As the autumn sun cast golden highlights along Nason Street, the chirping of birds in the orange trees was interrupted by the clack-clack-clacking of a tomato stake being hammered into dirt with a rock, echoing in the quietude of Veterans Memorial Park. 

“I can’t believe it; this is gonna work!”, said Johnny Kinsman to his tournament-organizing companions Biz McConchie and Ert Amongus, as the trio tested out the new court configurations before the big day.  “This is gonna save us SO much ball-chasing!”.

And so it did. On October 25th of this year, the Second Annual Maynard Bocce Tournament proved to be just as fun and funny as last year’s contest, with Maynard residents and their visiting guests rolling their way through a light-hearted tournament filled with unlikely triumphs and comical heartbreaks as the roots, rocks, and rolling hills of Veterans Memorial Park wreaked havoc on the bocce balls in backyard-style courts.  The improvement implemented by the tomato stakes was in securing new sidewalls and end-boards (donated by a local lumber company on Parker Street with consistently great holiday decorations, who didn’t want any credit for the kindness) on each of the five courts that sprawled around the park.

Reflecting on the differences between one year and the next, organizer Johnny Kinsman said “[Last year], the sides were only lawn flags, and so on some of the courts, the referees spent the whole day chasing the balls down the hills. Getting anything to stay on the court was a big deal, so the winning scores were, like, one to nothing.  This year we had higher scores and less running, which was more fun…but I’ve gotta say last year was still really funny.”

For two consecutive years the Annual Maynard Bocce Tournament was made possible by the Maynard Cultural District, which uses state money specifically granted to sponsor art and cultural events in the town. The Maynard Bocce Tournament is the brainchild of Johnny Kinsman and Biz McConchie, with no small amount of support from their friends and families.

“It’s amazing to see how these events bring people together”, said Kinsman. “Snazzy Sign worked with us to produce the free commemorative t-shirts for all participants. Amory’s Tomb, the staple of so many events in the park, and all around the town, set up their tent with delicious drinks, and when Domino’s Pizza on Main Street got word that we had a last-minute food cancellation, the owner gifted the tournament 20 pizzas so that people could concentrate on the gameplay without getting hungry. A lot of players during the event expressed interest in helping to grow the tournament even more for next year.  It’s just a magical little town.”

Many of the 2025 teams were returning from last year’s inaugural tournament, which enabled folks to rekindle the old bocce rivalries formed last fall.  New teams this year included The Lawn Donkeys (Maynard Fire Department) Bocce and Badges (Maynard Police Department) and the Maynard Planning Board playing as The Special Permits, which, Kinsman said, “added a real sense of legitimacy to this wonderfully silly thing”.

In an 11th-hour flourish of sportsmanship, last year’s championship team The Legendary Dad Bods of Justice shook off the sting of this year’s elimination and suggested that they be the ones to present the new winner(s) with this year’s trophy. After several fun-filled hours, the contest was whittled down to two teams, and one emerged as this year’s champion: The Special Permits with teammates Bill Cranshaw and Chris Arsenault beat The Loon Rangers to become this year’s Champions. 

“We feel so grateful to everyone for making this a success,” said Kinsman in a social media post following the big day, “Special shout-out to our volunteer referees, and all of the unsung people who pitched in behind the scenes to make the day carefree. The event wouldn’t have been possible without them, and to be perfectly honest, it wouldn’t have been worth doing if it were not for the joy and camaraderie that every team brought to the park for the second year in a row!  To hear the good-natured banter and to see the smiles on every face, even amidst (and because of) the comical heartbreak of watching bocce balls ping off the villainous roots and roll into the relentless crevasses of Veterans Memorial Park is a reminder of what a wonderful community Maynard is, and how lucky we are to live here.”

As Maynard resident (and two-time bocce competitor) Denise Shea astutely observed in her blog The Maynard Grapevine following last year’s contest, “…[The] tournament was never really about the game itself, or even who won. It was about bringing the community together to share in a simple pleasure, to laugh at the challenges, and to celebrate each other’s small, ridiculous victories.”

Keep an eye out for next year’s tournament targeted for mid-to-late October next year!

Details forthcoming at www.maynardbocce.com