It's an ancient rolling game that's been around since Roman times. But bocce ball is brand new to some special education students at District 97 — and they have high hopes the sport will take them far in Illinois Special Olympics next fall.
{photo: On a roll: John Gann, Brooks Adaptive PE teacher, helps a student learn bocce. District 97}
With its simple colorful balls and spectrum of skill and strategy levels, bocce ball was a natural choice for the district's first foray into competitive sports for students with disabilities. "Bocce ball had the least start-up costs and was easier to teach," said Brooks Middle School Special Education instructor Sue Hoyer.
Twenty students with disabilities at both middle schools will participate, practicing during gym class and monthly after school. The team will be "unified," which means each player will partner with a general education student. During the colder months, the game will be played indoors, says coach and Brooks Adaptive PE teacher John Gann. Other activities during adaptive PE, such as bags, bowling and pitching practice help give students the skills they'll need for bocce.
"There's a skill level up and down the scale," he noted. They develop hand-eye coordination and bilateral coordination."
Gann has coached the District 200 High School Special Olympics basketball team for six years, so he says the transition is smooth. He got the ball rolling, as it were, when he brought information back from a conference on Special Olympics for middle school over the summer. The teams had their first practice Oct. 19.
"I was pretty impressed how they all worked together," Gann said. "I was really pleased. Everyone was following directions. I think we've got a good foundation already."
Bocce is not just for retired Italian guys at family picnics. It's an ancient game of cunning and skill involving a small ball, the pallino. Team members use different strategies to get their own balls closest to the pallino. They can roll their own ball closest, or knock a rival's balls out of the way. "We practice underhand tossing, overhand tossing, speed tempo and whatnot," said Gann. Some students who use wheelchairs are brought closer to the pallino. "Everyone will compete at their own distance," he said.
Michael Padavic, D97 director of Special Education, announced the decision at a school board meeting in late August.
"Do you need a bocce ball set?" asked Trustee James Gates, who said his late mother's estate included "an unopened bocce ball set. I'll get it to you."
The decision to compete grew out of the district's participation in Best Buddies, a matching program that provides peer tutoring and social activities for students with disabilities paired with general education students, Hoyer said.
"We've been participating in the Best Buddies program for nine years," she said. The Best Buddy program provides fun and develops valuable skills. In addition, "[general education students] become role models and gain disability awareness," said Hoyer.
"They become ambassadors for other kids and model how to talk to and interact with students with disabilities." Bocce team members will partner with their Best Buddies for the unified competition, said Hoyer.
In Oak Park, the two middle schools will compete in cross-town bocce contests to get their chops ready for the Big Time next September in the Illinois state Special Olympics tournaments. Coach Gann thinks the indoor practice will be a great building activity for a sport kids can enjoy for a lifetime.
"I first played in college in River Grove," he recalls. "There were a couple of pits in the back of a restaurant there. It was nice to have a sandwich and a cold brew and play for a couple of hours, just relaxing and taking in nature. That was fun."
# Information from Oak Park Journal By Jean Lotus Nov 9 2011
http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/11-08-2011/Oak_Park_students_to_play_bocce_in_Special_Olympics
With its simple colorful balls and spectrum of skill and strategy levels, bocce ball was a natural choice for the district's first foray into competitive sports for students with disabilities. "Bocce ball had the least start-up costs and was easier to teach," said Brooks Middle School Special Education instructor Sue Hoyer.
Twenty students with disabilities at both middle schools will participate, practicing during gym class and monthly after school. The team will be "unified," which means each player will partner with a general education student. During the colder months, the game will be played indoors, says coach and Brooks Adaptive PE teacher John Gann. Other activities during adaptive PE, such as bags, bowling and pitching practice help give students the skills they'll need for bocce.
"There's a skill level up and down the scale," he noted. They develop hand-eye coordination and bilateral coordination."
Gann has coached the District 200 High School Special Olympics basketball team for six years, so he says the transition is smooth. He got the ball rolling, as it were, when he brought information back from a conference on Special Olympics for middle school over the summer. The teams had their first practice Oct. 19.
"I was pretty impressed how they all worked together," Gann said. "I was really pleased. Everyone was following directions. I think we've got a good foundation already."
Bocce is not just for retired Italian guys at family picnics. It's an ancient game of cunning and skill involving a small ball, the pallino. Team members use different strategies to get their own balls closest to the pallino. They can roll their own ball closest, or knock a rival's balls out of the way. "We practice underhand tossing, overhand tossing, speed tempo and whatnot," said Gann. Some students who use wheelchairs are brought closer to the pallino. "Everyone will compete at their own distance," he said.
Michael Padavic, D97 director of Special Education, announced the decision at a school board meeting in late August.
"Do you need a bocce ball set?" asked Trustee James Gates, who said his late mother's estate included "an unopened bocce ball set. I'll get it to you."
The decision to compete grew out of the district's participation in Best Buddies, a matching program that provides peer tutoring and social activities for students with disabilities paired with general education students, Hoyer said.
"We've been participating in the Best Buddies program for nine years," she said. The Best Buddy program provides fun and develops valuable skills. In addition, "[general education students] become role models and gain disability awareness," said Hoyer.
"They become ambassadors for other kids and model how to talk to and interact with students with disabilities." Bocce team members will partner with their Best Buddies for the unified competition, said Hoyer.
In Oak Park, the two middle schools will compete in cross-town bocce contests to get their chops ready for the Big Time next September in the Illinois state Special Olympics tournaments. Coach Gann thinks the indoor practice will be a great building activity for a sport kids can enjoy for a lifetime.
"I first played in college in River Grove," he recalls. "There were a couple of pits in the back of a restaurant there. It was nice to have a sandwich and a cold brew and play for a couple of hours, just relaxing and taking in nature. That was fun."
# Information from Oak Park Journal By Jean Lotus Nov 9 2011
http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/11-08-2011/Oak_Park_students_to_play_bocce_in_Special_Olympics
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