Portable courts support bocce boom in Southern California

Bocce has been experiencing a boom in popularity in the south of the Golden State, aided by Special Olympics community programs, passionate volunteers and new portable bocce courts that allow the game to be brought anywhere.

Nowhere was this more evident than at Special Olympics Southern California’s recent Ventura County Bocce Competition and Santa Clarita Valley Bocce Competition, where an impressive 29 teams  competed for glory.

Special Olympics Southern California Director of Sports and Programs Wendy Ellet said the recent purchase of 13 high-quality inflatable courts from Packaworld made it easier than ever to provide a memorable experience for the athletes taking part.

“Set up was simple compared to using wooden boundary boards and the portability of the inflatable courts means we can offer training sites at most parks or fields.”

Ellet said bocce had always been popular in Santa Clarita, Ventura and Santa Barbara and is on the rise across Southern California, with almost 50 per cent more Special Olympics Southern California athletes competing in bocce this year than in 2023.

“The courts are helping us to grow bocce because they can be used just about anywhere and allow us to create more immersive activities with athletes.

“We have started using them at fundraising events to create interactive experiences so athletes, guests and sponsors can play together.”

She said unified bocce had also attracted a lot of interest, leading Special Olympics Southern California to expand its program to offer more options to play it.

“Unified bocce pairs an athlete with an intellectual disability with someone without an intellectual disability, and then they learn, train, and compete together, helping to break down barriers.”

After getting a thorough warm-up at their local competitions, bocce players are looking forward to the Special Olympics Southern California Summer Games from 8 to 9 June, where bocce and unified bocce feature as two out of six sports in the lineup, enabled by 12 Packabocce courts.

Packaworld Chief Executive Peter Roberts said it was fantastic to see Southern California becoming a hotspot for bocce as part of the sport’s continuing boom in popularity.

“Bocce is on a global roll and we’re proud to support its growth with our inflatable courts, helping Special Olympics worldwide remove barriers to participation in sport and bringing the game to all who want to join the fun.”

> Find out more about our portable bocce courts on our Packabocce product page.