Hi all, Milan here from BocceLabs. 

Happy Memorial Day!

Can you believe that in less than a year we’ve already seen:

…and me? Well, I found a lovely new apartment.

So overall, we’re running on all cylinders over here.

But jokes aside, since the inception of BocceLabs, one thing we always believed has continued to prove itself true:

And honestly? The community surrounding this sport is larger, more passionate, and more creative than we ever imagined. 

Ever since we poked our heads onto the scene, the response has been incredible. The ideas, the support, the criticism, the debates, the late-night messages, the random conversations at courts and bars — we genuinely love all of it.

Because it means people care (fill our survey if you do).

I think now is a good time to check in not only with all of you, but with ourselves as well. To look at where we’ve been, where we’ve tried to go, and where we want to head next.

For years, I’ve had this vision that bocce deserves a home.

Not just another app. Not just another stats page. Something bigger.

A sort of national identity for good old-fashioned American bocce. A one-stop portal that can act as both a home base for existing players and clubs, while also serving as a launching pad for people just discovering the cult… I mean community.

Because bocce is more than just a game.

And our goal with BocceLabs has always been to help preserve that while simultaneously helping the sport grow.

Our partnerships with the OBL and CBL have already started giving us analytics and insight into some of the highest levels of play in the country. 

Huge shoutout to all the volunteers who helped through the growing pains while we figured this thing out.

Those people worked for pizza, y’all. 

Maybe some Taco Bell too.

But this raises an important question:

Well…

Yes and no.

Analytics are absolutely part of the vision. But they’re also just one road leading toward something much larger.

What does this hungry community actually want?

What does the next step even look like?

We dipped our toes into league management software. It’s feasible… but it also requires manpower, development, and an interface actually worth ditching your Excel and Google Sheets for.

A payment portal?

Nah.

…I mean maybe.

Historical data?

Definitely something we want to continue partnering with clubs and leagues to preserve and build out.

There are a lot of avenues we’ve slightly explored, and some new ones we’re now attacking full head of steam.

Our advisory board member, Ben of the Southwest Florida Bocce League is working on instant measuring software through video analysis. How cool is that?

Ric in the Carolinas reached out — and I still owe him a Coke for not being able to help with the tournaments out there. You are NOT forgotten.

And advisory board member, Dave Krone of Chicago Bocce League has his teammates collecting data on paper and clipboard steadily uploading ideas to us to implement before his team’s fall season.

But one of the core pillars of our philosophy is this:

Just like every club, league, and tournament has been built on the sweat, passion, and love of individuals coming together to create community, we want to empower players on every level.

The individual.

The league.

The tournament.

The club.

How do we get more people involved while simultaneously growing the sport?

We believe people should be rewarded for their contributions — or at the very least acknowledged for them.

And that brings us to what’s next.

Our next endeavor seeks to put the game directly into your hands.

What if you could start building your own bocce legacy with just a few clicks?

How deep do you want to go?

We think all of it matters.

Because all of it is part of the culture.

As the Bocce Broadcast Network, CBL, OBL, and all the wonderful clubs around the country continue finding new ways to grow the sport, we think it’s time for the people who have been here since the beginning — and the people just showing up now — to start building their own legacy too.

And we’re ready to start giving the people what they want.

We’ll keep moving forward.

We’ll pivot when needed.

But ultimately, we think it’s time to start bringing all these scattered pieces of bocce culture together and give them a proper home — without disrupting all the incredible work already being done.

Supplement.

Not replace.

We’re here for you, the individual player.

Whether you watch, play, dominate tournaments, or are simply a beer league legend, we all love the same game.

And we’re excited to roll out a few things very soon.

As for the future?

It’s all on the table.

🗺️ We (shoutout to Dino Franceschi of Waterside Club NY) already put more bocce courts on the map — literally — than maybe anyone ever has through BocceMap. And that’s just one piece of the puzzle.

We love this game.

We want to help it grow.

And we think that starts with the people who are already here, ready to help and hungry to build something bigger together.

Bon appétit.

Milan
BocceLabs