Dodgeball is a game of honor, respect, adrenaline and basically knocking the snot out of people. Like any true gentleman’s sport, dodgeball takes wit, skill and responsibility. If you follow these rules you can play with the best of the best and have tons of fun doing it.
Before you ever play a game of dodgeball you must create a dodgeball team, including a team leader whom everyone on the team will gladly follow. The leader must have a good, strategic mind.
Almost anybody can play dodgeball. You just need to know what your strongest strongest performance qualities are. Dodgeball is all about using one’s advantages. I wouldn’t suggest building a team around a certain skill, such as strength or speed.
Now it’s true that brute force is a strong advantage to have. Sending a ball barreling into the gut of your opponent has been the purest form of victory since the dawn of dodgeball. Beware of larger opponents because they can throw a ball faster and harder. I can say from experience that these guys can knock the wind out of you.
What’s that? You say you’re too skinny? Cheer up, shrimp, even you can be good at dodgeball. If you are a wimp, you probably already have better evasive and self-preservation skills than you think. Besides, you have less mass to move out of the way quicker. Just don’t expect your throws to knock anyone down.
Size is nothing without strategy, but I can’t tell everyone my strategies of sheer awesomeness and ultimate winning ability. I might need them. I would highly suggest coming up with your own strategy. You’ll be surprised how much it will help. Try not to fall for the lob and drill play. That’s when one player throws a slow and high ball to distract you, while another drills you in the gut.
A very important aspect of dodgeball is honor. The rules of dodgeball are fairly simple; throw the ball and hit the opponent. Don’t cross the center line. If you catch a ball, the person who threw it is out, and your teammate comes in.
There are often referees, but even with them, people still try to cheat. Nothing is more infuriating than watching your well-thrown glory nail an opponent, which he then shrugs off and claims “It missed me, I swear.” You may not be aware if you’re hit with all the adrenaline you’re going through, but listen to the referees. You’ll just humiliate yourself by throwing a fit.
Be forewarned, not all people play fairly or care about your safety. There are stories, even on a local level, of energy-driven morons playing just to hurt people, ruining the fun for everyone else. One of my editors purposely got slammed with a ball one year, even though she was already out. Don’t be one of those people, someone might find you in a dark parking lot later. Don’t become a target for delayed dodgeball retaliation syndrome.
Follow these wise words, and even you can become a pro or at least hide behind teammates feeding the ball to the big guys like you did in sixth grade PE. I have faith in you, champ.
