In order to sell the program, head coach Ms. Hailey Vogel referred to the sport as “lawn bowling.” She was able to stir up enough interest in order to start the first ever unified bocce ball team.

Bocce ball is a game where each team is attempting to roll their bocce ball closer to the small white ball than the other team. Matches typically consist of three rounds and the first team to reach 12 points wins the game. 

Ms. Vogel and assistant coach Ms. Mikayla Simanski have goals for the season to learn the game of bocce ball and have fun. They began planning last year to implement the team. 

“We want both our athletes and partners to build relationships that extend beyond our season,” Ms. Vogel said. “Of course, we are hoping to win as well.”

The school is part of a program through Special Olympics called Unified Champion Schools, which helps promote social inclusion through implemented activities. Due to great success over the past two years with the unified track and field team, they wanted to provide more opportunities for the students with disabilities.

 “Our unified teams allow meaningful participation between students with and without disabilities in various athletic activities,” Ms. Vogel said.

Ms. Vogel and Ms. Simanski participated in a new coaches training. They took what they learned to begin working with the athletes and partners on basic game play.  The unified team consists of six to 10 players, with a ratio of three to five unified athletes and unified partners. A total of 19 students are on the roster, meaning they have enough players to form two teams.  

The team practices on Wednesdays and Thursdays after school and will have six matches total; three home and three away. The first game will be on Jan. 7 at Dunmore, and the first home game is Jan. 8 at 3:30 p.m. Listen to the announcements for which gymnasium will be used.