In Augusta, the Mill Park Pétanque Club teaches its game to a new generation

Augusta’s Mill Park Pétanque Courts Become Cultural Hub for Students and Seniors

Augusta, Maine – On a crisp October Thursday, a group of sixteen Mattanawcook Academy French‑class students gathered at the newly built Mill Park Pétanque Courts, their first encounter with a game that has long been a staple of French leisure culture but only recently found a home in Maine.

Pétanque, a lawn‑ball sport in which players toss metal balls as close as possible to a small target ball called a cochonet, was introduced to the students by a local club that has turned the city park into a seasonal gathering place for seniors, retirees, and newcomers alike.

“Every time I pick up a ball, I think about where it will break on the crushed stone, where the divots might throw me off,” said Eric Ayotte, a junior at Mattanawcook Academy who also plays golf. “There’s a lot of moving parts. It would be sick to get one of these in Lincoln.” Ayotte, who had spent the morning studying the court’s surface, was among the first to try a throw. He noted that the game’s strategy—choosing a spot that brings the ball closest to the cochonet while also blocking opponents—requires the same kind of tactical thinking he uses on a golf green.

The courts, 10 in number and fully lit for evening play, were funded by a $50,000 fundraising effort spearheaded by club founder Raymond Fecteau, 82, a former barber who fell in love with pétanque during a trip to France. Fecteau, who has been active in the club for 17 years, said his main goal has always been to “teach kids how to do it,” even though the club’s 71 members are primarily older adults. “We don’t get a lot of kids,” he said, adding that the recent influx of school‑age players was a welcome change.

Fecteau’s own recovery from open‑heart surgery last year added a personal dimension to the day. “I thought maybe my pétanque playing days were over,” he recalled, “but after a couple of months of rehab, I was back on the courts.” Dan Howard, the club’s president, has been helping to manage operations, allowing Fecteau to focus on coaching.

The student group, led by French teacher Melanie Turner, had traveled 250 miles from Lincoln to attend the session. Turner said that exposing her students to the game was part of a broader effort to connect them to their Franco‑American heritage. “I think it’s important for them to make that connection,” she said. “I’d like to see if we can bring it back to Lincoln.” Several students, including junior Gracie Averill, expressed excitement about the new pastime. Averill described the experience as “pretty fun” and noted that while the game can be competitive, it is not too strenuous: “We do get competitive. It’s just a fun game that’s not too strenuous.”

Club member Gary Golden was on hand to give hands‑on instruction to the students, guiding them through the nuances of the court’s layout and the physics of the toss. “You really have to think about your shot. There’s a lot of moving parts,” Golden told a group of eager listeners as they practiced.

Fecteau watched the lesson with a mix of pride and curiosity. “In the time they’ve been here, you see how much progress they’ve made,” he said. “It’s satisfying.” He added that the club’s membership skews older but that “the baby of our crowd is around 47,” suggesting that even those in their late forties can quickly pick up the skill.

While the focus of the morning was on teaching new players, the courts also hosted a regular senior‑women’s group that had been meeting weekly on one of the courts for years. The club’s multi‑generational appeal was evident as teenagers and seniors shared the same playing field, each learning from the other.

Looking ahead, Fecteau hopes to expand the club’s reach. “I think the baby of our crowd is around 47, but see, these people, they take to it,” he said, hinting at the potential for new members to join. With the courts already well‑used during the day and lit for evening play, the club appears poised to keep growing.

As the students packed up and headed back to Lincoln, they took with them a new skill and a sense of connection to a broader cultural tradition. For the seniors who had spent countless afternoons on the same crushed‑stone courts, the day was a reminder that the simple joy of a well‑thrown ball can bridge generations—and that even in Maine, a game from the French countryside can find a welcoming home.