Philosopher Michael Sandel argues democracy is dying not in voting booths but in the disappearance of places where different classes actually meet. Pétanque might be one of the last holdouts. Take a listen and see if you agree.

Planning your 2026 pétanque season? Here's what's on the calendar and how to make the most of it.

https://usapetanque.org/tournament-calendar.html

The SEA Games bring together Southeast Asian nations in a multi-sport competition that goes beyond Olympic events—giving regional sports like pétanque a prominent international stage. Pétanque has deep roots in the region, particularly in Laos and Thailand, where it rivals mainstream sports in popularity. At the 2025 games in Thailand, Indonesia's Andri Irawan made history with a gold medal in men's singles, challenging the traditional dominance of neighboring countries and signaling the sport's expanding competitive base across the region.

In this episode, we dive into the invisible mechanics that separate casual tossers from true pétanque technicians. Listeners will discover why the instinctive “claw grip” is actually the enemy of accuracy, how the thumb becomes a “forbidden” source of disastrous side-spin, and why trusting centrifugal force—not squeezing—is the key to control. Through vivid analogies and practical corrections, this segment reveals how mastering a deceptively simple grip can transform every throw into one that flies true, lands clean, and behaves exactly as intended.

How did a French boule game become the second national sport of Thailand? We explore how royal patronage, military scholarships, and a dedicated manufacturing industry turned the "Land of Smiles" into the world champion of pétanque, dethroning France at its own game.

This episode explores the unique story of the Lincoln Park Pétanque Club in Chicago, chronicling how they transformed an initially challenging location—a heavily used public gravel path—into a thriving hub for the sport. Their experience demonstrates that playing pétanque successfully in shared public spaces relies entirely on a culture of courtesy, cooperation, and common sense.

This episode takes you inside an extraordinary, five-day intensive training clinic held in Las Vegas, where eighteen dedicated FPUSA trainees converged to learn from international umpire Patrick Grignon. Described by participants as "transformative," "amazing," and "worth every rainy minute," this event was a major milestone—the first-ever U.S. umpire training led by an international umpire.

This episode dives into how FPUSA is building a foundation for professional coaching in the U.S. through a groundbreaking partnership with the Centre International d'Enseignement Pétanque (CIEP), the FIPJP-recognized international training center for coaches. The core goal of this collaboration is simple: to grow pétanque in the US by training the trainers.