The players trained in three phases:

• the morning was when training exercises took place that focused on specific game skills – throwing in a specific direction (pins) and throwing to a specific distance (shelves),
• in the afternoon, the tournament of individuals took place: the players were divided into two categories according to performance (A – higher performance, B – lower performance). Two tournaments took place simultaneously, one for each category. Matches took place within each group and the best players made it to the finals – the assistant always placed the jack into a different part of the playing area (i. e. a modified match),
• before and after dinner, an all-play-all tournament in integrated boccia took place with 7 participating teams consisting of players and their assistants.

The players’ results from the training phase were quantified and the players were placed into a table according to their performance. Each player marked their results from the training activities in their training log. There was a possible gain of 72 points in pins and 48 points in shelves.

The best players in the training phase were: 1st place –  Ferko Fábry (45%), 2nd place – Ľuboš Kondela (43%) and 3rd place – Michal Tižo (34%). This means that Ferko Fábry managed to defend his title from last year and he got to keep the cup for the best player in the training phase. The other players’ positions as well as more detailed information about their performance can be found in the following table:

The tournament of individuals in modified matches was evaluated for category A and B.

The winners in category A were:

1. Michal Tižo
2. Ľuboš Kondela
3. Ferko Fábry

The winners in category B were:

1. Romana Záslavová
2. Martin Rom
3. Richard Hlinka

The winners of the individuals’ tournament received medals and other prizes. Detailed results of the group matches and the final match are shown in tables that can be found in the attachment.

Seven teams participated in the tournament in integrated boccia. The participating players were as follows:

The winners of the team tournament in integrated boccia were: 1st place –  Divoké šelmy, 2nd place – All exclusive and 3rd place – Žiarivé motýle. They received trophy cups and other prizes. Detailed match results can be found in the attachments to this announcement.

When it comes to the balancing training and leisure time, the program was well-balanced. The participants had enough free time since they were divided into Group A and Group B. This means that players from one group could make use of their free time while the other group was training, whether it was by going for a walk around Čičmany or engaging in friendly conversations. On Tuesday, the participants could enjoy some extra time off instead of some of the training activities. They made use of this opportunity by visiting the Slovak Bethlehem in Rajecká Lesná and playing boccia outside, specifically on the lawn in front of the Čičmany manor house. A pleasant addition was the Schoelen /shoo-len/ board game – the participants played matches throughout the whole event.

The third phase of the training was the team tournament in integrated boccia. Like every year, it was the most lively part of the event. This is, in part, thanks to the fact that all the attendees (both the players and their assistants) participated in the activity. Moreover, team matches themselves are rich in social interaction since the players need to communicate with each other if they want to succeed. Just like the other parts of the training, even this one did not require 100% observance of boccia rules – BC3 assistants were allowed to look at the playing area after the ball was launched, foot faults were pointed out but not penalized, opponents were allowed to comment on each other’s gameplay and it was not seen as interference in the match. Lastly, the trainer was allowed to give the players advice during individual throws.

The third phase of the training was followed by off time. Part of the participants used this time to play board games, schoelen being the most popular one this year. Other participants took part in friendly discussions and the tired ones made way to their rooms.

The event had a friendly atmosphere (except for small misunderstandings resulting from the fact that some less disciplined participants had difficulties observing the time schedule of the individual training phases) and the participants left it having gained new sport skills and having spent quality time with friends.

The 6th annual Čičmany Boccia Camp concluded with an award ceremony during which the participants received numerous prizes.

Ondrej Bašták Ďurán
Boccia camp trainer

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