Dodgeball Fun Night Photos
Season 2 kicks off with an incredible showing of new and veteran players on January 17, 2012. Here are some of the photos:
For the rest of the photos, visit the facebook page here!
Intro Dodgeball Night Photos
We had an outstanding showing last night, and have signed up tentatively the first 7 teams. Here are some photos from the event. Thanks to everyone who came out and had fun!
FAQ
When does the fall dodgeball season run?
Beginning Tuesday, October 4th, the season runs 9 weeks, two of those weeks being playoffs. Games are held at either 8pm or 9pm each Tuesday.
How large is a team and how many females on a team?
A team is typically 8-12 players large, with usually 3-4 females. Having said that, there have been very successful all female teams (I lost to the “Sand Boxes” in finals last summer). The more reliable your members, the less players you need. I suggest new teams to have 10 players for a new team.
Why should I play dodgeball?
Exercise, meeting new people, networking, it’s a blast, very little athletic abilities required, inexpensive, and we play with a “fun first attitude.”
How much does it cost?
Depending on if you are a student or not, you can see current prices by clicking on the registration link at the top of the page. Students will be receiving some sort of subsidy by the TRU Student’s Union, so fees are TBD.
More questions to come. Email me as well with any questions you have!
Dodgeball Promotional Poster
I wanted to start a contest to make the coolest poster or creative media for Kamloops Dodgeball. I know it’s a crazy idea, who would go to the effort? There’s no community that exists around this sport yet in Kamloops, so I went ahead and put my amateur photoshop skills to the test. I wasn’t disappointed in the result:
Fall Dodgeball Registration
Don’t wait! Only 8 teams on each night will be accepted to compete in the first ever Kamloops Dodgeball league. First teams to pay in full and register will compete for championship t-shirts and bragging rights!
[ESPRESSO_EVENTS]
Dodgeball Sportsmanship
Dodgeball is not your typical sport. We play co-ed and at a recreational level so that all may participate and have fun. Here’s a quick list what is expected from a team to exhibit good sportsmanship. Dodgeball is about building a community, making friends with your opponents, and developing lasting relationships.
Just to give you an idea, through dodgeball I’ve found a job, and acquired customers, and convinced the woman of my dreams to date me. You want to talk about networking? This is your chance to meet hundreds of people in a fun and semi-competitive setting!
Anyways, here is the list:
- At the beginning of the game when the Games Coordinator (GC) calls you over, you should introduce yourself to the other captain and the GC. Shake hands and wish him or her good luck
- At the end of the game, three cheers and shaking hands is customary at all competition levels
Those are the easy and obvious ones, but there are a few that might not be obvious to new players:
- When someone on the other team does something exceptional, like dives for a ball and catches it, or throws a really good ball that hits you, it’s nice to say “good catch” or “good throw” even though it’s the other team
- If there is only one member of your team left on the court, it’s considered good sportsmanship for your out-of-play team mates to raise their hand (indicating they are not in play), and kick balls over to the other team. It’s only necessary to do this if balls are piling up on your side
- If an opponent has fallen or is caught right at the center line, an angry hard through is not necessary to get the other player out
- If a player is crouching or flat on the ground and gets hit in the head, the throw is still legal. It’s customary to stop play to make sure that player is ok before continuing
- If a wild throw is made that is high, even if it’s not at risk of hitting someone above the shoulders, one should apologize quickly to the other team
- Friendly sh*t-talking to another team that you know, and are friends with is encouraged, but intimidating a new team will not be tolerated
Think of something else? Feel free to post in the comments!
Want to be a Ref?
I might even give you a whistle. You’d ref two games a night. Email me to tell me a bit about yourself, we can talk about the cash money.
Dodgeball Strategy: Part 2
If you haven’t read Part 1 of Dodgeball Strategy, that is a good place to start. Here are some additional tips that came to mind when writing this:
1) Have every member of your team always hold their throwing hand behind their back. The other team won’t know who has balls, and you can do fake throws to really throw off the other team’s game. There is nothing better than messing up the other team’s volley with a fake throw. Not only does it save your team mates, but if their throws are staggered, there is a much higher chance of your team catching.
2) For more advanced throwers, direct them to look at one target and throw at another out of their peripheral vision. You can easily catch people unaware when they don’t expect it.
3) I like to keep a spare ball on the ground on the same side their “out” members are. If the other team happens to get a catch I try to nail the guy who is just coming back on the court before he knows what’s going on.
4) If you are playing on a hard surface your players can use knee pads to drop low to catch balls.
5) If it’s the same format as I’m used to, there are 3 balls on each side right off the bat. In larger gyms or courts I have my team hang back and dodge or catch the first 3. At this point you should have six balls. Throw four, keep two back to disrupt and prevent a counter-attack.
6) Have your hardest and most accurate throwers eliminate the largest enemy threat on the other team. Hang back until you have 6 balls and all throw at their best player. One player on a dodgeball team can be strong enough to carry an entire team, but it’s almost impossible to catch when six balls are coming at you. Once that player is off, keep throws really low to avoid him or her from getting caught back on. This can really frustrate a player that is used to being the backbone of a good team.
7) You can work out a system to call out who you are targeting when throwing as a group. Some teams use numbers (usually the number represents the nth person from the left or right). You can get creative and your strategy could be something like, “target the guy or girl with the longest pants.”
Hope you’ve enjoyed these tips. Feel free to comment with your own!
Dodgeball Strategy: Part 1
These are just a freeform list of tips I provided to my friend preparing for corporate challenge. A lot of these tips are dependant on the rules in place. For instance, the Vancouver Dodgeball League allows players to drop balls or catch multiple balls at once without being out. The Calgary Dodgeball League has a rule that says once a player picks up a ball, it must be thrown across the center line or the player is out. This short but key rule determines a lot about the strategy! In the Van league, I would just sit at the back of the gym all day and catch like a mad man, probably not even bothering to pick up a ball. In Calgary, I often pick targets who are already holding balls to throw at, because they can only catch once the ball their holding is thrown across center. As such, many of these tips might more applicable for Alberta based dodgeball leagues:
1) Never throw the ball at another player who is holding the ball 1v1, let him throw first, and then he’ll be vulnerable. If your league has a 10 second rule, you may be able to fake a throw and “reset” your 10 seconds by bouncing the ball over the center line. I often keep a ball by my feet and wait for the opponent to pick his up first. With the 10 second rule, you force the other player to throw first if he picked up first.
2) Discipline is the name of the game for a good Dodgeball team. Your biggest liability is your girls throwing the balls and getting caught. You can fix this by either asking the women to give balls to your best throwers, or to all throw at once. We have a rule where you aren’t allowed to throw a ball at a target unless 2 buddies are also going for the same guy. This is what you really need to work on, and it requires communication. Since you only have 10 seconds to hold the ball, players can keep balls near their feet and wait until there are more balls before calling a target, counting to 3, and then throwing.
3) Catching is the name of the game. Choose players who instinctively catch balls instead of turning their backs or turtling. Girls that are good at dodging can actually hurt your team if they delay the length of a game. If you are behind 1 or 2 games, and need time to catch up, and the team is 5 on 1 against your girl (who may or may not be able to make a comeback), it may be better for that girl to either attempt a catch or just get out.
4) If you are playing a team that catches a lot, get their girls out first. That way you clog up their order with girls so that if some of your balls get caught, it’s only girls coming back in.
5) When multiple people are throwing at one target, it’s much more effective if you spread out because it’s harder to track balls incoming from different angles.
6) It sounds hilarious, but tight clothing can save you. Clothing counts as being hit, and I see guys get hit all the time in baggy board shorts. I wear spandex shorts and a fitted t-shirt.
7) Have your “cannons” hang back with 2 balls, let the rest of our team release a volley, and then those 2 people disrupt any counter-attack. If you are playing with 6 players on the court, and you are playing defensively, you will end up getting all 6 balls on your side. If you throw all 6, you are just letting the other team throw all 6 back at you. It ends up being like civil war volleys, last man standing. That’s why you hold 2 balls back, and as they count to three, you throw the two to disrupt.
More to come in part 2!
Winning a Corporate Tournament
Many larger companies participate in some form of team building or corporate challenge event on an annual basis. This is a way for a bigger company to spend money to outsource organizing team building events.
My experience with corporate challenge activities is that many players join teams for fun, with little concern about winning or competing, but rather just to get out of work.
If you are one of these people, this post is not for you. This post is for those people who want to take home gold! Follow these steps to prepare your team to crush those other companies:
1. Practice - The best way to practice is just to play games. We had an enclosed cement hockey rink close to us, and you want something with fences or boards so the balls don’t bounce everywhere.
2. Cuts - Try to get extra people to come out for practice so that you can make cuts to your team. I know this sounds harsh, but you need extra people to simulate a real game situation. You ideally want to trim your team to half of the people who try-out. Don’t be afraid not to fill the roster to the maximum number of people. Dodgeball games are short and fast, so subs are not always necessary.
3. Rules – Remember to play practice games with all rules in play. The captain should review rules before every practice and every game. There is nothing worse then having one of your players lose a clutch game because he accidentally caught a second ball (if possession of more then one ball is an out). Knowing how the rules work is absolutely key to winning.
4. Discipline – Teams that communicate and work together beat teams that are stronger are faster. Let your captain dictate the strategy, and stick to it. A good example of this is a game plan for what should happen at the start of each game (ie. rush or hang back).
5. Strategy - Strategy to dodgeball? There is a ton of it! This isn’t your elementary sport any more. You can assume that any team that makes it into play-offs will have one or more players on it that play on a regular basis in a dodgeball league. Hopefully you do as well. The next 2-3 posts will contain my strategy tips that I used to prepare a friend of mine for his corporate challenge.
