TURBOTVILLE, Pa. — It was a packed gymnasium at Warrior Run High School for this year's Columbia and Northumberland County Bocce Ball Championships.
"We are having our bocce league championship. So, we have schools here from Columbia and Northumberland Counties, and they are going to compete for a gold medal," said Jennifer Tresp, the Training and Sports Director for Special Olympics Pennsylvania.
Students from Warrior Run, Danville, Shikellamy, Central Columbia, and Southern Columbia competed in the tournament. The bocce ball program is sponsored by the Special Olympics.
"Teams are made up of eight students from the schools, and half the team is intellectually disabled, and the other half is not. They play together, they train together, and they learn about each other," added Tresp.
"It is an amazing experience to play with these students. It allows us to create a bond with our special ed students here at the school," said Kaelyn Watson of Warrior Run.
After an opening ceremony to introduce the teams, it's time to compete.
But for the players, it's much more than a competition.
"It has been awesome just playing with our team and just getting to know the other teams as well," said Emma Pick of Warrior Run. "I love learning their names and getting to know them as teams and people."
"It is a competition, but it's fun," said Gabriel Benjamin of Danville. "So, it is just awesome seeing everybody have the opportunity to come out and have fun and enjoy bocce ball."
After a long season, David Soza from Danville was excited to show off his skills.
"We practiced hard, and we played some good games in the past, but this is the most fun we've had yet," said Soza.
The winner of the Bocce Ball tournament will head to State College on March 23 to compete in the Central Pennsylvania Championships.
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