Special Olympics Bocce tournament to be played next week

Students warm up to practice in Unified Physical Education

By Elaine Gargano, Staff Writer

January 18, 2024

ROCKLAND- On Saturday, January 27, a Special Olympics bocce tournament will be held at Middleboro High School. 

To prepare for the Special Olympics bocce game, teacher and Bulldog Buddies Advisor, Mrs. Desiree Cunha, said, “The students participating in the bocce tournament are practicing bocce during gym class with Ms. [Diana] Newcomb. They’re so excited about the event and look forward to showing their skills.”

When it comes to keeping this event as fun as possible, Bulldog Buddy senior Ava Hagan said that they are setting out to “ just enjoy the game and have a good time with my peers. Everyone should be cheering for everyone, but still keep it a little bit competitive for fun.”

This light atmosphere seems to be enjoyed by the players as well, and can be seen through the fact that Cailin Sullivan said that she liked “playing with her teammates” and that when it comes to all of the Special Olympics sports, she shared that “basketball is her favorite.”

This trend was built upon, when another competitor, junior Faith Henry, shared that she likes “having an audience at the games,” and also shared that she likes “having the Bulldog Buddies there.” 

Regarding the audience, Bulldog Buddy junior Lily O'Connell shared that the school could raise awareness for the event by “making a morning announcement like we do for our other sports events.”

Mrs. Cunha shared that an increase in awareness of the event would be useful because “having Bulldog Buddies, Unified Sports, and involvement in the Special Olympics is so important for a school because it fosters a culture of inclusion and positivity. It is an opportunity for students to come together and learn from each other in a supportive environment.”

Special Olympics is an international organization that allows students with intellectual disabilities to play 31 different sports, some being basketball, tennis, baseball, and bocce.

Bocce, which will be featured at this competition is an Italian game, the basic principle of the sport is to roll a bocce ball closest to the target ball, called a patina. While this game may be new to America, it is one of the world's oldest games originating in 5200 BC.

According to the Special Olympics website, this movement for inclusivity all began in the 1950s and early 1960s when President John F. Kennedy’s sister, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, saw how unjustly and unfairly people with intellectual disabilities were treated. 

The high schools competing against each other at this bocce game are Avon, Carver, Duxbury, King Philip, Middleborough, Natick, Nauset, Norton, Pembroke, Plymouth, Silverlake, and Walpole.

Some schools like Bishop Stang, Marshfield, Hopedale, Whitman Hanson, and Attleboro are showing their spirit by bringing fans to cheer the athletes on. 

Anyone interested in attending the event to cheer on the Bulldog Special Olympians and their buddies should contact Ms. Kaitlyn Diver, Student Government advisor.