Naperville hosts nationals of sport for people with disabilities

Athletes from across the nation began facing off Thursday in Naperville in one of the few competitive sports truly open to people with certain physical disabilities: boccia.

Boccia, in the world of adaptive sports, is a precision targeting challenge not unlike the lawn game of bocce. But it's played inside on hardwood courts with leather-covered balls of various consistencies, similar to those used for bags or hacky-sack.

The national tournament for the sport runs through Sunday at Naperville Park District's Fort Hill Activity Center and Players Indoor Sports, where 95 athletes in various divisions are vying for medals in individual, pair and team competitions.

People facing injuries to the higher parts of their spinal cords or more severe symptoms of cerebral palsy don't have a lot of competitive options, but boccia is one of them, said Jason Stubbeman, coordinator of Synergy Adaptive Athletics in DuPage County and a national referee for the sport's governing body, USA Boccia.

Players can compete from their wheelchairs by rolling or throwing boccia balls by hand or by rolling them down a ramp, which they point toward the target using a head piece and the help of a volunteer. Participants aim to land their boccia balls closer to the target, called the "jack," than the balls of their opponent.

"It was kind of complicated at first," said Synergy team member Charlie Lettengerger, 13, who's in his third year competing. "Then I finally learned all the rules."

Charlie joins an experienced group of boccia players from the Western suburbs in teammates Brigid Mason, 32, Matthew Hiltner, 32, and Michele Lynch, 37.

All three have represented Team USA and each is heading to an international competition later this year, in either England or the United Arab Emirates. None has made it to the Paralympics by placing well enough in international play. But Stubbeman said Synergy is working to get its athletes to the elite level of boccia play.

"It's one of the few stand-alone Paralympic sports without an Olympic counterpart," Stubbeman said. "So it's pretty unique."

Nationals won't qualify any athletes directly for the Paralympics, but competitors said the tournament can be a steppingstone and a chance to score medals for gold, silver or bronze in various divisions.

Local competitors are facing counterparts from 13 states with team names such as Jack Attack, Busters 2 and Wheels of Thunder.

Over lunch on the first day of competition, Charlie and his more seasoned teammates talked strategy. Charlie said his strength is the long ball, so he leaves shorter shots to the others. Hiltner, who said he enjoys the camaraderie and success he finds in boccia, said a good game plan takes practice.

"Strategy is the harder part, really," he said. "The game is simple enough."