First-place winners of the Summer Season, the Gelatos
Lorraine Wilson
The Summer Bocce Season wrapped up in style on July 28 with an exciting playoff finale and a well-deserved celebration. After a season spent playing inside the clubhouse to escape the Texas heat, players gathered for the championship showdown that ended with plenty of cheers, pizza, and cold beer. The Gelatos claimed first place in the playoffs, while the Bumpers and Blockers battled hard to secure second, closing out the season on a fun and festive high note.
Flexibility is proving to be the theme of the Fall Season for the Bocce Club. With the new courts not completed in time, board members were forced to reorganize the fall schedule just weeks before opening day. The original plan called for eight courts on the new bocce courts, condensed into two daily sessions instead of three, to accommodate 161 teams and more than 1,800 players. When word came that only the five PVC courts on the patio would be available, the board had to act quickly.
Board members John Nallon and John Napurano took on the challenge, working late nights to rebuild the schedule. With the patio not always available, games had to be shifted to alternate days. Assistance came from Shelbi who worked to minimize conflicts and free up space for play.
In the end, the schedules were rebuilt, finalized, and published on the club website rrbocce.com. Players now have two options to download from the website: the familiar printed schedule or a new version with a QR code that allows them to add games directly to their phone calendars. To make the extended season (running through December) more comfortable, Rhett has also arranged for fans and heaters to be available as needed.
Because of the reduced court availability, Eastern and Western Divisions will alternate weekly play. To explain the changes and introduce the club’s new scheduling tool, League Lobster, a Capo Open Mic meeting was held on Aug. 12 at the clubhouse. Communication has also been streamlined through GroupMe, giving Capos quick access to updates.
In anticipation of the new courts, almost 400 new players have joined the Bocce Club for the Fall Season. Training sessions, led by Donna Peck during the week of Aug. 11, covered the Code of Conduct, overview of the club website, schedules, and rosters. New members also received hands-on instruction, including assembling PVC courts before practicing on the lanes.
The Fall Season officially opened on Aug. 18, with the Gigante Division starting play at 4 p.m. followed by the Persico Division at 6 p.m. Despite the challenges, the season is underway, thanks to the Bocce board and members Shelbi and Rhett, and all it took was some planning, creativity, long hours, hard work, persistence, and flexibility!