Archive…
August 2019
- The Frederick City Historic Preservation Commission has unanimously approved required modifications to the Bocce court design.
- Frederick Bocce has produced the site plan and has completed fundraising activities to cover the cost of all phase one construction materials (~ $77,000).
- The City of Frederick will provide labor, infrastructure and access paths. It is anticipated that construction will begin Fall 2019.
January 2018: We have formed a 15-person “Bocce Steering Committee” to help make constructing a bocce venue a reality. Our meetings will be on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at the Talley Recreation Center (121 N. Bentz St.) for 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.. The next meeting is February 13, 2018. All are welcome…
December 2017: Judy, Michael and Rich had meetings with Friends of Baker Park and with Bob Smith (Frederick City Parks & Rec.). We are receiving support from both and are moving forward. More soon…
November 2017: Making progress on building a permanent bocce venue in Frederick. View the plan here. Look for some exciting news in the near future!
Congratulations to our 2017 Tournament winners!
Pictured left to right, Steve Palmer (2nd Pl), Phil DiNardo & Tigger DiNardo (1st Pl), Dave Edsinger (2nd Pl) and Eric Phebus (3rd Pl). Not pictured, Alan Phillips (3rd Pl).
October 7, 2017: Fantastic tournament… food, tents and manicured courts 🙂 We had seventeen 2-person teams playing plus a number of spectators… one mother drove down from Connecticut to compete with her son! She made matching t-shirts for their team, “The Bad News Beers”… what fun.
Everyone is Welcome!
Sign up to be notified when we start playing again! Come play Bocce in Baker Park, Frederick, MD. We’ll bring the equipment and provide a welcoming environment. You bring a smile.
Bocce is a game for all ages and skill levels. It’s social. It’s fun. It’s free… and it’s easy to learn!
We play Spring through Fall… Saturday or Sunday (weather dependent) from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Sign up on our email list to be notified of the specific dates and locations.
Our vision…
In the near term, our vision for the future of Frederick Bocce includes advocating for the construction of permanent, regulation-size bocce courts in Frederick that are accessible to everyone. Not only is bocce a great game for all ages and skill levels, but it can also be a social and economic driver in a community by providing a venue for:
- cultivating strong social relationships
- networking and corporate team building events
- bocce league and tournament play
- special event rentals (weddings, reunions, picnics) or fundraising opportunities
Did you know?
- Bocce is the 3rd most popular sport in the world, ranking just behind soccer and golf.
- Bocce is being considered for the Olympics. See “Boules Sport 2024“.
- The local DC Bocce League which began in 2004 has over 5,000 members.
- Special Olympics Unified Sports® promotes Bocce for individuals with & without intellectual disabilities. Frederick County Special Olympics has over 200 athletes.
- FCPS offers “Unified Bocce” at all ten high schools. Their 2017 tournament had 208 participants.
What’s New (cont’d)…
October 7, 2017 (Saturday): 2017 Tournament! Read more here…
October 1, 2017 (Sunday): Great bocce weather. We set up 7 courts and had over 35 players… including several newcomers.
September 23, 2017 (Saturday): Looks like it will be a PERFECT day for bocce in the park. See you there!
September 16, 2017 (Saturday): It rained a little but several hearty souls showed up and played. That is dedication!
September 10, 2017 (Sunday): The rain will cleared out on Saturday and we will be playing. See you there!
September 3, 2017 (Sunday): Looks like the rain will clear out on Saturday and we will be playing. See you there!
August 27, 2017 (Sunday): Excellent night for bocce! We set up 6 courts and had several new players. Local jazz legend Scott Ambush gave a fantastic performance to close out the Summer Concert Series.
August 20, 2017 (Sunday): Another great night for bocce… we set up seven courts and had several new players.
August 13, 2017 (Sunday): Was a fantastic night for bocce… we set up six courts and played until after dark!
August 8, 2017: Met with the Frederick City Parks & Recreation Commission to discuss building permanent bocce courts. Had a follow-up call on Thursday to discuss action items. You can help spread the word! Send this info sheet to your elected official… or to anyone who might help.
August 5, 2017 (Saturday): Great night for bocce in the park… we played past dark!
July 30, 2017 (Sunday): A fantastic night for bocce and music in the park. We set up 7 temporary “courts” and had over 40 players… including several first time players!
July 22/23, 2017: Rained out…
July 16, 2017 (Sunday): Another wonderful night for bocce! We set up 6 temporary “courts” and had over 34 players… including several first time players. We also celebrated Judy’s birthday 🙂 and had our first nonagenarian (90 y/o) athlete join our group.
July 9, 2017 (Sunday): Great night for bocce! Tonight we set up 5 temporary “courts” and had over 37 players.
July 2, 2017 (Sunday): Even though it was July 4th weekend with a lot less foot traffic in the Park, we still set up 5 temporary “courts” and had over 28 enthusiastic players.
June 25, 2017 (Sunday): Tonight we set up 5 temporary “courts” and had over 30 players.
June 17/18, 2017: Rained out…
June 10/11, 2017: Rained out…
June 3, 2017 (Saturday): We set up 4 temporary “courts” and had over 24 players.
May 27/28, 2017: Rained out…
May 21, 2017 (Sunday): Just a quick update… even though it was chilly with rain threatening, we set up 4 bocce courts and had over 20 enthusiastic players ranging in age from 12 to 76 years old. Overall a good start to our bocce season!
March 2017: In partnership with the City of Frederick Parks & Recreation department, we will have an ad in the Summer 2017 brochure inviting all to play “Bocce in the Park”.
March 9, 2017: Carlota Salter and Donna Fuss of Community Living, and Ruth Vickers of Special Olympics Maryland gave us a tour of their courts. They have four bocce courts at their facility in Frederick and they coordinate a very active unified bocce league.
February 23, 2017: Met with Bob Smith and Cheryl Radcliffe of Frederick City Parks & Recreation to discuss partnering opportunities, and our vision for Bocce in Frederick! A special thanks to Bob and Cheryl for a productive meeting.
February 8, 2017: Tim Boyle of Playground Specialists gave us a tour their facility in Thurmont, MD and showed us various synthetic surfaces for outdoor bocce courts.
February 1, 2017: Met with Frederick County Division of Parks & Recreation team (Eric Appel, Bob Hicks, and Jeremy Kortright) to learn about the process for adding Bocce courts in one of the County parks.
January 30, 2017: Attended the FCPS unified bocce tournament at Tuscarora High School. Met Kevin Kendro and Michelle Hill who coordinate unified sports for Frederick County Public Schools.
January 24, 2017: Met with Bob Smith and Cheryl Radcliffe of Frederick City Parks & Recreation.
January 14, 2017: Rich and Donna Maranto visited the Sons of Italy bocce facility in Methuen, MA. Our host Joe Quarterone spent several hours showing us their amazing facility and “talking bocce”. Click here to see more photos and additional information…
