I will be entering my fourth season as the head coach of the Humber College Lakeshore Hawks in Toronto. Campus-wide tryouts will take place during the last week of September. It’s always an exciting time for any coach. We spend our entire offseason reflecting on the previous year and determining what we want moving forward.

It’s important to remember when coaching post secondary level athletes between the ages of 18-24, that they’re not well-rounded superstars. They haven’t been playing dodgeball in a league, they aren’t playing in tournaments and for the most part, they have little to no experience in playing the sport at any organized level. In my eyes, tryouts aren’t about selecting 12 of the best players, it’s about finding one great team composed of athletes with the potential to grow in your system, play with your philosophy, and work as a team to achieve the best possible result. Forming the bottom six is always tough, and in my four years, it has never gotten easier. Your bottom six selections are always close and the questions you ask yourself will determine if that player is the right piece to the puzzle.

Some of the questions asked of you are:

“Take the guy who has power but has no accuracy and mediocre foot work?”
“Take a chance on the woman who can throw well but is terrified of the ball?”
“Put him on the team because he can throw well, despite his inability to move or bend his knees?”
“This player is trying out again, but didn’t live up to the expectations I had hoped from them last season.”

The questions are difficult and some answers can’t be answered until the season ends. When forming a winning team, more than skill level comes into play. Attitude, passion and commitment are obviously other attributes that are shuffled in the mix. A great coach will be able to determine what players can develop in their system, and ultimately live and breathe their philosophy. Throughout the year, Lakeshore has extensive practices between four to six hours a week. The team is constantly training, improving their skills and practicing the strategies that are developed. You want to be sure you have members on your team that are devoted to improving and mastering their role on the team. (We will get more into roles in my next blogs)

It’s also important to remain professional throughout the selection process. Athletes respect nothing more than to be treated like a professional, just like a coach expects to be treated with respect. Don’t be afraid to question yourself and take the time to reflect on your thoughts. Make sure to create a list of the pros and cons to each player you are considering and not considering.

Throughout the course of the season I will blog about coaching techniques, practice/drills teams can use to strengthen different parts of your game, break down different plays, share strategies that have been overlooked and everything else there is to talk about through the role of coaching.

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I am excited to share with you how dodgeball looks through my lenses.
Until the next time – Coach Gravili.

Victor Gravili has spent four seasons coaching the Humber College Lakeshore Hawks dodgeball team. Under this tenure, Lakeshore has posted a 27-1 OCCCR record and has won four OCCCR championships. Gravili was selected the recipient of the 2010-2011 “Extramural Coach of the Year” award from Lakeshore Athletics. The Hawks have also played competitively in Dodgeball Nation tournaments and other tournaments in Canada, respectfully earning consistent top eight finishes.

City – Hamilton, Ontario Canada

I’ve been playing in the same league since it’s conception almost 8 years ago. I co-founded EDH along with Amaris Langton

I love the absolute wicked workout you get and when playing 4 nights a week I don’t need a gym membership. I also love the social aspect of it. We have a great group of players in our league!! We’ve also met so many fantastic people playing this sport competitively.

I am a stay at home mom – yay!!  I love being a part of this sport and from the beginning also! It’s been amazing to watch and help it evolve into what it is today!! One day, maybe we’ll see it in the Olympics!!

http://www.extremedodgeballhamilton.com/LMS/league.php

My official first day on the dodgeball court was at the 2nd Annual Balance Gym Dodgeball Tournament, on 01/28/12. Since then, I’ve joined a weekly rubber league (which I was hesitant to play initially, since I learned on foam, however, can appreciate rubber in a totally different way now), participate in foam pick-up every Saturday with Baltimore County Dodgeball, and have competed in five additional tournaments (with four more scheduled through July). It’s safe to say, I’m hooked

My introduction to dodgeball occurred when a team from Baltimore, MD posted online about how they needed a female in D.C. on their team in order to participate in the Balance Gym tournament. I had nothing else going on that day, so on a whim, I volunteered myself. We played in the tournament, and I ended up getting along with the guys on the team fabulously. As a result, they invited me to another tournament a few weeks later. During that second tournament/road trip, I left my glasses in the epic minivan. The conditions of retrieving my glasses were to attend one Saturday pick-up dodgeball game in Baltimore. It didn’t take much arm twisting to get me to come (aside from being blind without glasses, I don’t need much of an excuse to play dodgeball), and ever since that fateful day I’ve been happily driving an hour every weekend to play pick-up dodgeball with my teammates.

What I like most about playing dodgeball is that, above everything else, it is FUN! On top of just plain general awesomeness of the game itself, anyone can play dodgeball, particularly with the right team. Everyone has different skills, and working with a team that encourages development/growth is a wonderful experience. Another great thing about dodgeball, is the ability to take the sport anywhere. I often carry my favorite pink Gator skin ball with me in my car/gym bag and will toss it against a wall just for practice to keep my arm warm.

I’m still learning so much about dodgeball, and enjoy soaking in all the information, knowledge, and experience I can!

My first experience playing dodgeball was back in 2006 when I was asked by a friend to come play a game with his team in the Vancouver Dodgeball League. After a 3 year hiatus, I joined the Coquitlam Dodgeball League. I immediately fell in love with the game and felt I needed more of it in my life, so I joined VDL as well. My favourite part of dodgeball has definitely been the sense of community it brings. It’s an amazing feeling knowing that 1500+ people in your area have something in common that brings them together. Recently, I had the chance to travel to Asia to play in an international dodgeball tournament. The group I went with was comprised of people from around North America (with one token Kiwi), all of whom I had never met before. It turned out to be one of the greatest journeys of my life; changing my perspective on so many things. I made friends with people from all over the world, all through one game! Sometimes it gets tiring working full time and playing dodgeball 4 nights a week (plus volunteering as a coordinator for both leagues), but at the end of the day I wouldn’t trade it in for anything.

I’ve been playing dodgeball for going on seven years. I got my start playing the annual foam ball tournament at my high school and then went on to play for the DePaul Dodgeball Society. I’m in my fifth year playing at DePaul. I just attended my 3rd NCDA Nationals Tournament. In addition to DePaul, I play in a summer league at North Avenue Beach in Chicago, IL. This summer will be my second year in that league. I first started playing in highschool for fun but college is what really threw me into the world of dodgeball. I thought having a dodgeball team at DePaul was the coolest thing ever as a freshman and it still is. We liked to describe ourselves as a merry group of misfits with kids from all different areas of athleticism, social groups, etc. I have developed my closest group of friends through dodgeball at DePaul not to mention developed friendships with people from different schools and different states. Dodgeball friendships have proved to be the most withstanding and supportive friendships I’ve had. As a girl, I find it somewhat difficult for girls to establish ourselves in what is an extremely male dominated sport. However, the girls who choose to stick around and play in that competitive environment and aren’t afraid to get hit and are willingly to play on the front lines are the girls I most respect. What I love most about playing dodgeball is that ultimately its a children’s playground game, so when you throw a bunch of people who are 18+ on a court with be it rubber or foam balls we’re all still just a bunch of people throwing balls at one another. On paper its something ridiculous and childish, but on the court its competitive and athletic, but most of all its just plain fun.

These are just a few tips that can give you a little something more to work on and think about when your out on the court next to improve your game. I’ve enjoyed using some of these tactics to annoying the hell out of people, take down whole teams and escape some pretty bad situations. Some of you may know these already but for those who don’t here’s a breakdown of some basic tactics that you might want to use the next time your team calls upon you to save them from certain peril. This is my second guide I hope you enjoy it.

Carry Two Balls

If you don’t roll with two balls then you should at least try…not only is it fun but let’s assume you get in a duel and you both miss with your throws? Pays to have a back up ball to attack or to block incoming counter throws.

Don’t Be Scared!

It’s all too common to see people turning their backs to the ball only to get pounded anyway. At some point you truly need to overcome the fear of getting hit in the face, come on guys!! I would suggest to keep watching the ball as long as you can, if it is on target to hit you then would only need to move your head or body slightly. As a last resort you could just put your hands up to block your face. I think you will find more success in dodging by keeping your eyes up. At the end of the day it’s just rubber..

Counters, Fakes and Checking

You should always counter fake the opposition when they attack. It will hold there peripheral vision and in some cases stop or affect their throw. A good tactic to use is to counter throw at attacking opponents the moment they’ve thrown their ball. If you can see a counter thrower in the opposition lining up your throwers it is a good idea to check that player by counter faking to prevent him from counter attacking after your team mates have thrown.

Body Position

Basically try and be a small target, make the area of your body smaller. Get low and balanced, most throws miss anyway so don’t run around aimlessly trying to dodge. It’s much easier to launch into a jump or dodge when you are balanced.

Mix Up Your Gameplay

Don’t become predictable out there and don’t show your hand too early. The least the opposition know about you the better. I like to keep a few tricks up my sleeve, sometimes they will only work once in a game. Some strategies can also become predictable.

Pairing Up

Everyone should know basic numbering systems by now but this wont be effective if you have no timing. It also helps to play with the same players and positions on the court. You should learn the timing of your fellow team mates to make your combined throws much more effective. Sometimes you could get to the stage where you could just raise the eyebrows to your team mate then deliver a timed double blow. Some pairings of players can become very menacing to deal with on court.

Snap Shots or Shooting

I like to call this technique shooting, it’s just a snap throw kind of like a quarterback. This must be done with low body movement and quick arm speed. Try and look relaxed and uninterested before throwing. It can be used when the opposition turns to talk, picking up a ball or is struggling to control two balls. Players get very pre occupied during a game, so snap a throw at them to wake them up every now and then.

Awareness

Coming up with the right play or knowing when to take a risk is something probably learnt over time. Knowing the score and time is very important, you need to know when to turn the heat up or to take a game saving catch. Always know the outlines and learn your rules. You don’t want to cost your team the game by making a basic error by not knowing your rules.

Peripherals

You need to use these at all times, pretty obvious but I’ve seen so many faceshots from players not looking up when picking up a ball. Never turn your back or head fully and run back sideways if you need to go to the back of the court. You can also use your peripherals to line up and throw out to the other side of your body picking off unsuspecting opposition.

Court Angles

Throwing and court angles can be used in many ways. A good tactic is to sneak up the side of the court and blindside opposition players. You can also use angles to cut down the room of opposition players. Some sides of the court can help with your natural throwing arc giving you better power.

So you need to know what role you are or should play. You need to ask yourself a few questions. ‘What is the best way I can help my team’? Do I have a weak arm and am I better served support playing and catching instead’? ‘What dynamic can I bring to the team’? You will also need to think about what type of player you are. Are you defensive, offensive or strategic? There are many types of roles a player can take on but here are a few typical ones and their traits that you may come across.

Support Player- Communicator, Ball controller, Selfless Team player
Leader\Captain- Organiser, Communicator, Ball counter, Strategy caller
All Rounder- Balanced, Hard to predict.
Catcher- Catches anything, sits back, game changer
Arm’s- Strike player, good counter attacker
Dodger- Evasive, distracting, survivor

Certain roles have distinct advantages over others and understanding them is the key. This however cannot be trained, it will take experience and advice. You can learn quickly how to use this knowledge to beat individuals and oppositions. Or learn there strengths to apply strategy’s and game plans to counter them. For example some teams will not function well with out certain players. When selecting a team I look for balance, I don’t need 6 players that have big arm’s. Sometimes we don’t have the luxury of choosing our own team or have the correct make up for a balanced side but don’t be afraid of switching your role to benefit the team. I have recently switched roles to catching with good success as my team has plenty of strike power without me stealing all the balls. By doing this you could gain much better results as a team and will increase your skill set as a bonus.

Don’t be afraid to mix it up, or just playing a totally different style then what people are used too. I watch a heap of dodgeball on Thursdays and I can pick up on certain things players do on court. Sometimes you can see how players react in certain situations also. So with that said you best be mixing your game up! Same rules apply for me though, I will constantly mix up my dodging, throwing styles and sometimes will play recklessly in social games. The repetition of putting myself in dire situations helps me become more comfortable under pressure. I don’t mind sacrificing a few hits and some loss of pride for an improvement in my game. Again its building up your skill set and there’s nothing wrong with that. Playing this way also means I still have a few tricks up my sleeve come tournament time.

So there’s a little insight to what I’m generally thinking about at work, that concludes my first guide I hope you learnt something from it. I will be following up with an ‘advanced tips’ guide soon. So now the next time you see me not only will I be looking for the next Canterbury Stinger but I will be working out what role you play and what your weaknesses may be.

I originally started playing dodgeball in January 2010 to try something new, and also as a bit of a joke with some girlfriends, the movie probably had something to do with it as well. I definitely never expected to get as into the sport as I since have. I was fortunate to play with some amazing people on my first team, with the Toronto Sport and Social Club, and continue to play with most of them to this day. In the past year, through pick-up nights, subbing on different teams, starting with the Toronto Dodgeball league, and playing tournaments, I have gotten to know more people in the sport, and started being asked on different teams to the point where I’ll be playing 4 nights a week this Spring!

I have always been very athletic, and was surprised to find dodgeball to not only be a lot of fun, but also to be a great work out, which those of you who know me, understand is very important to me. I love the way the game changes with something as simple as the size and number of balls, and I love the feeling once I “get it” with a new style. Another part of the game I love is the reaction I get when I first throw a ball against a team, or a player, I have not played against before. And of course, I love shocking people with my sometimes vibrant shorts.

I work as a Case Manager in the Insurance industry, and after a long day of dealing with clients, sometimes difficult, nothing is better than letting loose on the courts. I have definitely impressed some prospective employers by having “dodgeball” as an activity on my resume, and it inevitably leads to an ice-breaking conversation in interviews. I generally get strange looks from people when I tell them that I play, but those looks change when they hear how fast I throw the ball

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