You’re blind if you didn’t notice all the tweets for the Des Moines Bocce Ball Social Club recently. Thank goodness for the Internet. I’m not Italian, and bocce certainly isn’t spelled like it sounds. So yeah, I had to use Google to determine what I was getting myself into. I’m assuming I’m not the only one. Few could have predicted the success that @dsmBocceBall generated in a mere two weeks. Nearly two hundred followers later, it is safe to say that bocce has arrived in Des Moines. Twitter was buzzing with chatter regarding locations for competition, and locals scrambled to fill their rosters with the best athletes.
The timing for the club’s inaugural event couldn’t have been better. I promised myself several weeks ago that I would try to escape the confines of my college campus in an effort to meet more people and partake in all that the city has to offer. Still, I was a little nervous when I got out of the car at Jasper Winery last Tuesday, dragging my heavy set of bocce balls across the parking lot.
The event was in full swing by the time I arrived – the people were mingling, the bocce balls were soaring, and the sangria was flowing! I grabbed a drink, settled in, and watched the action. Now, it should be noted that there are no professional bocce players in Des Moines, though the competition remained fierce. Intimidating? Sure, but I didn’t go there to sit on the sidelines. I gathered several bystanders, and we started a game of our own.
There’s absolutely no learning curve, and the simple game play proved addictive. Not surprisingly, the air was soon full of bocce balls and trash talk. Rather than bore you with a play-by-play of the action, let’s just say that despite a great effort, I was dispatched in the last minute by a furious bombardment of well-placed shots.
Despite the crushing defeat, I left feeling quite pleased about the potential for future events. The twenty-some people that showed up far exceeded my expectations and, with more viral tweeting, that number is bound to grow. According to club founder Jordan Lampe, we can definitely expect more venues and sponsors in the future – so stay tuned!
Most importantly, I left knowing that I had found a great way to meet and connect with friends I had made electronically via Twitter or SMCDSM. The competition was fun, but the Des Moines Bocce Ball exists for a greater purpose. It is an opportunity to get together, throw plaster balls really far and enjoy one another’s company.
That alone was worth the price of those damn heavy balls.
Nate Saul is a senior at Drake University, pursuing degrees in marketing, management, and entrepreneurship. When he isn’t busy trying to figure out his life, he can be found sifting through the Internet’s many nooks and crannies, plucking tentatively at his guitar, or counting down the days until Ohio State football. Follow him on Twitter at @natesaul.
Sorry for the “furious bombardment of well-placed shots” – but someone had to win!
Nice meeting you and great post!
[...] I’m talking about this post. As highlighted by Nate Saul’s CarpeDM and Emily Beck’s Dish on Des Moines postings, we had our first ever Des Moines Bocce Ball Social [...]
We had quite the collection of loquacious folks out that night. I’d tossed a bocce ball maybe once before in my life, but this brought everything back. I’m anxious to see even more folks out next time getting into the swing of things. If we can maintain the same kind of easy-going feel I think we’ll see the club continue to grow with each new event.
Thanks for offering to start up a game, even though we were left utterly defeated by the superstars from Bocce Storm. We threw valiantly, but it just wasn’t enough to bring home a victory. Maybe next time!