All right it’s official: dodgeball is not just for elementary school playgrounds.  Exhibit A: The Austin Sports and Social Club’s Wednesday night Dodgeball games.  The games typically run from six to 10 p.m. Before walking into the gym, I was skeptical and found myself wondering if any normal Austinities played the sport or if the teams would be primarily groups of athletically challenged misfits akin to the movie Dodgeball. I was pleasantly surprised.  Not only were about 65 people there, but the games were much more competitive then I expected. The players even warmed up before the games, with some brawny fellows throwing the balls as hard as they could against the wall for practice. I hoped I would not find myself in their line of fire. As I observed the others who were warming up, I noticed most of them were in their early to mid-twenties, but there were some older players in the gym as well.  Some teams there had definitely been practicing and even had complex game strategies.

As I warmed up with my teammates, I learned that each team plays two “matches” that are seven games each.  For each game, it is single-elimination.  If you are hit with a ball or an opposing player catches your ball, then you are out for that game.  You are also out if you step out of bounds to chase a ball. You are supposed to wait for one of your teammates to throw the errant ball to you from the bench. Contrary to my elementary school playground, however, if a player on your team catches a ball, they can’t tag one of the “out” players back in. 

Overall, our team did pretty well.  Against a team of players who rivaled our athletic ability and who looked to be about our age (early 20s),we easily won our first match five games to two. For not playing dodgeball in years, our players were surprisingly skilled. I quickly realized the most challenging part of the game was the endurance aspect. Each player essentially did a series of intense sprints each game, and it definitely added up. 

For our second match, we played an older team.  We quickly jumped ahead two games to nothing, looking agile and dominant.  Yet after many careless mistakes — more often stepping out of bounds than getting hit — we ended up losing the match four games to three.   

All in all, it was a great workout and a fun way to hang out with friends — much better than sitting in front of the TV in sedentary silence. Anyone who is at least 21 years of age can register a team at the Austin Sports and Social Club or join as an individual.  Whether or not dodgeball is your game of choice, the Austin SSC has a sport for you.  Sand Volleyball, soccer, and flag football are just a few choices. For more information on registration, fees, and times visit austinssc.com

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