Inclusive bocce on a roll in Hudson Valley

The allure of national competition and arrival of a high-quality portable court has sparked a mini renaissance for the sport of bocce ball in New York’s Hudson Valley.

The growth in participation and rising skill level in Hudson Valley’s Special Olympics program saw two of the valley’s bocce athletes and their unified partners selected to represent New York State at the Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota, alongside four bocce athletes from Long Island.

Certified Hudson Valley bocce coach Paige Peloso said training on the same portable courts used at the Games had made a “world of difference”, leading to top four finishes in the unified teams, male singles, unified doubles and unified mixed doubles bocce categories.

Many of the team’s members live at New Hope Community in Sullivan County, which is home to 251 residents with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.

The community marked its 50th year anniversary with a gala last November, and it was through a fundraising drive at that event that money was raised for the new court.

Peloso is a staff member at New Hope and she said the impact of the portable Packaworld bocce court, as well as a new artificial turf from Turf Factory Direct, couldn’t be underestimated.

The Hudson Valley Special Olympics bocce team had grown from just two athletes a few years ago to more than 16 members, including six unified partners who compete alongside athletes with intellectual disabilities in unified matches.

“Numbers more than tripled. Our athletes can now play on site a New Hope, or anywhere we want to take the courts – they don’t have to travel 35 minutes to a dedicated venue.”

Fellow New Hope staff member Braydon Huebsch, who coached Team New York’s bocce athletes  at the Special Olympics USA Games, agreed the courts had played a role in bocce’s growth in the Hudson Valley.

He said the clever design of the courts – which have a built-in gate that can be opened and closed for people with limited mobility – had made it easier for two new athletes who utilize wheelchairs to ambulate to take up the sport.

“We love that beautiful gate. They don’t have to get over the PVC pipe we used to use for court walls, or drop down into a traditional bocce-pit, which isn’t easy in a wheelchair.”

The bocce buzz around New Hope Community had also added a new level of vibrancy and social opportunities for residents, many of whom love their sport alongside the community’s many other activities, ranging from social evenings through to gardening.

Huebsch said more than 20 per cent of the New Hope Community now play one of the 10 sports they currently offer through the Special Olympics program. Athletes from the wider Hudson Valley area also join in, with many of the Hudson Valley Special Olympics training events now held at New Hope Community and other local venues.

Huebsch said they planned to continue growing sporting opportunities for Hudson Valley’s Special Olympics athletes, including setting up a regional Special Olympics competition in the years ahead.

“Bocce is on the brain and it’s had a surge in numbers. Our dream is to hold bocce invitationals, mini tournaments, and a regional competition here.”

Huebsch and Peloso’s drive to keep the momentum going is fueled by the knowledge that the benefits of bocce and organized competitions extend beyond the individual matches and throughout the community.

Not only does bocce provide enjoyment for the players, but many others from throughout the community come along to watch and cheer the athletes on. Playing a sport is a regular commitment, which helps participants develop a routine, while also fostering relationships, and in many cases challenges people to learn something completely new.

“It goes so far beyond bocce, beyond sport,” Peloso says.

“It’s all part of our bigger mission at New Hope Community to enhance the lives of people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities."

Video: Packabocce courts and turf from Turf Factory Direct arrive at New Hope