Bocce was first played in Rome over 3,000 years ago. Today, next to soccer and golf, it is the third-most played sport in the world with over 25 million active players. Trinity’s bocce team was founded during the 2023-2024 school year after Special Olympics Unified Sports approached the high school to provide an opportunity for students with special needs to experience a varsity sport.
The season lasts two months, beginning in January with practices twice a week and ending in February.
Bocce offers students the opportunity to experience everything that comes with a varsity sport, whether that be the team environment, the joy of winning or learning from losses. Students learn important skills that every student deserves the opportunity to learn.
Their coach Mrs. Giorgi commented, “Watching the relationships grow between our students with special needs and the typical students is amazing. The camaraderie and teamwork are second to none.”
According to the Special Olympics website, the basic principle of the sport is to roll a bocce ball closest to the target ball, which is called a palina. Bocce as a Special Olympics sport provides people with special needs the opportunity to have social contact, develop physically and gain self-confidence.
Junior David Gill stated, “It’s so fun because I get to compete with all my friends, and the relationships I’ve made while playing are priceless.”
Trinity’s Unified Bocce team concluded the season with a record of 7-1, successfully clinching the number one seed and a playoff spot! They finished in third place following a 10-1 victory over Wash-High during the playoffs held on February 18th at Peters Township High School.
The team’s other coach, Mrs. Belleville, stated via X, “The first ever Trinity Inclusive Bocce playoff appearance is happening during Trinity’s 100th anniversary.”
Bocce can be a challenging sport. It demands strategic thinking and precise calculations of ball speed and distance. It also requires good hand-eye coordination to deliver the ball exactly where the player wants it.
“Physically, bocce is very easy, but it is very detailed. The hardest part is finding the right amount of power to get the bocce ball to the [palina]; the most rewarding part is seeing the kids with special needs persevere through the adversity they face,” said Gill.
The most important part of the program is bringing togetherness and inclusion between peers. Having these opportunities is very meaningful to the coaches and the students alike.
Giorgi added, “I am so proud of our team and the family that they’ve become, and I look forward to watching their future successes and seeing how far we go this year in playoffs, and in future years!”
To join the team, students can express their interest to either Giorgi or Belleville in person or via their emails jgiorgi@trinityhillers.net and bbelleville@trinityhillers.net, respectively.
