Whistlestop MAY 2012
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E PRESS The Leading Information Resource for Marin's Active Aging Movement
Bocce Ball, Tennis Combine Exercise and Active Social Life By JOHN BOWMAN
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taying fit and connected with other people gets harder as we age. Not so for Joe Martino, who will turn 80 later this year. The San Rafael banker is a regular on the tennis courts, and twice a week he plays bocce ball. “My goal is to play tennis three times a week,” he said. And he usually keeps that commitment. Most of it is doubles, although, “One friend of mine, who is older, boosts his ego now and then by playing me in singles.” Joe has been playing tennis since he was 40, and he took up bocce ball about 12 years ago. His wife, Pola, often joins him on the bocce ball court at Albert Park. “About a thousand people play bocce ball here,” Joe said. “And it’s about fifty-fifty men and women. In fact, there might be slightly more women playing.” Joe finds both games to be very social. He was drawn to bocce ball for that very reason. “I was at the park one day and I saw all of these people at the bocce ball courts playing, laughing, talking and occasionally having a glass of wine. It looked like so much fun that I just had to try it. The season runs from late March through October.” He said bocce ball also has a special draw for him because of his Italian heritage. Bocce ball doesn’t require as much physical effort as tennis does. “I feel fortunate at this age to be able to do physical things, especially
Whistlesizers Provides Fun with Fitness page 2
Joe and Pola Martino enjoy a game of bocce ball. tennis.” But it’s the social aspect that keeps him coming back. Joe also has a job that many would envy; he is a Ball Dude for the San Francisco Giants. Those are the folks who sit on chairs by the foul lines and field errant baseballs. Is it fun tossing the balls to fans in the stands? “Well, the Giants are fussy about how you do that,” Joe answered. “They like you to wear a glove and try to catch the ball. Then, we’re not supposed to throw the ball into the stands, but hand it to a kid. If we don’t see a kid, we give the ball to an usher who will find a kid to give it to. And yes, it is great fun.” He hopes to get picked for a couple of games this summer, including Italian Heritage Night at AT&T Park. ✦
Stephanie Mohan's Faces of Whistlestop pages 6 & 7
Pigeons: Love 'em or Hate 'em? page 11