Veterinary instructor by day, bocce ball player by night

When Phyllis Cassano, DVM, veterinary instructor at Burlington County Institute of Technology, attended veterinary school in Italy between the late 1970s and early 1980s, she picked up a unique sport known as bocce ball—a popular game in that area. In a recent interview with dvm360^®, Cassano shares how she rekindled her love for the game by getting involved with a bocce ball team at her Italian club.

“I started playing with this Amici Della Lingua Italiana which is the club that I’m in and when I was in veterinary school, I used to play bocce because I was in Italy…not often though and I wasn’t on a team but I would play once in a while,” she told dvm360^® staff.

When asked about her favorite part of the game, Cassano opened up about how the women she plays with really enhance the experience and ignite her passion for bocce ball.

“[My favorite part of playing bocce ball] is being with other people and laughing,” she said. "sometimes you succeed and the other person goes, ‘oh what did you do to me?’ and it’s just fun."

Watch the full video below to learn more about Cassano’s passion for bocce ball, plus how the winners are rewarded at the end of the season.