It started off as a beautiful, sunny, calm, maybe even serene day. Who knew that such great turmoil was brewing. A day long event it was filled with ups and downs, tribulations and triumphs, anguish and exuberance, victory and defeat as history was made.

With spirited play, good cheer, and friendly competition, “I Love You‘ succeeded in garnering their second “Hootie the Spirit Owl” in as many seasons of play. Congratulations. The best dressed award was given to ‘Whip n Dip‘ for their simple, and yet appealing, blue uniforms. Well Dressed.

The dodgeball playing itself was started off by a hearwrenching rendition of ‘Oh Canada’ by our lovely Marie Hui and the day only got better from there. Everyone stepped up their game for playoffs and it was easy to see why Thursday Division is considered the most competitive night as spectacular after spectacular play was done by one and all. However, as with most wonderful things, it had to come to an end As the dust settled, championships were found and lost, and great games were had and seen by all.

The first champions to seize their prize were the Tier C Champs the ‘Atomic Balls‘. Showing energy on par with a nuclear reactor they energized themselves to Victory through the tried and true method of winning all their sets and not leaving anything up to chance. The valiant runner up was ‘Somebody’s gonna get hurt real bad‘. While they put up one hell of a fight they were, sadly, the ones to be hurt in the end.

‘The Hit List’ was the second champion to be recognized, taking the Tier B title from the red hot ‘Dodge it Like it’s Hot‘. While ‘Dodge it Like it’s Hot‘ did the impressive feat of storming back into the finals from deep inside the back door bracket, they were unable to sustain their momentum and fell to the tune of ‘The Hit List‘.

For the second straight season the ‘Spartans‘ stormed their way straight into the finals, taking no prisoners in a fiery display of overpowering throws. However, for the second straight season they saw their championship slip away from them as the team that came through the back door took them two sets in the final. This season the winner’s of Tier A are non-other than ‘Young and Dangerous‘. With key players stepping up at the right time and doing the right things, they were able to show the resilience of their youth and how dangerous they are on the dodgeball court as they won the Tier A title. With multiple players stepping up and playing amazing, the MVP was not a clear cut decision. However, in respect to how much the man stepped it up at the right time in the finals, the MVP trophy was awarded to Kevin Vo.

That sums up the final portion of an epic season of Dodgeball, but this is not really an ending as there are always more great stories yet to come.

Winners: Young & Dangerous

Runner’s Up: Spartans

In case you missed all of the excitement this past Saturday, here are some highlights of the Monday Division’s season 9 playoffs!

Ever wonder why you fill out those spirit little ballots every night? Well, you finally got to find out at the playoffs. Voted by your own peers…well points given by your very self, the team that redeemed the highest average of spirit points this season goes to Wii Not Fit. This team not only displayed their talent and team work on the court but they always ensured that it was an enjoyable experience for not only themselves but the teams that faced them. Congratulations to Wii Not Fit for taking home Hootie the Spirit Owl.

It was amazing to see so many teams show their commitment to the game of dodgeball by coming out with uniforms this season. This one team was no stranger to the Best Dressed award as they had won this title in season 8 as The Fighting Uruk-Hai. Their spicy uniform and sexy headbands really stood out. Congratulations to Terror Fiesta for winning the Best Dressed award!

There could not have been a better day to hold Monday’s playoffs. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and people were hungry for a championship. Intense matches between Dodge My Durians and Team China +1 had everyone at the edge of their seats. Taking home the first ever Monday Tier C championship was Team China +1…talk about x-factor!

The tier B finals were nothing short of an epic battle. Veteran team Unstoppabulls really gave Got Ballz? a run for their money. In the end Got Ballz? had balls and won the Tier B title. Unstoppabulls were very gracious and just as happy with a handshake and a fist pound!

The tier A finals had everyone biting their nails. Crazy throws and amazing catches highlighted the battle between Purple Monkey Dishwashers and Dodgeball, I Choose You. Purple Monkey Dishwashers were on fire all day and seemed unstoppable. In the end Dodgeball, I Choose You was determined to get another Monday Division title. Their dreams came true on that beautiful Saturday afternoon and did indeed win their 2nd Monday Division Tier A title.

Finally, the day ended with the crowning of the playoffs’ MVP. It was unanimous and no one would even come close to how amazing this player proved to be. Congratulations to Carson Ha of Purple Monkey Dishwashers for being the Most Valuable Player at the Monday Playoffs.

Winners: Dodgeball, I Choose You

Runner’s Up: Purple Monkey Dishwashers

Tier B

Winners: Got Ballz?

Runner’s Up: Unstoppabulls

Tier C

Winners: Team China +1

Runner’s Up: Dodge My Durians

Awards

Tournament MVP: Carson Ha

Most Spirited Team: Wii Not Fit

Overall Best Dressed Team: Terror Fiesta

Click to see more pictures from Playoffs!

Click to see videos from Playoffs!

Thanks for such an amazing season! If you happened to miss bits and pieces of the playoffs (or you entirely missed it GRRR), here’s the scoop on the Wednesday Season 9 Playoffs:

Over The Hill starts off the day by taking BOTH Hootie the Spirit Owl for the Most Spirited Team title and also the Best Dressed award. They are the first team EVER to win BOTH Hootie the Spirit Owl and the Best Dressed Award. They came decked out in their signature team uniforms and even gave us a YABBADABBADOO and a tail waggle!

The games began and as the day went on, the games got more intense. There were some HUGE CLUTCH catches – and if you’re lucky, they just might appear on Facebook!

In Tier B, Natural Selectors from the winners bracket faces Villians who are the winners in the loser bracket. Natural Selectors win the first 2 games but the Villains storm back and take the next 3 games to extend the series. In the final match, Natural Selectors once again came out strong and took the first 2 games but again the Villains fought hard to tie the game at 2. Final game in the match with the games tied at 2-2, Natural Selectors stepped up their game and defeated the Villians to come out as our Tier B Champions.

In Tier A, In Dodge We Trust smooth sailed all the way to the finals and were matched with Awesome 8. The tired Awesome 8 came from the back door and took the first series, leading both teams in to the deciding match for the title. During a critical point in the final match, a player on In Dodge We Trust gets injured. She toughs it out and stays in the game. Awesome 8 put up a fight but In Dodge We Trust pulled it together – perhaps inspired from the willpower of their injured teammate – and took the title, becoming our Season 10 Tier A Champions.

Winners:  In Dodge We Trust

Runner’s Up: Awesome 8

Tier B

Winners: Natural Selectors

Runner’s Up: Villains

Awards

Tournament MVP: Geoff Hamilton

Most Spirited Team & Overall Best Dressed Team: Over The Hill

Click to see more pictures from Playoffs!

Click to see videos from Playoffs!

In case you missed all of the fun this Saturday, here’s a recap of what went down at Tuesday’s season 9 playoffs!

Our resident heroes Marvel-Us kicked it all off by whooshing Hootie the Spirit Owl away and clinching the Most Spirited Team title, even performing a special rendition of their signature cheer.

With all of the stiff sartorialist competition on the courts this season, The Tight and Brights definitely kept it the tightest. In their short shorts, neon bands, metallic blue leggings, and even a red bodystocking, they brightened up our Tuesday nights and just had to take home our Best Dressed award.

Shirts came off as the competition heated up, and it came down to first and second seed, single-match finals all around. Veterans Doug Phan Community College beat IN YOUR FACE to become Tuesday’s first-ever Tier C champions while Tier B’s Octopus Gang wrapped their tentacles around the Tier B title, sending Back By Popular Demand reeling for another call back.

And for tier A, you’ll have to call them 24-bit now, since defending champs 8 Bit once again blocked all of The Gun Show‘s bullets to take the 3-peat golden title. They out-played all of their competition, losing only one game in their entire playoff run to bring home the VDL belt!

Winners: 8 Bit

Runner’s Up: The Gun Show

Tier B

Winners: Octopus Gang

Runner’s Up: Back By Popular Demand

Tier C

Winners:Doug Phan Community College

Runner’s Up: IN YOUR FACE

Awards

Tournament MVP: Chris Tung (8 Bit)

Overall Best Dressed Team: The Tight and Brights

Most Spirited Team: Marvel-Us

Click to see more pictures from Playoffs!

Click to see videos from Playoffs!

UPDATE (5/03):
Click HERE for Pics

Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate Season 9 together!

Some Highlights:

- Over too many beers and burgers, we enjoyed the Canucks rocking the Blackhawks
- Random dancing, including surprise booty shakers to “Baby Got Back”
- Great congo line to “I Got A Feeling”
- Lots of  prizes
- Happy Birthday song to May 1st babies
- Our biggest turn out ever!!!

We hope that you had a blast for the 5 year Anniversary.

On that note, thanks for being a part of the Vancouver Dodgeball League.

Go Canucks Go!!!

UPDATE (4/26):
Are YOU ready to PARTY?! We are so excited to see all of you lovely dodgeball players at the VDL Pub Night/5th Anniversary this Saturday at BCIT Pub: Professor Mugs!

Hopefully by now you’ve:

• reserved your spots and your $10 burger/fries/deal online
• convinced all of your teammates and friends to attend with you
• figured out how to get home from pub night – carpool, call a cab, ride a camel…(remember, VDL discourages drinking and driving!)
• successfully given your palms a workout with all those high-fives you’ve been giving and receiving
• and gotten completely hyped up about the insanity that will be VDL Pub Night!

If you haven’t registered yet, it’s not too late to do so! Please note that there is a capacity of 300 people at Professor Mugs, and although signing up online gives us a better idea of how many people and burgers to expect, there is no guarantee that if you come late we won’t run out of room and kitchen supplies. Please aim to arrive before 7pm to secure your spot, since everyone will be wanting in on the action!

You definitely do not want to miss out on the free appies and beer, fantastic entertainment, and fabulous prizes! You could end up winning a BBQ worth $400 home (just in time for summer!) with our raffle draw, or some special limited-edition anniversary t-shirts!

Oh, did we mention we’ll be selling new VDL swag? Bring some extra cash and get your new gear on!

• VDL Black Hoodie – $38
• VDL Black Sweat Pants – $38
• VDL T-Shirt – $15
• VDL Toque – $15
• VDL Towel – $12

Don’t go home cold that night! We can’t wait to see everyone there! Hope you’re as excited as we are!

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Happy Birthday to VDL!
It’s the league’s 5th year anniversary, and we are combining this great occasion with our biggest and best social event of the season: VDL Pub Night! Munch on free beer and appetizers, mingle with the people you’ve so far only thrown balls at, and marvel at the entertainment and surprises in store!

When: Saturday, May 1st, 2010 – 6pm to close (1am)
Where: BCIT’s Pub: Professor Mugs (4200 Willingdon Ave., Burnaby, BC)

Please note that we will not be selling tickets in advance this year; instead, we ask that you reserve a spot online here. So hurry and secure your spot in the fun and excitement! Professor Mugs has a capacity of 300, and there is no limit to the number of spots you can reserve, but to make sure you can get in please aim to arrive before 7pm!

VDL has arranged to keep you people happily fed with the burger, fries, and beer deal for $10, to be purchased directly at the pub. As we will not be selling tickets during gym nights this year, please indicate when you sign up online whether you will be purchasing this deal as supplies are limited!

We like our players safe and healthy and strongly discourage drinking and driving. Please take public transit, arrange carpools and rides with a designated driver, or call a cab home!

VDL would not be what it is today without your spirit, enthusiasm, and support. To celebrate the anniversary and remind ourselves what dodgeball is all about, we are implementing something called High-5-for-5-Years-with-VDL: For the next few weeks leading up to Pub Night, after each game when you congratulate your opponents, reach up for a high-five. Jump if you want, but no low-fives allowed…please! What’s more, just because the Olympics are over doesn’t mean random high-fives can’t happen! High-five your teammates, your opponents, the execs, random person on the other side of the gym whom you see make a fantastic catch…encourage each other, make new friends, display your fantastic sportsmanship! Keep the spirit alive; show it with your high-five!

Throughout the next few weeks, we’ll be tweeting out random VDL Fun Facts, so follow us on Twitter to find out what they are!

Now, you wouldn’t let a 5-year old down by missing out on its birthday party, right? See you all at Pub Night, partying it up like only dodgeballers know how!

Also, a big THANK YOU to our pub night Sponsors:

UPDATE (5/04)
Our Saturday, May 8th Skills Clinic is officially sold out now. If you still want to register for our skills clinic, please register for our May 10th edition.  Click on the link provided below to sign up!

UPDATE (4/26)
The wait is over! We’re opening our registration doors to our SECOND and THIRD skills clinic training camp! Don’t miss this last chance of the season!

Do you suffer from consistent blows to the head? Does your arm hurt after a night of playing? Feeling unconfident because you can’t seem to catch anyone’s eye (because you can’t catch any balls)? Well, we’ve got the answer for you!

Come out to our Season 9 Skills Clinic Training Camp, where you’ll learn how to throw, catch, block, and plenty more! Not only that, but with the package comes our own well-trained and experienced Execs (experts in their field, of course) on hand to teach you individual and team strategy, give demonstration and tips on proper technique, and even some practice time!

Not only that, you get to try out your new skills with some games and hopefully new friends! It is time to leave your muscle inflammation remedies at home, so register now and we’ll even teach you about injury prevention!

Season 9 Skills Clinic Training Camp (Part 2) – Learn How to be a Hero
Date: Saturday, May 8, 2010
Time: 6 – 9pm
Location: Kensington Community Centre (map)
Who is eligible? Any Season 9 VDL Player
Max capacity: 35 players/clinic
Cost: $6/person (please pay at the door, cash only)
Registration: Sign up here

Season 9 Skills Clinic Training Camp (Part 3) – Learn How to be a Hero (some more!)
Date: Monday, May 10, 2010
Time: 7 – 10pm
Location: Waverly Elementary School (map)
Who is eligible? Any Season 9 VDL Player
Max capacity: 35 players/clinic
Cost: $6/person (please pay at the door, cash only)
Registration: Sign up here

This is really going to be the last skills clinic of the season. As you may already know, our first one sold like hot cakes, so don’t wait too long — act quick!

If you missed Dodgeball 101 and/or Vets Night last week, or just to get a quick refresher, you’d want to check this out.

1) A new rule regarding eligibility to return to the game from a teammate’s catch

(Catch, #3)

In order to be eligible to return to the game, the player who is out must be at the wall or sideline next to the designated referee before a teammate makes a catch to bring him/her back in. (The intention of this rule is to ensure that the player being brought back in was clearly hit out prior to the catch) (See “Technical” #11 & 12)

Note: First Out First In rule still applies.  (Catch #2)

2) If your team has all the balls, and no one is using them, this happens:

(Dead Ball, #11)

If a team has all 6 balls on their court and are not being used (i.e. all 6 balls are left on the ground), referees will begin a 10 second holding rule on the ball closest to the center line until it is played or turned over to the other team. If a player plays a ball, the countdown is transferred to that ball.

3) 10 second holding rule clarification:

(Dead Ball, #2a,b)

a. The 10 second count starts in these situations: (a) when a player picks up a ball, (b) when a player holds down a ball that is on the ground for longer than 3 seconds, (c) when a player manoeuvres a ball alongside himself/herself on the ground to move to a different position on the court, and (d) when the first ball is activated at the opening rush (see “Technical” #1)

b. The 10 second rule DOES NOT start in these situations: a) when a player rolls a ball to another teammate (ball must not leave the ground), b) when a player rolls a ball back from the center line, and c) when a player stops a moving ball.

4) A technical point regarding catching a blocked ball:

(Technical, #6)

When attempting to catch a blocked ball, a player must hold onto ALL the balls that they had in possession of at the time of the block, otherwise the player is out.

Short and sweet folks!  To check out the rest of the rules in detail, visit our Dodgeball Rules page.  If you have any questions regarding the rules, feel free to ask your friendly neighborhood execs for clarification.

Thanks and have a fantastic season!

Victoria
Programs Director

S9 is just around the corner and we’re getting pumped for our biggest and best season yet! Here are some details to keep you in the loop:

1) S9′s League Schedule: Due to a later start date because of the Olympics, as well as upcoming stat holidays and gym availabilities, we’ve adjusted our S9 schedule to continue giving our community the very best dodgeball experience. As a result, more dodgeball will be had for most players!  Here are the changes:

• Exhibition week will start from Monday, March 1st to Thursday, March 4th
• All VSB gyms are closed the following week for Spring Break (March 8th to March 11th)
• Week 1 for everyone begins on the week of  Monday, March 15th
• Monday Division will have a 10 week schedule (due to statutory holidays); Tuesday and Wednesday Divisions will have a 11 week schedule; and Thursday Division will have a 12 week schedule
• Tiering for all divisions will occur after Week 3 and Week 8; with 6 teams generally going up and down each shuffle
• Season 9′s Playoffs dates are booked
• Due to the tremendous amount of player overlap in VDL’s Tier A, amongst other reasons, the Tournament of Champions is on hiatus for the foreseeable future

2) Team Name, Tier and Captain Confirmation: We need all Captains to review these pages listed here to confirm your team name, starting tier and team captain. Please send any changes 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 Friday, March 5th. Please note that we need to balance the tiers so some more shuffling will occur and these 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) 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. There are 5 sessions in total; capacity for 50 people 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 48 hours before the session and be sure to check out the VDL Rules videos for easy learning. Register here for Dodgeball 101!

Dodgeball 101 Details:

a) Monday, March 1st
7:30PM – 9:30PM
Fleming Elementary (1401 East 49th Avenue)

b) Tuesday, March 2nd (#1)
7:30PM – 9:30PM
David Thompson Secondary (1755 E. 55th Ave)

c) Tuesday, March 2nd (#2)
7:30PM - 9:30PM
Waverly Elementary (6111 Elliot Street)
*note: gym updated last minute by the VSB, not Carleton Elementary. Apologies for the inconvenience.

d) Wednesday, March 3rd
8:30PM – 10:00PM
Queen Elizabeth Elementary (4102 W 16th Avenue)
*note: gym updated, this is Queen Elizabeth Elementary. Apologies for the confusion.

e) Thursday, March 4th
7:30PM - 9:30PM
Dickens Elementary (1010 East 17th Avenue)

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5) We’ve also set up Vet’s Night Drop In Sessions for returning players to shake off that rust from the offseason and get back into the dodgeball groove. There are 7 sessions available; capacity for 50 people per event. 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. Please register 48 hours before the session. Register here for Vet’s Night Drop In Session.

Vet’s Night Details:

a) Monday, March 1st
7:30PM – 9:30PM
Dickens Elementary (1010 East 17th Avenue)

b) Tuesday, March 2nd (#1)
7:00PM – 8:30PM
Oppenheimer Elementary (2421 Scarboro Avenue)

c) Tuesday, March 2nd (#2)
8:30PM – 10:00PM
Oppenheimer Elementary (2421 Scarboro Avenue)

d) Wednesday, March 3rd (#1)
8:30PM – 10:00PM
Nelson Elementary (2235 Kitchener Avenue)
*note: gym updated, not Carleton Elementary. Apologies for the inconvenience.

e) Wednesday, March 3rd (#2)
8:30PM – 10:00PM
Dickens Elementary (1010 East 17th Avenue)
*note: gym updated, not L’ecole Bilingue. Apologies for the inconvenience.

f) Thursday, March 4th (#1)
7:30PM – 9:30PM
David Thompson Secondary (1755 E. 55th Ave)

g) Thursday, March 4th (#2)
7:30PM – 9:30PM
Hastings Elementary (2625 Franklin St.)
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6) Season 9′s Captain’s meeting will held on Tuesday, March 9th. Every team must have at least one representative at this meeting, preferably the Captain of the team. Refreshments will be served.

VDL S9 – Captain’s Meeting
Tuesday, March 9th
6:30PM-7:00PM: Registration and food
7:00PM-8:00PM: Meeting

Sunset Community Centre, Main Hall
6810 Main Street
Vancouver, BC V5X 0A1
Map Link

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

We have all the resources you need to get your team together. If you already have your full team roster, simply just register your team here and make the necessary team fee payments and you’ll be all set!  If you’re interested in playing with new players and just meeting new people, you can register as a single registrant, and we will do our best to find a team for you that best suits your level of play and night preference.  Also, you can always have a look at our Facebook group page and try to recruit yourself to a team!

We’re looking forward to another sold-out season! Register now and be a part of VDL history!

So it’s unofficially official (or is it officially unofficial?), Dodgeball is the next best sport among true athletes. We came across some articles and videos, and couldn’t help ourselves but to spread the love.

The University of Alberta has set a new Guinness Book of World Record for most participants in a dodgeball game. Imagine 600 vs. 600 players. Crazy much? If you don’t believe it, catch it here.

It is truly outstanding and just amazing how much the sport of dodgeball has evolved and we want to give props to TSN and UofA for promoting our sport in Canada and to the world.

Watch TSN’s coverage of UofA’s dodgeball record here.

You know you’re on your way to becoming an official sport when you make it onto TSN. Be a part of dodgeball history, join VDL today! Season 9 starts March 2010!

Follow this link to register!  We only have a few spots left.
*Remember, our registration closes on February 15.*

See you at the gym soon!