Baby Boomers need to stay mentally and physically fit and low-impact sports like shuffleboard and bocce ball, don’t laugh, can be more beneficial than you might think. While you’re not likely to catch an endorphin Buzz from playing bocce, there are positive mental and physical health benefits including:
- Self Control
- Strategic Planner
- Social Activist
- Improved Coordination
- Relieves Stress
- Increased Confidence
- Light Cardio
Per worldbocce.org, Bocce Ball was first documented in a 5200 B.C. painting of two boys playing, which was discovered by an English scientist, Sir Francis Petrial, in an Egyptian tomb. Bocce Ball spread throughout Palestine and into Asia Minor. In 600 B.C., Bocce was picked up by the Greeks and passed to the Romans. It was played everywhere, from the churches and castles to the city streets. People from all walks of life could play the game; young or old, man or woman. In 1319 A.D., Bocce Ball was actually prohibited to people of lesser nobility because it was felt that it diverted attention from more important tasks, such as archery and war training. In 1519, Bocce became a public game. It was played in Flanders, Holland and Belgium.Greek colonists brought Bocce with them to what is now modern Italy. It became so popular that it was once again threatened with prohibition, as people who were playing Bocce in the streets were hitting the knees of passing noblemen with the Bocce balls.
The popularity of Bocce in America has been on the rise since it swept California in 1989. There are more than 25,000,000 Bocce enthusiasts that have heard of the sport, play recreationally, or play on structured courts in the United States today. Bocce has also become a tournament sport. Tournaments are held weekly, some carrying large cash awards for their winners. It is now a part of the World Corporate Games, is an event in the Special Olympics, and is being proposed to be in the Olympics.
Bocce can be played upon any level surface by anyone who is willing to try. It is a game for all ages, gender and athletic ability. It is a very versatile game in which the rules may be changed according to the players. Play may range from a nearly nonexistent set of rules to the strictest of tournament rules.
So, get out there and bowl some balls! Take no prisoners!
– Jet Cannon
