Going Back To The Playgorund

The squeaking of sneakers on the shiny gym floor instantly set the mood for fun as the players pile in and take their places behind the far black line on either side of the court. The co-ed teams fidget as they wait for the whistle to blow. Once the high pitched sound rings in the ceiling the players are off, grabbing the rhino skin balls and searching for their first target.
This is a typical sight on Tuesday night at the International Community Center on 8th Avenue in Seattle’s International District where people from all walks of life flock excitedly to their dodge ball practice in the upstairs gym of the community center. http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/attraction/international-district-chinatown-community-center-709-8th-avenue-s-seattle-wa-98104-usunity-center-709-8th-avenue-s-seattle-wa-98104-us
“It’s a lot of fun. You meet a lot of interesting people,” says Seattle Central Community College student and Dodge Ball League veteran Chris Kirby.
The league was established in January of this year and has had a great deal of success. Five adult league teams ranging from ages 18 to 60, with names such as The Pink Godzillas and Barb’s Bunch, they demonstrate their best plays every Tuesday night from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. With three out of four teams returning of this quarter, the community center is pumped to see the turn out for the fall quarter sign ups.
“I’ve never been on a team before and [the dodge ball league] really teaches a lot of team work,” says long time community center volunteer and dodge ball team captain Kyle Paulson.
Similar to what’s played in the elementary school yards around Seattle, six players can be found on the court at all times, but in the Dodge Ball League, all is fair. It is required to have at least two on each sex on the court at all times as well or the team that’s lacking must forfeit. There is allowed to be up to fifteen players on a team and although there seems to be more men than women, the women seem more than willing to show what they’ve got on the court.
“It’s a game that everyone can play,” says the International Community Center assistant recreation coordinator Lori Van Norman.
They play five minute games continuously throughout a forty-five minute period. If the five minutes are up and they are still players on the court, the team with the least amount of players gets the point. The games move fast and the teams can get in as much as fifteen games per session. The rhino skin balls insure safety due to its soft texture and head shots are banded with the penalty on an automatic “out” if a head shot is made by a player.
“It’s really fun and exciting to play,” says Garfield High School senior Terhas Muruts, “It’s like being a kid again.”
Anyone can play, no membership or prior experience required.
“[It’s] open to everyone,” says community center recreation leader Britler Jacobson.
Signup sheets are available on the web at http://www.seattle.gov/ or enter the community center itself and sign up. It costs $20 per quarter and there’s three months or 6 games per quarter. Full teams are allowed to sign up at once or players can sign up individually and be assigned a team. And although the league is not city wide yet due to transportation obstacles, it seems that that is just around the corner.
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