Stay hydrated, take breaks to be safe in scorching summer heat, page 15
July 2024
Volume 27 Issue 2
myseniorlife.com
Bocce — a game of strategy Centenarians celebrate, page 24
The team going first throws the pallina and where it lands becomes the target.
The team with the bocce ball closest to the pallina wins the round. SENIOR LIFE Jill Blue
Bocce is gaining popularity and is played at several courts throughout Brevard County. BY ELLA DORFMAN Richard Rosa describes himself as a novice bocce player. But Rosa, who is president of the Italian American Club of South Brevard, can be found almost any Wednesday and Thursday playing the game that is gaining wide popularity on the Space Coast. The Italian American Club references “The Joy of Bocce” book as a guide to play. The game’s earliest origins were in Egypt, but it developed into its present state in Italy. Bocce is played with eight large balls and one smaller target or object ball
SENIOR LIFE Jill Blue
The Viera East Community Bocce League has members as young as 59. Buca de Bocce won a recent tournament. called a pallina. Each team has four balls. To start a game, the pallina is rolled or tossed by a member of the team having won the coin toss. A player can toss the pallina any distance as
long as it passes the center line of the court and stays within the boundaries of the court. All balls must be thrown underhanded. A team has the option of rolling,
General busy with housing for vets, page 22
tossing or bouncing its ball down the court provided it does not go outside the boundaries of the court or the player does not violate the foul line. The foul line is used to deliver all balls down the court with the intent of getting a ball closer to the pallina, knocking the opponent’s ball away from the pallina or hitting the pallina so that it ends up closer to your team’s ball. “There is a lot of strategy and camaraderie involved in the game,’’ Rosa said. “Any age and fitness can play it.” The club has more than 300 members and one as old
Soothing Equine therapy, page 3
BOCCE
continued on page 9
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