Send us Fan Mail Bocce is not just a game. For some, it’s a lifestyle, a community, and more. Patrick Gersmeyer joins Andy Zimmerman at the Chicago Bocce Club to unpack how a casual pastime became a competitive obsession, a social circle, and a surprisingly powerful blueprint for how to live and work. Patrick shares how he went from subbing in early league nights to captaining a championship team, playing multiple days a week, traveling for tournaments, getting drafted near the end of the Chicago Bocce League inaugural draft, and eventually becoming a weekly starter and settling into long court. Along the way, the conversation gets into why bocce is more of a real sport than outsiders think, and why the mindset it demands - precision, repetition, composure, and practice - shows up everywhere else in life. You will discover: How Patrick joined the American Bocce Company communityWhy being drafted into a semi-pro bocce league felt like a once-in-a-lifetime momentHow bocce has become a place where lifelong friendships are madeThe rule, courtesy, and leadership changes that transformed the culture of the gameAndy and Patrick also dig into the bigger lessons of the game. In a competitive environment, kindness is still the edge. When the rule book is clear and the refs make the calls, ego has less room to run the show, and that shift carries straight into relationships, work, and everyday life. There is also plenty for music lovers here. Patrick breaks down the albums and bands that have been the soundtrack of his life, from Jane's Addiction to Bobby Brown, Janet Jackson, 311, and Incubus. If you like conversations that start with bocce and end up revealing how people grow up, make friends, and become better versions of themselves, this episode is for you. If you love sports, Chicago culture, music talk, and friendly banter, give it a listen. Hosted by Andy Zimmerman of Chicago Bocce Club, American Bocce Co, and the Bucktown Billy Goats of the Chicago Bocce League Produced by Daniel Morrow of Music in the Hall Recorded at Chicago Bocce Club in July 2026
