There’s something satisfying about throwing an object at another person if just for the good sport of socking them good with a resounding “PLOCK!”
That’s what dodgeball is all about.
But the object hurled at an adversary won’t hurt them. It’s a soft, rubbery ball smaller than a basketball but larger than, say, a small breadbox.
Temple Parks and Leisure Services Department is accepting registration to form an adult dodgeball league, said Tracy Klusacek, spokeswoman for the department.
Deadline to register a team is Tuesday.
Ms. Klusacek said teams will have six players on the court but may have up to 12 members on the roster.
“This allows each team to field backup players when someone can’t come play on a particular day,” she said.
She said Parks and Recreation is offering both a men’s league and a co-ed league.
“For co-ed you’ll need three guys and three gals on the court on each team,” Ms. Klusacek said. “The registration fee is $155 per team. That’s a one-time fee. There are no player’s fees.”
The official Web site for the National Amateur Dodgeball Association describes it as “an alternative sport requiring minimal equipment, set up and playing experience.”
The site fairly bubbles with enthusiasm.
“Teamwork and strategy are more valuable factors in Dodgeball than athletic skill and individual competitiveness. Anyone can play!”
The playing field is a rectangle 50 feet long and 30 feet wide divided by a centerline. The object of the game is to get opposing players out by hitting them with any one of six balls in play.
If a team player catches a ball thrown at him then any player on that team previously put out can rejoin the game.
James Stafford of Temple, who took part in a practice session Thursday, said the game gives a kind of adrenaline rush.
“It’s great!” Stafford said. “It’s a lot more fun than you would guess. There are so few opportunities for adults to throw an object at one another.”
He said team members develop a feel for working together.
“Dodgeball is a battlefield as we discovered today,” he said. “It takes strategy, coordination and some tactics to play well.”
Stafford said he is excited that Temple is about to get something different, new and innovative.
Peanut Henderson with Parks and Recreation was on the court with Stafford on Thursday bobbing and weaving, and ducking and dodging like a combination Spiderman and Rubberman.
“It’s something you can really get into and have a great time,” Henderson said.
“And the chicks love it,” he said with a grin.
Henderson said dodgeball has always been popular but after the movie “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story” was released in 2004 the sport really took off.
Starring Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Christine Taylor, the movie is about a small local gym threatened with extinction by an upscale sports and fitness spa across the street unless a group of social rejects can beat the competition in the ultimate dodgeball game.
Ms. Klusacek said she keeps a players’ list in her office.
If someone wants to join but doesn’t know anyone else to form a team, she takes their name. If a group can’t find enough players for a whole team, she will provide players from her list.
“Some people may have formed a partial team and can call me and say, ‘hey, I need two more players to play.’”
She said her goal for the season is to form six to eight teams for the league.
She said a six-game season is planned beginning Sunday, Jan. 27 and ending in mid-March. There will be no play on Super Bowl Sunday, she said.
Does belonging to a team lead to other social outlets?
Ms. Klusacek said there is great potential for that.
“If you form a team you will be matched up against people you might not even know. So it’s a great outlet for meeting new people and faces around town,” she said.
“It’s a great ice breaker,” Stafford said. “Maybe better than happy hour. You might just meet someone you want to pal around with.”
Interested parties should call Tracey Klusacek at (254) 298-5417 or go by the Wilson Park Recreation Center at 2205 Curtis B. Elliot Drive to register.
hclark@temple-telegram.com
