Some brief updates from VDL Central:

1. Waivers are up, all S11 players need to sign it before playing. Click here to access the form, or here to find out more about our injury process.

2. Exhibition week registration is posted! Please ensure you sign up 72 hours before the event. Gyms are subject to change.

3.  Captains, please review these pages and confirm your team name, co-captains and their email addresses, and your starting tier for the first 3 weeks. After the the January 28th deadline, we won’t make any team name changes. Unless you bribe our League Schedulers. Just saying.

4. Week 1 begins on Monday, February 7th. League schedules for Week 1 to Week 3 will be posted during Exhibition week.

5. Lastly, there are some minor tweaks to the rules:

• The 8FT deadball rule will be lowered to 6FT to promote safety and to keep throws low. There is little need to throw above this height. However, please note that the ball becomes dead when it hits the wall above 6FT. Players who jump and get hit with any directly thrown ball above 6FT are fair game.
• VDL plays a fast paced game, despite ball resets being legal. We encourage players, either throwing ball resets or the defender (who’s going for the catch, sometimes in ‘turtling’ position) to speed up the game. We also encourage refs to remind players of this when they see it.

That’s it for now. See you all next week!

1) Dodgeball 101, a general orientation for all new players to learn about the rules of the game and play in a supportive environment, is now available. The various sessions are listed below with a capacity for 60 players per event. All new players must attend at least 1 session before the start of the season. Teammates and Captains can attend with their new players too! Bring PE strip and water, and get ready to have some fun! To manage our numbers, registration is done individually (per player per event), not on behalf of your team. Please register 72 hours before the session. Gyms are subject to change depending on registration. Be sure to check out the VDL Rules videos for easy learning. Register here for Dodgeball 101!

Dodgeball 101 Details:

a. Monday, Jan 31st (FULL)
7:30PM – 9:30PM
Fleming Elementary (1401 East 49th Avenue)

b. Monday, January 31st
7:30-9:30PM
Oppenheimer Elementary (2421 Scarboro Avenue)

c. Tuesday, Feb 1st (FULL)
7:30PM – 9:30PM
Carleton Elementary (3250 Kingsway)

d. Wednesday, Feb 2nd (CANCELED)
8:30PM – 10:00PM
Queen Elizabeth Elementary (4102 W 16th Avenue)

e. Wednesday, Feb 2nd
8:30PM – 10:00PM
Fleming Elementary (1401 East 49th Avenue)

f. Thursday, Feb 3rd
7:30PM - 9:30PM
David Thompson Secondary (1755 E. 55th Ave)

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2) We’ve also set up Vets’ Night Drop In Sessions for returning players to shake off that rust from the offseason and get back into the dodgeball groove. The sessions are listed below with a capacity for 60 players per event. There are 5 sessions available in total. We’ll also be briefly reviewing rule and league changes for this season so please be on time! To manage our numbers, registration is done individually (per player per event), not on behalf of your team. Gyms are subject to change depending on registration. Please register 72 hours before the session. Register here for Vets’ Night Drop In Session.

Vet’s Night Details:

1. Monday, January 31st (FULL)
7:30-9:30PM
Dickens Elementary (1010 East 17th Avenue)

2. Tuesday, February 1st
7:30PM – 9:30PM
McBride Elementary (1300 29th Avenue)

3. Wednesday, February 2nd (FULL)
8:30PM – 10PM
Carleton Elementary (3250 Kingsway)

4. Wednesday, February 2nd
8:30PM – 10:00PM
L’ecole Bilingue (1166 14 Ave W)

5. Thursday, February 3rd (CHANGED from Dickens to Oppenheimer due to school use)
7:30PM – 9:30PM
Dickens Elementary (1010 East 17th Avenue)
Oppenheimer Elementary (2421 Scarboro Avenue)

6. Thursday, Feb 3rd (CHANGED from D101 to Vet’s Night)
7:30PM - 9:30PM
Hastings Elementary (2625 Franklin Street)

Updated on January 23rd, 2011.

Hello VDLers,

Happy new year! S11 is about 2.5 weeks away and we’re all excited to get back in the groove. We’ll be rolling out some more updates in the next few days, but we wanted to take a moment to share some big updates with the community. In the past 5 years, we’ve grown from 16 teams in S1 to 184 teams now, and every once in a while, it’s good to take a step back and rethink how things are going. After reviewing the survey results, having internal debates, reassessing our values, and reflecting on how the past 10 seasons have gone, here are the changes we’re making this season to make VDL even better. Drum roll please…

Tier Structure Changes

• We’re renaming tiers based on a number system (Tier 1/2/3) instead of an alphabetical system that has a bias towards grades.
• To build a sense of community, let players meet more folks and compete with a variety of teams, and allow for easy back-end logistics, the regular season across all nights will have 3 tiers (Tier 1/2/3) of 16 teams (Mon/Tues/Thurs); or 2 tiers of 15 teams and 1 tier 10 teams (Weds).
• To provide a more competitive playoff experience for all skill levels, we are testing a 6 tiers of 8 teams (Mon/Tues/Thurs). Wednesdays will have 4 tiers of 10 teams.  Seeding is based on regular season performance.
• Retiers on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be at the end of Week 3 and Week 7 (10 week regular season); Thursday on Week 4 and Week 8 (12 week regular season because of logistical reasons).
• We’re introducing a points system where a win in Tier 1 = 4 points; Tier 2 = 2 points; and Tier 3 = 1 point. This point system will determine final playoff seeding in the respective tiers (T1-6 on Mon/Tues/Thurs; T1-4 on Weds), making every week in the regular season competitive, and reduce sandbagging.
• After teams are placed in their final playoff tiers, a team’s spirit points are multiplied by 3 (for a score out of 30) and then added as wins so higher spirited teams have a chance for better playoff seeding.

Reward Structure Changes

We’re also making changes to the rewards structure to complement the above tier changes, emphasize our values, and to change the focus of winning something to winning a title as a team.

• We’re retiring the MVP Playoff Trophy. It’s not available to all tiers, nor can it be administrated properly. It worked when we had a 16/32 team 1-tier league but not anymore.
• As VDL is all about spirit, we’re introducing the Best Team Cheer Award for each night. We want teams to get creative and be loud out there! Winners get a one-of-a-kind VDL certificate and a $50 gift card for a team outing. This will be voted by captains in the final week of play.
• We’re keeping the Best Dressed Award to reward those who put an extra effort to play in style. Winners also get a VDL certificate and a $50 gift card, but will shift the voting of it to captains in the final week of play.
• No changes to Hootie the Spirit Owl trophy. Winners will get a nice bright VDL certificate and win a $100 gift card for a great team outing. This will be awarded to the team with the highest spirit points on a given night.
• We’re retiring medals, ribbons and the free deposits for champions. Instead, we’re redistributing the resources to create new (and awesome!) team trophies for all tiers. The trophies will range from prestigious in the higher tiers (competitive) to quirky and humourous in the lower tiers (recreational).
• Free VDL t-shirts for tier champions remain the same.

Change can be hard, and admittedly, we’re making some big changes in S11. Some players will be happy with these changes, and some, not. However, we firmly believe that these changes only make our culture better. The playing experience is still social, yet, competitive. Playoffs will run smoother, and with more tiers in playoffs with reduced skill gaps, all teams will experience more even match-ups. Sandbagging motivations are eliminated. The new rewards structure focuses more on team accomplishments, involves the community via captain voting, and is fair to all skill-levels. All these changes result in a great community based on strong values, with spirit being paramount.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on these changes, please share them below!

We started the day off with an introduction to the Monday exec team and a quick shout out to all the other departments in VDL that help make VDL more than just random strangers throwing balls at each other. The crowd’s booming applause showed just how much our devoted players appreciated the hard work that these volunteers put in to bring them dodgeball each and every week.  Now, it was onto the first awards of the evening: Best Dressed and Most Spirited Team.

This season we had a lot of teams come out with matching uniforms or creative costumes.  Just to name a few, there was Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’, Ballerinas, Moustache Wranglers, Nom Nom Nom, Pysch, Dodge
My Durians, Balls Deep, Balls Deeper and The Dirty Ballers.  However,
by unanimous voting from the Monday exec team and Monday captains, our best dressed team this season were those fun-loving folks from Dinosaur Team!  Every season, they change their team name and re-invent themselves to make a run for best dressed.  This is their third consecutive Best Dressed Award.  That’s great spirit, Dinosaur Team.  Keep up the creativity and congrats on the award!  We can’t wait to see what you come up with next season.

The Most Spirited Team award is probably VDL’s most difficult award to win since it requires ten weeks of consistency and it’s voted on by your peers.  The Monday players, in general, are some of the most spirited players you’ll find in any sport.  However, after a close race with runner-ups Ohhh Yeah! and Sexy Times with Mikey Van Nen, the Most Spirited Team Award was awarded to Ninja Please!  They were given Hootie the Spirit Owl, VDL’s Most Spirited Team trophy.  For some of the players on this team, it was their 5th Hootie!  Now, that is some amazing spirit, people!

The opening ceremonies were concluded with the singing of the national anthem by our very own Mikey Van Nen.  Then, it was onto the dodgeball action!  But, first, here is a shameless plug:  Thanks to the good people from Re-Up BBQ for providing our players with some mid-game scrumptiousness with their pulled pork sandwiches and chili.

Now, back to the action.  It was a day where all players stepped up their game and displayed some of the most amazing dodgeball plays anyone has ever witnessed.  Despite the level of competition and the desire to win, our players still maintained the highest level of sportsmanship.  When the dust settled, who managed to take home the title of VDL’s Best Dodgeball Crew?  Wait a minute….we’re not that show.

Tier C
This is probably the most wide open tier on Monday nights.  There are no favorites and anyone could take home the Tier C championship.  In the battle of teams with the funniest names, Sooo Many Dodging and We Be Ballin’ Yo Fo Shiz, it was the Sooo Many Dodging team that proved they lived up to their name.  They were out dodging a team that was definitely “ballin’” all day….fo shiz.

Congratulations Sooo Many Dodging on your first Tier C championship!

Tier B
Dodge It Like It’s Hot found themselves in familiar territory as they faced off in their consecutive Tier B final.  Last season, they fell short on Thursday Night against the Hit List.  This time, they had the daunting task of trying to take out Team Xtreme.  Dodge It Like It’s Hot were looking to avenge an earlier loss to Team Xtreme, who sent them into the backdoor.  However, DILIH were not “Xtreme” enough to take down the eventual Tier B champs, Team Xtreme.  It was a very close battle that could have gone either way.  Despite the loss, DILIH were all smiles and very gracious in defeat.  Keep up the hard work and third time could be the charm.

Congratulations to Team Xtreme for your well deserved Tier B Championship!

Tier A
Tier A was full of heavyweight teams like Ballistics, Mr. Men and Little Misses, and Purple Monkey Dishwashers.  However, when all was said and done, it was VDL’s Most Spirited Team, Ninja Please! facing off against a veteran core in Animal Crackers.  Animal Crackers knocked Ninja Please! into a do or die backdoor final against Ohhh Yeah!  While Ohhh Yeah! put up a great fight, Ninja Please! were determined to get back to the finals and get another crack at taking out Animal Crackers.  While Ninja Please! managed to take one series from Animal Crackers and force a sudden death, winner take all match, the Ninjas could not overcome the teamwork and chemistry from Animal Crackers.  For some of the members on Animal Crackers, this was their 4th Monday title.

Congratulations to Animal Crackers on your Tier A championship!

MVP
There were several well deserving players for this prestigious award. Chris Tung (Ninja Please!) showed why he is one of VDL’s greatest players by showcasing game saving plays match after match.  Jayno (Ninja Please!) proved why he is regarded as VDL’s most elite catcher with his dynamic catches all over the court.  Cat (Animal Crackers) was easily one of the best players throughout the tournament with her timely catches and elusive dodging.  She was particularly impressive in the finals making a catch off Chris Tung, which crippled the Ninjas and secured the victory.

However, in a very tight MVP vote, our S10 Monday Playoff MVP was Ellie Moon (Animal Crackers).  Ellie sacrificed her body to protect her teammates and was the on court general leading her team through each series.  She was often the last player on the court and had to come up with big catches to keep her team alive.  For Ellie, this is her first MVP award to add to her many accomplishments in VDL. Congrats to all the nominees and a big congrats to Ellie on your MVP award!

Well, that about wraps up Season 10 ladies and gentlemen.  We laughed.  We cried.  We dodged.  Then, we laughed some more.  It was an electrifying season and if you want to electrify dodgeball courts at a gym near you, don’t forget to sign up for Season 11 and join us for more dodgeball awesomeness on Monday nights!

Monday Division Director
Truong Cao

Next on the docket we awarded the best dressed team of the season. It was definitely a tough decision between three teams that stood out this season. The Best Dressed nominees were Angry Bridesmaids, The Kraken and Stormtroopers! Sadly I jumped the gun and revealed the Recognition Certificate before the actual winner was announced! In any event, the season 10 best dressed team award went to…….STORMTROOPERS!!!

We kicked off the playoffs with Stephanie Ward of Zulu Warriors singing the national anthem! The games began and lemme tell ya the competition was fierce! Competitors were – competitive and the audience was sitting on the edge of their seats clenching their teeth! Many match ups went to a game 5 so you can only imagine how hard fought these battles really were! If you didn’t stay for the finals here’s what you missed:

The tier B finals were loud and intense between Team China +1 and Ichi-Balls. Let’s note that both teams had 10-12 players so when half the team was on the court battling to win the other half was on the sidelines coaching and cheering! It was quite the shocker during the middle of the series when Team China lost their +1. In the course of action he had somehow hurt his ankle! Mr. +1 sat off for the next few games but when he felt better he immediately jumped back into the game to be that X factor! It was a long fought battle but in the end it was Ichi-Balls FTW (For The Win)! Congratulations to our new Wednesday Division, Tier B Champions; Ichi-Balls!

The finals came down to Sons of Guns versus Awesome 8. Awesome 8 with the upper hand going to the finals from the winner’s bracket which meant that Sons of Guns would have to beat them twice if they wanted to take this championship home! Games were going back and forth, catches were being caught left and right, and cannons were being launched. Every game seemed like the final game! Both teams were playing for their lives! The series went into game 5. In the end Awesome 8 prevailed winning the last and final game. Congratulations to our new Wednesday Division, Tier A Champions; Awesome 8!

The glory did not just end at getting the VDL Belt for Awesome 8. Their very own Shane Babu had a fantastic showing during the playoffs especially during the final series. For that he was awarded this season’s MVP. Congratulations Shane!

Thus marks the end of Season 10 for Wednesday nights. We here at VDL hope that all the players have enjoyed the season and are looking forward to seeing you in the spring for Season 11.

Your Wednesday Division Director
Clarabelle Chan

Do you have that spiritual thirst for Spirit Ballot enlightenment? Are you constantly asking yourself, what does this all mean? (whoa that’s so intense!). Look no further, truth-seeker, as VDL has developed this new Spirit Ballot page that explains the be-all and end-all of Spirit Ballots! If you’re a captain or a teammate that’s in charge of your team’s Spirit Ballots, be sure to review this as it covers off everything you wanted to know about this topic, especially how to use and not use them. Happy road to enlightenment!

As we approach the start of Week 1 (hooray!), we’re introducing some new player protocols to build up VDL’s spirit and to keep the peace.

1) The first new protocol is for Captains to meet with each other at the beginning of the night, before any games are played, and take a minute to introduce themselves, shake hands and wish each other well. This builds trust and goodwill, and lets Captains get to know each other.

2) Going hand and hand with point #1, we’re introducing a new approach to Conflict Resolution. The current approach is if there’s conflict on the courts to tell the VDL Exec the problem and leave him/her to pass on the note to the offending team. This goes back and forth sometimes without the direct participants speaking to each other. We’re saying goodbye to this ‘tell the teacher’ approach, and in line with our values of spirit, honour rules and sportsmanship, saying hello to Player to Player/Captain to Captain resolution. We’re putting the onus on players and Captains to directly resolve their own differences on the court in a respectful, sportsman-like, and non-accusatory manner… we’re all adults here! VDL Execs will intervene afterwards if needed. Please review our new Conflict Resolution page for more information.

That’s all folks. Have a great Week 1!

The schedules for Week 1 to Week 3 were posted last Monday and can be viewed under “Schedules” in the drop down navigation bar above. However, there have been a few recent changes since then and all affected captains have been notified. They are:

• Monday schedules have been updated from Week 1 – Week 3 to accommodate 4 new last minute teams of different skill level. It’s important to us to share the dodgeball love with as many people as possible so thanks for understanding! Please ensure you refresh your browser for the most updated schedule. Only a few teams have been impacted.
• Tuesday @ Dickens on Sept 21st has been canceled by the VSB for last minute school use. We were informed of this late Friday afternoon (Sept 17th) and hopefully, will be getting a replacement  by Monday end of day. We’ll update  the Week 1 Tuesday schedule and email the captains once we find out.
  Update 9/20: Waverly Elementary is the replacement

Hopefully, there will be no further gym cancellations, but if there are, we’ll let everyone know via the website and the captains via email. Have a great weekend and enjoy Week 1!

We hope you all are having a great summer. Fall is around the corner and that means it’s dodgeball time! Here are some details to keep you in the loop:

1) S10′s League Schedule Updates: The Registration page has been updated with more specific dates regarding the season. Here are some highlights:

• Exhibition week starts from Monday, Sept. 13th to Sept. 16th
• Week 1 for everyone begins the following week
• All divisions will have a 10 week schedule, plus Exhibition Week and Playoffs
• Tiering for all divisions will occur after Week 3 and Week 8
• Gyms are closed on Thankgiving Day (Oct. 11) and Remembrance Day (Nov. 11)
• Season 10′s Playoffs dates are tentatively booked

2) Team Name, Tier and Captain Confirmation: We need all Captains to review this spreadsheet (9/13 update: link removed; deadline has past) to confirm your team name, starting tier and team captain. If there are changes, including new contact information, please send them to Dave Buxton, League Scheduler, at <dbuxton (at) vdldodgeball.ca>. If there are no changes, then no action is necessary. This information is key as we’ll use it to build the schedules and nightly scoresheets. We will not accept any further changes after Saturday, Sept 4th. Please note that we need to round out the tiers so teams may not be placed in their desired tier at the beginning few weeks. Starting tiers are up to VDL’s discretion.

3) Waivers: Captains and players, please ensure you and your teammates consent before participating in any VDL activity. See the Waivers page for more information, or go directly to the online waivers.

4) Register for Exhibition Week! This includes Dodgeball 101 for new players and Vets’ Night Drop-in for returning players. Registration is done individually, not as a team.

5) Captains’ meeting is canceled this season. We are going to explore other alternatives to orientate, educate and develop our captains.

6) Dodgeball Rules and League Policies have been updated. Have a read, let us know what you think.

7) We still have a few spots open for S10. Tell your friends about how awesome Dodgeball is! Spread the word, the deadline is August 30th. Register here.

That’s all for now. See you all on the courts soon!