Bocce gains popularity in Murfreesboro on The Murfreesboro Post

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Bocce gains popularity in Murfreesboro

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By: By JOSH EZZELL, Post Sports Editor

Posted: Sunday, July 6, 2008 8:39 am

Bocce gains popularity in Murfreesboro | SPORTS

People from everywhere move to Murfreesboro all the time, making Murfreesboro a fast-growing city.

When these people come to Murfreesboro they bring their experiences and culture. And one of the new things they’ve brought to Murfreesboro is bocce, an old game that’s been played for thousands of years. In this game people compete on either an oyster shell court, decomposed granite, soil or asphalt court.

Bocce is an Italian game similar to lawn bowling in which players toss or roll roughly softball-size balls.
The idea is to get the ball closest to a smaller, target ball, the jack or pallino. The team that gets closest to the pallino scores a point. Games are played until one team scored 11, 12 or 13 points.

Games can be played between two people or teams consisting of two, three or four people.

“It’s a great family game,” said Jimmy Africano, a Chicago native who’s been here since 2002. “It’s a lot of fun for the whole family.”

BOCCE IN THE BORO
The influx of people to Murfreesboro brought the demand for bocce courts in Murfreesboro. A few years ago the desire became so great that bocce fans in Murfreesboro got together and got courts built at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church.

“It’s serious business,” said Vincent Agosta, who was born in Sicily but resides in Murfreesboro. “We take it really serious.”

There’s now a league in Murfreesboro in which everyone can participate. Many of the participants are retired, but there are others as well who compete because they love the game.

This year 82 people have been active in the Murfreesboro Bocce Club, which is active in the spring and fall. League play lasts 11 weeks with competition every weekend. On the 12th weekend there’s a single-elimination shootout.

The club wrapped up its spring season recently with Bersigliere winning Division A and Team Milano taking Division B.

After the season concluded the league held a tournament in which 17 teams participated. The first team to 12 wins the game.

Bocce Babes won the tournament with Team Milano placing second.

“It doesn’t require any major skills,” Murfreesboro Bocce Club President Bill Connelly said. “It’s a game of strategy.”

The overall strategy is to keep expanding the game that started to gain popularity in Murfreesboro a few years ago. The club wants new members, and it wants to compete outside of Rutherford County. Bocce is popular in areas such as Chattanooga, Nashville and Clarksville, and Murfreesboro players want to see how they do against others.

“It would be a blast,” Africano said of playing others. “It’d be great to meet other people.
“It’s a social event. Business is often conducted over golf. Italians do business over bocce.”

Business is good in Murfreesboro.

For more information about the Murfreesboro Bocce Club call Bill Bickford at 895-5814.

Tagged under SPORTS

Member Opinions:

By: Bunny on 7/7/08
I'm a player and love it. My husband and I joined the league when it first started at St. Rose. We've seen the club grow, the playing courts perfected, and watched the members increase. We have young, old and in-between ages all having a great time competing against each other. If someone doesn't want to make a commitment for regular league play, they could sign up as a substitute. This will give them a chance to play on their time schedule. But bewere, once you throw a few balls, you get hooked!