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The game of bocce allows individuals of all abilities to experience friendly competition.

Many people have long considered sports an outlet for students to develop skills, relationships, and positive mindsets. However, not all students, specifically those with intellectual disabilities, have had the same opportunity to compete on an equal playing field with their peers at Southern Lehigh. With this in mind, Southern Lehigh School District superintendent Dr. Michael Mahon took the opportunity to build a bocce court in the new stadium, and establish the Southern Lehigh Unified Bocce team.

“Bocce is a sport that can be accessed by a broad range of students,” Dr. Mahon said. “It allows students with and without disabilities to compete as one team.”

Bocce is an Italian-style bowling game where each team must roll a ball to get it as close to a target ball, called a pallino, as possible. The bocce scoring system is comparable to horseshoes in that a point is awarded to the team that positions its ball closest to the pallino.

The new bocce team is run through Special Olympics Pennsylvania, an organization that strives to provide children and adults with disabilities the opportunity to “develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community.”

“I think that the mission of combining students of all abilities to compete equally in a sport is really admirable,” coach Mr. Anthony Italiani said. “It promotes the ideals of equity and inclusion that are admirable not just in education but in society.”

One-half of the team’s members have intellectual disabilities, while the other half are general education students. This allows students of all abilities and backgrounds to compete in an inclusive, judgment-free atmosphere.

“I love to step back and let the kids interact with one another, get to know one another, and enjoy the game of bocce, ” Mr. Italiani said. “At practice, I’m trying to give the structure for the kids to understand the game and to improve at the game.”

The bocce season lasts from December to February, with practices one to two times per week in the high school gym and cafeteria. The inaugural scrimmage is set to take place on January 29th at Upper Perkiomen High School. While this will likely be the only competition for the 2023-2024 school year, the team hopes to expand and possibly have more scrimmages in future seasons.

For students interested in joining the bocce team, see Coach Italiani in room 119 or email [email protected]. Southern Lehigh’s chapter of Aevidum, which helps with the club component of the team, is offering opportunities to get involved as well.