In 2004, a comedy starring Vince Vaughn revived interest in a sport traditionally relegated to gymnasiums paired with the clichéd of the wimpy children forced to play against athletic children.
The past six years have seen a renaissance of dodgeball, with teams popping up all over the country. Never left behind, Eastern Michigan University now has such a team.
But gone are the cliché asthmatic, bespectacled nerds being bullied with a sadistic gym teacher’s approval – today’s players are smart, athletic, driven to succeed and have fun doing something they love. Fortunately, no one had to throw a wrench at them to lure them in.
Kris Wright started the Dodgeball Club in October 2009. Currently the team has 13 (starting) members but they are looking to increase their membership.
“We are always looking for new players, both new to the game and with experience,” said Jeremy Dugans, a key member of the club. “We will work to make sure everybody improves one step at a time…girls, guys anybody can play.”
Love of the childhood pastime is also a must.
EMU’s Dodgeball Club participates in a league called the National Collegiate Dodgeball Association. Made up of several colleges in the Midwest and South, the NCDA is expanding westward into Nebraska and Oklahoma.
According to the NCDA Web site, there are a few differences between their rules and those found in the movie “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.” The key difference is the amount of players allowed on the court during play. With 20-player rosters, up to 15 players per team are allowed on the court at a time.
In addition, ten balls are used to start of the game instead of the traditional six.
Essentially, for those that may have avoided physical education in elementary school, dodgeball is a game in which teams try to tag one another out by throwing a ball at the opposing team.
To start, the 10 rubber balls are placed at midcourt and all active players are on, or behind, their baselines.
When a referee blows a whistle the players make a mad dash retrieve a ball, bring it back to the baseline and commence whipping the ball at the opposing team. The team with the most players left on the court at the end of each game wins.
If a team gets every player on the opposing team out before the time limit, they win.
There are many variations and nuances to the game, but it really is that simple. The complete set of rules EMU’s Dodgeball Club follow may be found at svsudodgeball.org.
While the team at EMU has not had any matches since its inception over two months ago, it has quite a few planned for the winter semester, including games against Michigan State, Central Michigan and Ohio State.
Team captain Wright reiterates that the club is “always looking for new members [and] anyone who wants to play will play.”
The first match, a scrimmage against MSU, will be held Jan. 30 at MSU and the club is also trying to organize a game with Ferris State that day as well.
In order to join the Dodgeball Club, all players must be registered students and currently enrolled in at least one class. While there is no GPA requirement, the team wishes to stress that members should have a “good work ethic, good team skills and always focus on schoolwork.”
In addition, a fee of $20 is required to pay for a team jersey. The club meets from 8 to 9:45 p.m. every Thursday in the Utility Gym, on the second floor of the Rec/IM.
“No commitments [are] necessary,” Wright said. “Anyone who wants to just check it out for a week is welcome.”
For more information, students may email team captain Wright at kwrigh22@emich.edu or visit the group’s page on emustudentorgs.com.
