Move over shuffleboard. Bocce may be the new game of choice for aging baby boomers. This month, the Burlington Parks and Recreation Commission agreed to respond to citizen interest in the game by considering the establishment of bocce courts in Oakledge Park.

Bocce, boules, petanque similar games whatever the language and ethnic variation date back to the Roman Empire. In bocce, two teams, each with one to four players, throw or toss colored softball-sized balls to get them closest to a smaller white target ball, the "pallino." The strategy includes knocking an opponent's ball away from the target. The game is simple. It can be played almost anywhere, and the equipment is minimal. No great athletic ability is required. But it can be addicting. Earlier this month, for example, ten people got together on a Sunday morning in Burlington's Waterfront Park and played in the rain without umbrellas.

These players are members of the newly formed Burlington Bocce and Petanque Club, whose mission is to increase recreational outlets in the City for people of all ages, with special consideration for older people and those limited by physical disabilities. The club is the brainchild of Zander Ponzo, retired from UVM's Counseling Program. Inspired by a petanque club he joined while on a visit to New Zealand, he vowed to replicate it in Burlington.

"I saw people having a great time competing, having some exercise, always smiling," says Ponzo. "It reminded me of the old Italian guys I saw enjoying bocce in Brooklyn years ago. It is a way of getting together and having fun with competition. People who can barely walk can play. I thought it would be good for Burlington."

Last winter, after Ponzo first presented his ideas to the Parks and Recreation Commission, city recreation coordinator Dan Cahill started to work with him on investigating public interest and developing a plan for possible city involvement. Ponzo and Cahill quickly came into contact with a group of Bosnian immigrants, who have been playing in local parks. The club has been meeting monthly, has 20 members, a web site, and short and long-term plans from expanding interest in the game, to establishing a permanent venue for playing, to hosting the 2024 Boules World Cup.

Club member Smaho Sehovic, recently arrived in Burlington, played bocce in Bosnia. He would like to see a league started here. "It is so beautiful a game," he says. "People will like it if they try it."

Club members flanked Ponzo on October 17 when he returned to the commission and described the club and its goals. He made clear that club members would donate their labor to help build the courts. Next steps: Bob Whalen, superintendent of Park Planning and Development will work with the club members on a site plan and a proposed budget. Then the commission will make a recommendation, says commissioner Barbara Nolfi. "We should see something there by spring."

Maggie Leugers, Burlington's recreation superintendent and a baby boomer, herself, sees bocce as an important part of her department's long-term plan. "Baby boomers don't see recreation as just sitting around with their friends," she says. "They want something more active and interesting. We want to develop more significant program opportunities for people fifty and over. Bocce crosses age barriers and fills the bill."

Bocce is already interesting people in the greater Burlington area. Since 1992, employees at Vermont Teddy Bear have been playing bocce both after work and at scheduled times during the workday. Founder John Sortino introduced the game because he enjoyed playing it with his Italian family, says VTB spokesperson Sarah Badger. About half of the company's 200 employees in Shelburne belong to bocce teams and organize competitions among themselves and with teams from other companies. This month Vermont Teddy Bear came in first in a grand tournament involving teams from Gardener's Supply Co., Hampton Direct, Inc., and Small Dog Electronics. The tournament was a benefit event for United Way of Chittenden County.

"I would be happy to get people started," says avid bocce player Kevin Lewis of Gardener's Supply. He envisions more businesses bringing bocce into their corporate cultures and enlarging the annual tournament with them and with non-business teams from, for example, the Burlington Bocce and Petanque Club. "It would be awesome to have a seniors league join our tournament," he says. "All genders, all ages can play. Novices can hold their own against veterans. It's a great recreational activity."

More information about bocce and the Burlington Bocce and Petanque Club contact Zander Ponzo, 658-0240 or Dan Cahill, 865-7091, or go to: http://www.burlingtonboules.com
Kevin Lewis can be reached at 660-3500, ext.5255

Barbara Leitenberg writes on senior issues for the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging. This article originally appeared in the Burlington Free Press.