momentum of Maryland's unified bocce movement, with 32 teams battling for state honors on 12 portable Packabocce courts at Hagerstown Community College.

Held on 11 March, the tournament was evidence of the continuing growth of unified bocce in Maryland schools, where participation has increased by 23% in the past year – from 1,471 players in the 2023-2024 season to 1,812 players in 2024-2025.

Special Olympics Maryland Senior Director of High School Unified Sports Zachary Cintron says Packaworld’s high-quality inflatable courts have helped the sport grow in schools across the American state.

Bucharest hosted Romania’s inaugural water skyball tournament recently, with 80 competitors using Packaworld’s inflatable goals and fields to mark a significant milestone in the sport's European expansion.

The tournament, held on 15 and 16 February at the Steaua Olympics Swimming Pool, saw Romanian and other European teams taking to the water in separate adult and youth competitions.

Water Skyball Federation Vice President Olga Augusztin said Packaworld’s innovative inflatable goals were a key part of the tournament’s success.

“This was the first time we had brought the skyball goals and field on a plane – we just packed them into a few bags. It was a very simple and smooth process.”