As the sun hid behind the clouds and the temperature dropped on Friday, nearly forty students – around six teams of six – gathered behind Peachtree Christian Church to participate in the 2011 SCAD Dodgeball Tournament. Spirits were high as many participants practiced in the yard, while others discussed strategy and made last-minute adjustments to their team apparel.
On Thursday, students met at Spring House to form teams and create their team jerseys. Although not an intramural event, this gathering of students proved to be highly competitive, fueled by a Target gift card for each member of the winning squad.
“I came here to play some dodgeball, get some people out, hit some people with balls and what-not,” first-year film and television major JaMichael “J-Mike” Scott said, when asked what he was doing there. “I just saw the flyer hanging by the security desk at the SCAD building,” said Scott when asked how he heard about the tournament. Little did he know his MVP performance would lead his team, Black Balls, to victory.
“You gotta be serious to this game,” first-year fashion design student Jordan White said, while preparing his team for their first match, as students slid and slipped across the wet grass ducking, dodging, and hurling dodgeballs across the field.
The teams were comprised of six members on the field, with alternates available during timeouts or injuries. The balls were placed atop cones in the center of the 50-by-30 foot playing field. When the whistle was blown, players sprinted to the center and grabbed as many balls as possible. The only stipulation was that no player could throw a ball directly after picking it up, without returning behind the foul line first, which was 10 feet behind the center line.
Players get eliminated if they are hit by an opposing teams’ throw or if an opposing team member catches a ball in action. When a ball is caught, then an eliminated player on the receiving team can re-enter the game. The object of the game is to eliminate all of the opposing team’s players before the 10-minute time limit.
In the first of three rounds, the Black Balls faced tough opposition as their team dwindled down to one last player, Scott. “Come on, just throw it,” Scott said to the other team, as he paced the foul line, taunting the three opposing players. In succession, Scott caught two consecutive balls and heaved a fast-liner straight for the last opposing player, edging out a close win for the Black Balls.
“It didn’t just happen, it started as an idea and evolved into the Meenie Weenies,” first-year graphic design student Britany Ponvelle said, regarding their her team’s name. Although short on firepower, the Meenie Weenies showed the strength of teamwork, by moving as a group to eliminate the other team’s players. “At least we looked good doing it,” Ponvelle said about their first-round defeat.
At 2:30 p.m., the sun shone through the clouds and heated up the competition. Players yelled, “no floaters!” as the action became fierce. The Black Balls faced Mario Party in the second round, but the party soon ended when Scott, again putting on a stellar performance, eliminated the last two Mario Party defenders with two consecutive tosses.
The final round pitted team H.O.M.E. against team Black Balls. After a long battle, team H.O.M.E was down to their final player. Scott ran across the foul line and received a hard mid-air blow to the ankle, eliminating him from the game, and in the process, distracted the opposition long enough for Black Balls player known only as “Sway,” to cast the last shot and beat H.O.M.E.
“I was like a soldier on the battlefield. I’ve got a Napoleon complex. So, I had to play big,” said Scott after the match.
Student events, outside of intramural sports, are welcome to anyone willing to participate. Check postings on university bulletins to stay informed on upcoming events, compete for prizes and take a break from schoolwork.
Editor’s note: This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: April 8, 2011
The article about dodgeball incorrectly spelled a student’s last name as Porvelle, instead of Ponvelle.
