Friendly competition at the Hendrickson Park bocce court

They don’t have a name for their group, they don’t play for money and they don’t take the game too seriously. Every Monday and Thursday morning, a group of senior men gather at the bocce court at Hendrickson Park and enjoy each other’s company. They play a few games, share stories and enjoy the fresh air.

Many of the players come from Valley Stream; a few from surrounding towns. The group has grown simply through word of mouth. On a typical day, about a dozen guys will be at the court. Charles Bondi, of Valley Stream, said they start playing when the weather gets warm in March and usually will keep going until November. Unless it’s really cold, he says, they are out there twice a week.

“The senior citizens are getting out,” Bondi said. “We’re getting out and doing something.”

Otto Kraft, of Valley Stream, who described himself as “the only German on an Italian team,” has been playing bocce for two years. He said he used to walk in the park with fellow group member George Bertorello, who suggested to Kraft that he come down and play.

“I like the game,” Kraft said, who noted that he used to come down just to watch before he started playing regularly. “I’m not that good yet.”

Leo Vizzini, who is playing bocce for the fifth year, said he rarely misses a day. The Valley Stream resident said he enjoys being outside in the morning and joking around with the other guys.

For Vizzini, he found out about the group from someone he used to swim with at the village pool. Though he never played the game much before joining the group, Vizzini said he enjoys bocce because it is relaxing. “I think everybody really likes the game,” he said. “I don’t think they would be here if they didn’t.”

Frank DeRosa, 88, describes himself as the elder statesman of the group. He’s been participating for about a decade. He enjoys the fresh air, the exercise, and most importantly, the camaraderie. “You have a lot of fun with the guys,” he said. “We have a lot of laughs.”

Bondi noted that the money to build the bocce court was provided by the now-defunct Italian-American Civic Association. The village parks department maintains the court, located near the gazebo, and recently made some improvements. He said in the spring, parks workers repaired the end walls by replacing missing bricks, and installed new wood on the benches.

“The village tries to make it look nice,” Bondi said, noting the brick walkway, flowers and shrubbery nearby. He also pointed to a new monument to former Deputy Mayor Guido Cirenza, who died last year.

There is also a shed nearby for the group with equipment, rakes and other supplies. For those wanting to enjoy a casual game, there are extra sets of bocce balls at the Hendrickson Park administration building.

The group plays games to either 11 or 21 points. Bondi said when they play to 11, they could probably get a full four games in during the morning.

Michael Forte, of Franklin Square, said they choose different teams each time out. He said it would be unfair to always have the same teams because the guys have different skill levels. Numbers are picked to decide teams each day.

He also said they cheer for one another, even when on different teams. “You’ve got to appreciate when a guy gets a real good shot,” Forte said.