UPCOMING EVENTS

Family Meeting
Fall 2011

58th Cirelli Family Bowling
Tournament & Reunion 

 

A member of the Little League board of directors, Jackie Aker, had sent out information about the 
awards to volunteers thinking many of them would qualify. After Lillo completed the paperwork, Aker 
told him he qualified for the annual gold certificate for 500 hours as well as the lifetime award for 
compiling more than 4,000 hours. 
As an award winner, Lillo received: 
 • An official president's Volunteer Service Award pin; 
 • A personalized certificate of achievement; 
 • A note of congratulations from the president of the United States; and 
 • A letter from the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation. 
 "I was honored to learn I would be recognized for my volunteer activities by the president's council," 
Lillo said. "Being recognized for something I was doing that gave me such enjoyment and satisfaction 
was like icing on the cake." 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

The man in blue calling balls and strikes obviously loves his work away from work at DLA. "I really like
working with the children," he said. "At 11 and 12 years old they have a love of the game less influenced
by the many distractions faced when they get a little older. They just enjoy playing and don't worry so
much about winning and losing. And at my age it's the only way I can still get onto the field."

 Getting onto the field is one thing; staying there, even as a volunteer, takes training as well as dedication.
To that end, Lillo has taken several clinics given by Andy Konyar, chief umpire for Little League. Lillo
has also attended a clinic given by the Southern Region. Plus, he conducts umpire clinics each year to
train umpires in the Annandale North Springfield Little League.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Up until receiving the President's Volunteer Service Award, Lillo's greatest reward came last summer
when he was chosen to umpire at the Southern Regional Little League Tournament in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The winner of that tournament each year goes on to compete in the Little League World Series at
Williamsport, Pa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I umpired in 10 games of the tournament, including the championship game televised on ESPN in prime
time on a Saturday night," said Lillo, his own inner child bursting with excitement. "So, I got my
15 minutes of fame. That was exciting to say the least."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4/16/2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Public Affairs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DLA employee plays ball "the Italian way"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Beth Reece

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of Dennis Lillo's earliest childhood memories takes place under the elevated train tracks in Brooklyn, where he watched Italian men roll balls and bicker over the space between each.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lillo was so charmed by the game called bocce (bah-chee) that today he holds
annual tournaments in his Alexandria, Va., backyard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a pallino, Lillo said, plunking a small but heavy globe onto his desk. The goal is to throw this little ball, then try to get as close as possible to it with your teams bocce balls, said the staff director for the Defense Logistics Agencys Environment, Safety and Occupational Health Division.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bocce became the rage in America in 1989. Its roots extend back to Egypt in 5200 B.C., according to the World Bocce Association. Then, players used polished rocks, but todays bocce balls are composite or metal and can be bought in varying weights. Some say the Romans were first to play bocce as it is now known.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a typical game, two teams of two to four players each roll or toss bocce balls as close to
the pallino, or target ball, as possible. Teams receive one point for every ball closer to the
pallino than those of the opposing team, with up to four points possible in a single frame.
Scoring rules vary, but the winning team is usually the first to reach 16 points.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The game is often played on a level surface of grass, sand or dirt, though hard-surfaced
courts can now be found at resorts, parks, planned communities and even some Italian
restaurants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“It’s almost like horseshoes. You try to get closer to the pin than your opponent,
except in this case the pin can move,” Lillo said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hitting the pallino simply moves it to another point. This can increase your points, or if
you have a bad shot, it will change the dynamics and move the pallino closer to the
opponents balls and possibly reverse the points.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strategy overrides strength, as teammates discuss how to beat an opponents shot by
either getting closer to the pallino, knocking the opponents ball away or blocking the
balls path to the pallino. A skilled player can judge distances and has good
hand- and eye-coordination.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cassie Watson, occupational safety and health manager for the headquarters complex,
discovered bocce during an office picnic at Lillos house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm very competitive and consider myself a quick study so I thought it would be easy, but
it's not as easy as it looks, she said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lillo's backyard court is 76 feet by 10 feet, lined with six by six timbers and enough space
to seat spectators. About 60 people attend his yearly tournament, which is more about fun
than winning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We try to take some of the competitiveness out of it, so instead of having four 25-year-olds
getting together to try and win, it becomes more of a family thing. It's still competitive,
depending on players nature, but our goal is to have a good time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best thing about bocce, Lillo said, is that anyone can play – men, women, children
and the elderly. He pointed to a snapshot of his 87-year-old mother preparing to roll a ball
in one of the tournaments as proof.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's becoming more and more popular, especially in over-55 communities, and doesn't take
a lot of physical strength, he said. It's a good way to stay active even into your older years, and also a good way to socialize."