Macken Park (near shelter 1 - near the playground)
Who should join?
New to Bocce Ball? Athletes of all skill levels are welcome!
Volunteers and Unified Partners (age peers) of all skill levels welcome to join us!
How do I join?
Contact the Team Representative: Heather at 816-800-1176
Or, contact the Team Head Coach Kori Hall and Robin Marsh
A current sports physical will be required.
Optional - but appreciated - please join the Northstars Booster Club! Just $30/calendar year.
What to bring to practice?
Water bottle
2022 Important Dates
August 13 - Epic Sports Lodge: 19310 E 50th Terr, Independence, MO 10am-7pm (ish)
October 7-9 - SOMO State Outdoor Games; (Jefferson City); dates/times to be announced
Frequently asked questions
What happens at practice? Each practice is primarily skill building including team play. After a few weeks when the majority of athletes are registered, the coaches assign each one to a team. We participate in the regional and state Special Olympic tournaments. If you know your athlete will not compete in tournaments, that plays into team assignments. First practice is primarily an info session where the head coach gives an overview of the season and the athletes work on some basic skills. Your key contact for all team information during the season is the Northstars Team Rep.
My child has never played bocce or a group sport. I’m wondering if this may be too high level? You will be in good company at Northstars! Very few of our athletes have done any group or competitive sports before Northstars. They just don't have those opportunities through other channels and that's why Northstars was started and is so popular. We have athletes at all levels of skill and ability and there's no pressure to "win". We hope you'll come with your athlete and check us out see if it might be a fit.
Do you need volunteers to help with the teams? Yes. Bocceeis a popular sport and we have lot of athletes and teams. A big need is Unified Partners (UPs) who are typical peers of our athletes. Unified partners play alongside our athletes and help them with skill building, building friendships and having fun with the game. UPs include siblings, friends, classmates, relatives and neighbors.
When are SOMO tournaments? We participate in SOMO tournaments. Teams come from across the western side of Missouri to participate.
What's the cost to register for bocce?
There's no cost to participate in Special Olympics.
Athlete and unified partner families are asked to join the Northstars Booster Club so we can continue to offer these opportunities.
Family membership is $30 calendar year with options for higher levels of support. See details here.
What's the cost to compete in the SOMO State Games?
The NKC School District provides funding for athletes who participate in Special Olympics.
Sometimes additional registration or travel fees apply for State Games participants. You will be notified of those costs in advance so you can choose how to participate.
If this is something you need help paying for, please contact your coach immediately. We're here to help!