Blake Brings Back Bocce Team

-Team Photo (Courtesy of Blake Athletics)

Music teacher Phil Barnes has revived the Blake Bocce Team after a five year absence.

Across Montgomery County, schools there are bocce teams that are mixed with general and special education students The sport brings equal opportunities for anyone who wants to play a sport and be a part of a team. “The idea around the county is that the team should have as equal a mix of students with and without disabilities as possible, There is a wide range of disabilities that the county considers, ..." Barnes said. The Blake Bocce Team includes students in Blake's Learning for Independence (LFI) program.

Because the Blake Bocce Team is made up of general education and LFI students, the team needed to learn how to play together and bond as a team, which wasn’t a problem at all for the Bengals. No one on the team had previous experience playing bocce, so they all at first had to learn and understand the game itself as a team. Over time Barnes believed that “seeing the intensity at some of the matches has pushed them to get better and help them grow and get better as a team.”

As the season progressed, the players got to know each other better, built friendships and highly supported one another during their matches. “[O]ne of the cool things about the sport in general in Montgomery County is that the teams all support each other too… It’s a really cool thing I think.” Barnes said. “I would say whenever we are up we say, “Yeah lets go you got this”. We are a very empowering group and we want to empower each other,” senior Andy Otero adds.

The LFI students had a blast being on the team this season. Their favorite part of the season was "being part of a team at Blake," During matches they enjoyed "cheering on the team."

The team finished their season with a record of 3-3. They had big wins over rival Paint Branch and against Barnes’s former school Rockville.

Whether you have or have not had any experience playing bocce or sports in general in the past, joining the bocce team is a great opportunity to be a part of a great team with a great supporting crew. “I think that bocce shouldn’t be overlooked. I think that it is a fantastic sport and a fantastic opportunity especially for someone who isn’t athletically inclined or is that just wants to try something new. I think it would be very beneficial to join bocce for anyone” Otero says.