The potential for bocce greatness was apparently always there.
It just got delayed a while on the way to fruition.
When first introduced to the sport as a pre-teen, Matt Lippa saw it simply as an enjoyable way to spend time with his grandfather – who bought him his first set of boules.
“I’ve still got them,” said the now 32-year-old lifelong Miltonian. “We just picked it up for fun. We played on the beach, or grass or wherever.”
As adolescence arrived, he turned to other endeavours like shiny hockey and snowboarding.
Then – in his mid-20s – a random invite by a friend at the gym set the stage for what would be a highly successful return to the court.
Recalled Lippa, “He said I’m going to play bocce tonight, do you want to come? I thought ‘Yeah, OK, it sounds like an interesting way to spend a Wednesday night’.”
He’d soon find himself signed up to the then newly-formed Extreme Bocce League. And as his accuracy and feel for the game at large developed, he’d graduate to the provincial and eventually national ranks.
Progress and promise was met at every new stage, culminating with last month’s national championship win in men’s precision shooting in Woodbridge.
This stamped his ticket to the world showcase, set for later this month in Turkey (Oct. 22 to 28).
“It feels surreal. I never thought I would make it to that (worlds),” said Lippa, who bested a North York opponent 4-0 last month in his final hurdle to the international stage – following an initial qualifying victory last year in Montreal. “I’m super excited.”
Adding to the thrill of victory is the heartfelt encouragement grandma has passed along during his rise up the competitive bocce ranks.
“She said ‘If your grandfather was still alive he would be at every single one of your games,” said Lippa, who upped his practice regime this summer but still found time to share his expertise with the Milton Special Olympics athletes as they began learning the game at the Italian Cultural Centre of Milton. “He loved the game.”
While on the surface bocce appears to be nothing more than a test of accuracy, experienced players know different.
Said Lippa, “There’s a lot more strategy behind the game than that. If you learn how your opponent plays you can play to their weaknesses and play to what’s working better for you.
“You have to look at all those aspects on a larger scale, and I noticed I picked that up quite quickly.”
Those lessons will now be put to the ultimate test.
As the world championships draw near, Lippa has researched the scores of many other countries’ top players.
What he found offers cause for optimism.
“I’m in the ballpark to be competitive,” he said.