Today we’d like to introduce you to Dante Lovell
Hi Dante, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Growing up in Youngstown, Ohio, my brother Chris and I were immersed in a rich Italian heritage that included the traditional food, music, and, of course, bocce. Bocce has always been a beloved pastime in Northeast Ohio, with numerous clubs and bars dedicated to the game. However, it wasn’t until we relocated to Columbus that our bocce journey truly began. There, we joined local leagues and met Anthony Cugini, a fellow Italian from Columbus both his parents born in Italy. The spark for The Bocce Bros. came when we had custom sweatshirts made for the Columbus Italian Festival, embroidered with “Youngstown Bocce” and an Italian flag to represent our hometown. When we wore these sweatshirts to a bocce bar in Youngstown a whole year later, we were surprised by 30 legitimate orders from people wanting their own.
This interest revealed a vibrant bocce community that had not yet modernized. From there, “The Bocce Bros.” was born, founded by me, my brother Chris Lovell, Anthony Cugini, and the addition of Carmen Marinucci, who, like us, is from Youngstown with his family being from the same town in Italy as our family. We initially focused on selling city-specific bocce apparel, then expanded to keeping statistics on tournament-winning teams, creating a centralized bocce calendar on our website, a podcast, and streaming games live for people to watch on the go or at home. Our mission has always been “Promoting the legacy and future of bocce through engaging social media, podcasts, live streams, apparel & more.”
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
While the journey has been largely positive, it hasn’t been without its challenges. All of us involved with The Bocce Bros. have our own separate careers and some of us have families, balancing these responsibilities while pursuing our passion for bocce.
One of our initial hurdles was earning respect and trust within the already existing bocce community. We started by attending long-standing tournaments and introducing ourselves, often bringing cameras and live streaming games, asking players for interviews. Understandably, this approach was met with some hesitance at first. However, once people saw that we were dedicated to highlighting and celebrating this beautiful game and its community, attitudes began to shift.
Overall, we’re pleasantly surprised and incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made in growing the game of bocce over the past four years. The support and enthusiasm from the community have been more rewarding than we could have imagined.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Our work revolves around promoting and advancing the game of bocce. Think Bocce ESPN/Sportscenter mixed with TMZ. Our work extends to creating quality, city-specific bocce apparel, highlighting and maintaining statistics for tournament-winning teams. We also manage a comprehensive bocce calendar on our website to keep the community informed about upcoming events. A network for bocce players and enthusiasts
One of our key achievements is the successful integration of modern media into the bocce scene. We stream and promote tournaments, creating a centralized platform where fans can follow the action, watch live games, and view past matches. This approach not only enhances the visibility of bocce but also brings the game to a broader audience.
We take pride in our role in bridging the gap between tradition and contemporary engagement. What sets us apart is our personalities and commitment to not only celebrating the rich history of bocce but also innovating ways to modernize and expand its reach. Our mix of passion, modern media, and community-focused initiatives helps us stand out.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
One of the most important lessons we’ve learned along our journey is the value of staying true to our mission despite the many opinions and feedback we encounter. While still taking feedback constructively. It’s easy to get sidetracked by differing viewpoints, but we’ve found that maintaining a clear focus on our goals and believing in our vision helps us navigate challenges effectively.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://theboccebros.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theboccebros/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBocceBros/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBocceBros
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPgr3KpL19d6lPCxm6MkWdA
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/the-bocce-bros
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/46lQYJtqURwWu75HidV3cm
