YARS bocce court helps increase camaraderie Published June 21, 2012 By Staff Sgt. Brenda Haines 910th Airlift Wing Public Affairs YOUNGSTOWN AIR RESERVE STATION, Ohio -- -- Throwing balls toward a target is the oldest game known to mankind. As early as 5000 B.C. the Egyptians played a form of bocce with polished rocks. This ancient sport -- bocce -- can revive the body and mind, and next to soccer, is the most popular game in the world, according to the United States Bocce Federation. While the game of bocce today looks quite different from its early predecessors, the common objective of trying to come as close to a fixed target as possible, remains the same. From Egypt, bocce made its way to Greece in approximately 800 B.C. and soon the craze spread to the Romans who introduced it throughout the Roman Empire. The game's Roman influence is still preserved in its name; bocce derives from the Latin word "bottia" which means boss. The game has long been a favorite with royalty and the military. According to legend, Sir Frances Drake refused to set out to defend England against the Spanish Armada until he finished a game. He was quoted saying, "First we finish the game, then we'll deal with the Armada!" This spirit and passion for the game spread to the United States from England; even George Washington built a court at Mount Vernon in the 1780s. Bocce remained popular in Italy and thanks to a boom in Italian immigration to the United States, the game flourished here around the turn of the century. Bocce found its way onto Youngstown Air Reserve Station in 2002 and now YARS Airmen, Department of Defense civilian employees and their families can benefit from a newly built bocce court that opened June 21, 2012. Keeping uniformed personnel's morale high is essential to their well-being and ability to remain focused on their jobs, according to Air Force Airman and Family Readiness. "When we play bocce, we have these teams from across the base, so people connect with people that they might never talk to in their own little work section," said Lt. Col. Stephanie Welhouse, 910th Force Support Squadron commander. "We become friends and have a bigger network and we understand the mission even more. It's easier to work with people you know and understand, rather than just a name over the phone." YARS is not the only military installation with a bocce court. In 2005, Army soldiers serving in Iraq built a regulation-sized bocce court with a crushed oyster shell surface -- the original surface used for bocce courts. The game helped build camaraderie which proved successful to the Army's mission there. Bocce uses a "court," "alley," or "rink" approximately 60 feet by 10 feet including foul areas at each end. The small target ball, known as the pallino, is then tossed from one end and must land at least 5 feet beyond the center. Each player then bowls his ball, which is heavier than the pallino, as close as possible to the target. This is usually done after a walk-up of several steps within the foul area. Competitors comprise two players with two shots each or teams of three to six people using four shots each. If a ball displaces others already in place it is disqualified. The winner of a game at YARS is the first team to score 13. "The spirit of competition helps build camaraderie," said Jason Uber, network administrator with the 910th Communications Squadron and bocce coordinator since 2003. "It's a game of skill and luck. This year, we have eight teams that will play every Thursday." Uber said the bocce court could not be completed without the help from the YARS Naval and Marine Center. "The Marines really helped by excavating the land in preparation for the court," he said. "They were really instrumental in the project and I hope they join us to play." The new YARS bocce court, located near the deck of the Community Activity Center, contains a surface of granulated agricultural slag and boasts a new set of bocce balls. "Having it located where it is, people can use it if they're staying in lodging -- they can play solo or they can do pick-up games all the time now because of its location," said Welhouse. "They can get the equipment from lodging at the front desk up until 10 o'clock at night and... just play, no charge." Welhouse hopes the addition of the Bocce court will further demonstrate the ability of the CAC to serve as a hub for YARS. "We want to make this whole area more of a community center for the whole base with lodging, bocce, the bar and a [proposed] patio," she said. "It'll be a place where people can just come to relax and learn about new wingman opportunities. We work hard and we play hard." Competition play will begin June 28, 2012 at 4:30 p.m. Airmen and DoD civilians can register for bocce by contacting Jason Uber at 330-609-1986 or jason.uber.1.ctr@us.af.mil.