From the student paper at Central Michigan University:
www.cm-life.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/06/30/40e2541d5d306Grade-school sport hits home at CMU
By Nathan Backus
Central Michigan Life
June 30, 2004
They have names like “Phat Ballz,” “Drillers,” and “Fresh Roasted Nuts”, and they’re ready to whip soft rubber balls at fellow CMU students, staff and faculty members for fun and recreation.
Dodgeball is coming to CMU, thanks in part to the excitement and participation of CMU students who, apparently, didn’t get their fill of recreational abuse in middle school.
Just a few short weeks from now, the “Phat Ballz,” one of 14 CMU dodgeball teams formed last spring, will finally have their day in the sun.
“The response has been very positive,” said Damon Brown, coordinator of CMU’s intramural sports and summer camps. “We filled up all our leagues, and there were actually students on the waiting list.”
Dodgeball was introduced in Spring 2004 as a special event by the university intramural sports staff but was canceled before any games could be played due to a facilities conflict, Brown said.
But the co-ed sport is all set to go for the coming fall semester, and demand is likely to be high, Brown said.
Dodgeball, sometimes referred to as, “Killer Ball,” “Bombardment,” and even, “Murder Ball,” has a history in this country’s K-12 school system that spans decades. A few years ago, there was some debate over the violent aspect of games like dodgeball, especially in light of events at Columbine High School.
Perhaps due to Gen-Y’s nostalgia for all things of their youth, demand for the sport is now growing across the country, and dodgeball leagues and college dodgeball clubs are steadily emerging. Brown said kickball is also being considered.
St. Joseph senior Joel Schwartz, who has mixed feelings about Ben Stiller’s recent release, “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story,” was surprised to hear dodgeball was being offered at CMU.
“I’m excited and interested,” he said. “I could definitely get a team together.”
Although it’s unlikely CMU’s dodgeball games will resemble anything like the spectacles portrayed in the “Dodgeball” movie, the sport is a lot of fun, Brown said.
“It brings people back to their childhood,” he said. “It gives you a chance to go down memory lane and do the fun things that kids do.”
For the uninitiated, dodgeball pits two teams against one another, one on each side of a court. The object is to eliminate the other team members by hitting them, below the neck, with soft rubber balls. Catching a ball thrown at you eliminates the throwing opponent.
“We want people to go out and have a good time,” Brown said. “We have staff in place to keep things from getting out of control. I try to stress the importance of being able to go out and have fun with fellow students. With co-ed, it’s a little bit more laid-back and folks are out there having a good time.”
