New Court Plans

3/23/2017

New courts are well under way. We thought you might want to check out the plans.

Registration is open

1/16/2017

Benicia Bocce League 2017 Team Registration Notice

Attention all BBL Capos, league members and enthusiasts,

Team registration for the 2017 season is now open. It’s a new year and with the construction of the new courts underway, many changes are in the works for the upcoming season. Below are details of the more significant ones we all need to be aware of.

Divisions

Due to extra courts and anticipated demand, the league will be reorganized from the current 4-division format into a 7-9 division format with each division playing the same night or day each week. Each evening, Sunday through Friday will be its own division. If demand warrants we will also create 1-3 weekend divisions that would play on Saturday and/or Sunday mornings at 9:00am & Saturday evening at 6:00pm. Each evening division will consist of 8-9 teams. The number of teams in the Saturday/Sunday morning & Saturday evening divisions will be dependent upon demand. The league will not be divided into competitive and recreational divisions for the 2017 season since we anticipate a significant influx of new players of unknown skill levels. The league will re-evaluate this option at the end of the 2017 season for the 2018 season. The makeup of the new divisions will be announced sometime in late March or early April.

Registration (Closes March 1, 2017)

Registration is now 100% on-line only and should only take a few minutes to complete. 
Registration dues remain the same as last year at $350 per team, plus $10 for each team member for City of Benicia maintenance fees. Payment is due upon submission of your application. All major credit cards are accepted. Though not mandatory (except for the Capos), we encourage all league members to include your email address in the roster section of the form to keep you informed of league activities. To complete the application, each new or existing team must designate a Capo (captain) & Co-Capo and have a minimum of 6 team members (including the Capo & Co-Capo) and a maximum of 12 team members. The league is open to men & women and you need not be a Benicia resident. There is no minimum age requirement but  more than ½ of the team must be at least 18 years old. 

Returning Teams

Returning teams from the three 2016 evening divisions have priority for the 6 new Sunday-Friday evening divisions they prefer to play, with top priority given to teams wanting to play on one of the 2 nights they played previously.  However please provide your 2nd and 3rd division choices in the space provided in the application. Several returning teams from the Saturday/Sunday day division have expressed a wish to move to one of the evening divisions. If you do, you will have 2nd priority for the evening division vacancies. Returning Saturday/Sunday day league teams wishing to continue playing on weekends will be placed in a new weekend division if demand warrants it. From initial estimates from the waiting list, we expect the demand will be there to create at least 1 weekend division but we won’t know for sure until registration closes and we review all preferences.

New Teams

We anticipate we will be able to place all new teams somewhere but your first or second preferences are not guaranteed. New teams that have split from existing 2016 teams will have 3rd priority for any evening division they prefer to play. New team priority is determined by the date you signed up on the waiting list. Newly formed teams consisting of all new members have last priority for any evening division they desire to play. If we can’t place your team somewhere agreeable, your registration money will be fully refunded.

Teams Looking for Players and Players Looking for Teams

If you are a returning or new team looking for players, or an individual looking to join a team you can go to the Find-a-Team Facebook page we have created to connect teams with individuals. Press the +Join Group button and let others know of your interest.

***** Remember, Registration closes March 1st. *****

Liability Waiver Forms

Signed liability waiver forms are required from all teams/players, which are due at the Capos Meeting, the date to be determined. We will send out new 2017 forms in fillable PDF format after the close of registration.

Season Schedule

We anticipate a later start to the season this year due to new court construction and we won’t know a date for sure until construction nears its final stages. As of now, construction is scheduled for completion mid-May, weather permitting. It’s been raining quite a bit lately. The number of matches may have to be reduced and/or bye weeks eliminated for the 2017 season.

Capos Meeting

Attendance at the Capos Meeting, held before the start of the season, is mandatory for all Capos & Co-capos. The date, time and location is still to be determined.

Playoff Format

With the new division structure, the playoff format will definitely change for the coming season. The playoff structure will be determined after the new league divisions have been determined and we know the number of teams in each division.   ​

​Thanks everyone. It's an exciting time for our league. We look forward to seeing you on the courts.

 - Benicia Bocce League

Let's Roll

12/21/2016

For those who may not be aware, in November the Benicia City Council voted to approve the contract for the construction of two additional bocce courts next to the existing courts behind the City Library.  On behalf of the Benicia Bocce Board, I extend our sincere thanks to all five council members who voted in support of the project and also to our league members whose generosity over the last several years raised an amazing sum of $125,000 which has been subsequently donated to the City for the effort. Construction is underway, with completion anticipated by mid-May 2017.

The new courts will allow the league to expand significantly beyond the 39 team limit we have endured for several years due to a lack of court space. Online registration will start in early-mid January with an early February cut-off date anticipated. In the interim, the league encourages all individuals interested in forming or joining a new team to sign-up now on our waiting list. The waiting list is already quite large so don’t delay while space is still available. Those who sign up will be notified by early January when 2017 registration will open. Returning teams are guaranteed a spot for the 2017 season. New team applications will be considered on a first come, first serve basis from the waiting list. League fees will remain at $350 for the 2017 season. Teams must consist of 6-12 members, with at least ½ of the team members 18 years of age or older. The league is co-ed. Membership does not require Benicia residency. If you are an individual or couple and are unable to assemble a full team, the league will make every effort to place you on a newly formed or existing team. We anticipate the season will begin in mid-May this year, a little later than normal due to new court construction, and end in early September. The BBL board expects a new look for the league for 2017, with 6 evening leagues, each consisting of 8-9 teams with 1 league for each night, Sunday through Friday and possibly a weekend day league, if demand warrants it. 

Should you have any questions we encourage you to write the League through our contact page, or send us an email at info@beniciabocce.org. We will have four of the finest courts to be found anywhere. We encourage all to join in the fun and experience the sense of community spirit the Benicia Bocce League exemplifies.
 
Greg Richey
President
Benicia Bocce league

New Courts Update

8/14/2016

A considerable effort has been taking place over the past few months to move the construction of the new courts forward. The Board solicited new bids from 2 local contractors with the involvement of the City Parks & Recreation department. The low bid submitted by Harold Bray Construction, a contractor well known by the City, came in at $185,246. This amount excluded the cost of building a new shed, which the City estimates will add approximately $12,000 to the project cost. Fundraising has netted a total of a $125,000 to date with pledges for team tile purchases of over $7,500 still unfulfilled. 
The Board has also been in discussions with directors of the Parks & Recreation & Economic Development Departments and City Council members to solicit their support in closing the approximate funding gap of $75,000. This issue will be brought before the Council as an agenda item at the September 6th Council meeting with an up or down vote to take place at that time to fund whatever gap remains. By the city’s own calculation, Measure C funds, which Benicia voters approved to fund infrastructure needs for public safety, roads & PARKS, have exceeded original estimates by $1.4mm. We need to fight for some of those funds. We strongly encourage all league members, those wishing to join the league but cannot due to the limited courts and other bocce enthusiasts to attend this crucial meeting to stand as one and show our collective support for this worthy community project. All individuals will have up to 5 minutes to let their voice be heard should you choose to do so. For those who have provided email addresses to the league, reminders will be sent as the date approaches but please tell your teammates, friends, business colleagues, church groups and civic organizations about this critical meeting and mark your calendars now. An article is also planned for the Benicia Herald to reach the community at large.
In the interim, for those of you who have pledged funds to this effort but have yet to fulfill them, now is the time. For those of you who have not pledged or provided assistance as of yet, we need your help now, as well. The more we can close the funding gap, the easier the vote will be for our Council members. Please contact Greg Richey via email at greg@signalsolutions.com or by phone at (707) 974-0612 should you have any questions regarding past pledges or how to contribute to the project.
The board thanks all who have contributed in the past and also wishes to acknowledge the following recent significant contributions to the effort:

​$10,000
Paula & Jim Gallagher        

$5,000
Sheri & Richard Bortolazzo      Jill & Eric Hoglund     Peg & Mike Klug
Mittie & Fred Railsback         Lisa & Scott Reep       Sue & Greg Richey
Ellen & Bob Whitehead           Republic Services

$2,500
Coldwell Banker         Signal Solutions Corporation    Valero Corporation

Fate of the new courts

8/13/2016

The fate of the construction of the 2 additional bocce courts will be decided at the upcoming City Council meeting next Tuesday, September 6th at 7:00 pm with an up or down vote anticipated. We're prepared our arguments for why this project should be approved. But the best arguments often carry more weight when voiced directly from the heart, and backed by numbers. That’s why we are asking all of you to attend this make or break meeting, to stand up (or at least be seated) to make it clear to the Council that this project is worthy of their votes.

The bottom line is the City has surplus money from Measure C, which we all have paid a share of. They wanted us to take out more loans. The Board has rejected that notion, feeling the bocce community has contributed enough. Looking in to the future, we’d rather see a reduction in registration dues than an additional financial burden placed upon us all.
 
We are well aware that some teams will be playing the first round of the playoffs that night but for those of us who can attend, please be there by no later than 7:00 pm as we are first on the agenda. We need to fill the chamber. Don’t forget it’s an election year. You can bet that our council members have not. We only need three votes. We think the vote will be close. Please mark your calendars now.

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