PALLIN
POWER
Bocce team wraps up successful first season at MAHS .
BY PAUL GLASSER
With the inaugural season complete , members of the unified bocce team at Moon Area High School hope to attract more players next year .
This year nine members joined the team , including four special needs students . Coach Jason Persing says he hopes more will join next year because he would like to field two teams . He would also like to see more schools join the league , which is organized by the Special Olympics organization .
“ With more interest and more recognition , we want to build the program ,” Persing says .
Bocce is an Italian bowling game where players score points by throwing or rolling balls so that they land as close as possible to a small ball called the pallino . Players can also try to knock their opponents ’ balls away from the pallino in a tactic known as “ spocking .”
Moon Area High School decided to form a unified bocce team after learning about several other similar teams in the region . The Special Olympics organization provided training and equipment . Persing , a physical education teacher at the high school , has played bocce recreationally for about 10 years . The game is fun , simple and competitive . “ It ’ s a game where people of all abilities can participate ,” he explains . The unified bocce team also provides students with an opportunity to form friendships and gain a sense of pride by competing in a sport .
“ For a lot of the players , this is the first time they have competed on a team ,” Persing notes . “ They also build social bonds in a team atmosphere that will carry over when the season ends .”
The most important skill is being able to accurately roll the ball , and players practice during gym class and after school . They look forward to competing against other teams and are excited when they have the chance to practice .
“ It makes school more fun and interesting for the kids ,” Persing says . “ They want to be at school .”
Because the unified bocce program is new to the area , the Moon high school team only played two games in this inaugural season . They lost the first game against Avonworth but won the second game at home against Mt . Lebanon .
“ We learned from our defeat ,” Persing says . Plus , the team had the home court advantage when they competed against Mt . Lebanon . The cheerleaders even made a tunnel for the bocce players at the start of the game and the pep band performed . Student athletes from other teams and members of the community also attended and showed their support .
“ It was definitely a big event , especially for kids who had never competed on a team before ,” Persing notes . “ It made it really nice for them .”
The Moon unified bocce team also competed in the county championship and finished fourth . Sophomore Jenna Puhalla says she hopes the team will qualify for the
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