An inside look at Vancouver’s immense dodgeball community

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Dodge, dip, duck, dive and….dodge?

I think most people’s knowledge of the sport of dodgeball comes from the hilarious 2004 movie Dodgeball featuring Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn. Most don’t really even consider it a sport, instead simply thinking of it as a gym class game that nobody takes too seriously. I’m here to tell you that that is most definitely not the case.

Dodgeball has completely taken off as an alternative team sport, following in the footsteps of sports like ultimate frisbee. There are tournaments around North America, with different ball sizes and skill levels dictating how they are organized.

I fancy myself as a high-level dodgeball player, especially coming from a baseball background and being able to throw pretty hard. I represented BC at the Canadian Nationals in Halifax in 2017, and again in Winnipeg in 2018. Those tournaments were a tryout for Team Canada, which competes at Worlds in various locations. There has been nine World Championships, with Canada tied with Malaysia with the most wins, with three apiece. Canada’s last win came in 2016.

The Nationals and World Championships involve playing with a 7 inch foam ball, which differs in play style compared to an 8.5 inch foam ball. You can throw the ball a lot faster in the 7 inch style, which makes it a lot less likely that catches will happen. If the ball bounces off somebody and is caught by a teammate, it counts as a catch. In the 8.5″ style, deflected catches do not count, as the catch needs to be secured only by the player who was initially hit.

The Vancouver Dodgeball League (VDL) operates with the 8.5″ style of play. The league has humbling origins, starting out with only 12 participants back in 2004. Its absolutely insane how much the league has taken off, with co-ed leagues from Monday through Thursday, including an all women’s and new 7″ league as well. The league is in its 32nd season, with a whopping 138 total teams currently playing. There are definitely some players that play on multiple nights, but it is estimated that with teams consisting of 8-10 players, there are around 1000 active players playing dodgeball in Vancouver. Each night is broken down into different skill tiers, to satisfy the needs of every player.

All league games are played in elementary school gyms, usually Charles Dickens Elementary School on 17th Ave. If you didn’t know anything about the sports’ presence in the city, it would be pretty funny to see a bunch of adults with knee pads showing up to a school gym. The novelty of the game being a new and unique sport has worn off for many of the players, as many have been playing seriously for 10 or even 15 years.

There is definitely a community feel to the league, as they make a point to host pub events and various costume nights. The league has also raised over $62,000 through dodgeball, whether through direct giving or specific fundraising tournaments. The league is completely run by volunteers, who are committed to continuing to grow the game and make sure the league runs smoothly.

The league still has room to grow, as the potential to utilize other school gyms could open up participation from additional teams. The success of dodgeball in Vancouver should also create a blueprint for other more obscure sports leagues to thrive in the city.

So if you’re looking for a fun weekly activity, consider the VDL. At the very least, you’ll have an avenue to meet some new people and have some fun. And hey, you may even join the hundreds of Vancouverites who are obsessed with the sport.

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