Dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge: Why dodgeball players are taking to the beach

Dodgeball is traditionally played in a gym but a new variation, playing the game on a beach, is gaining traction across the country.

Matt Lawrence, president of Dodgeball PEI, said after seeing other groups taking to the sand rather than the court it seemed like a logical move.

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"Why aren't we doing this?" said Lawrence.

"We have one of the best beaches across Canada so we might as well try our best and see if we can put on a great beach dodgeball tournament."

Lawrence, who's been leading the organization since 2011, decided to put together the competition which runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday at Blooming Point. 

Beach vs. court

Indoor dodgeball is played in a space the size of a volleyball court, and involves 12 players, six on each team, in a battle for survival.

I think everyone likes to pretend they're like their own action hero where they're dodging.- Matt Lawrence

There are six seven-inch foam balls in play concurrently, making for a fast paced, high intensity competition.

On the beach Saturday, teams will be made up of four players, and four balls will be used in beach volleyball-sized courts.

Netting will be erected around the courts so enclose the playing space, emulating the indoor experience.

'Willing to lay out'

Halen Sky, one of the 50 or so participants taking part in Saturday's tournament, said the game is completely different on the beach.

"I'm much more of a dodger where I'll slide on my knee pads on a basketball court and I do a lot of dropping," she said.

"On the sand it's not as much of that, you have to do a lot more lateral dodges."

Lawrence said people playing on the beach are more adventurous in the way that they use their bodies because there is no fear of reprisals.

"More people are willing to lay out and do these amazing dives for any kinds of catches and any kinds of dodges," he said.

"I think everyone likes to pretend they're like their own action hero where they're dodging out of the way or throwing a ball and then dodging right out of the way and not having to worry about getting injured or anything."

'Credible competitive sport'

Sky said that she prefers the indoor game to the beach variation — that may be because she is a skilled player that is competing for Team Canada at the World Dodgeball Championship in Toronto in October.

P.E.I. is sending three players to compete at the World's this fall, Dalton Mackenzie and Jen Rempel will be competing for Team Maple Leaf.

The growth of the sport is evident to Lawrence, who has noticed a jump in the number of players.

"This sport has been growing, the sport has revealed itself to a lot of people," said Lawrence.

He thinks that what was viewed as a game for kids has become a more respected form of competitive sport.

"There's a lot of athleticism in the sport," he said. "It can be viewed as a credible competitive sport."

'A great opportunity'

Lawrence said that Saturday's event has about 50 players registered, and the tournament will use what he described as a jumbled format where teams mix-and-match throughout the day.

"This is just to create a sense of community as well as fun, and give everyone an opportunity to play with everyone, and not have set teams throughout the whole tournament."

Lawrence said that Dodgeball PEI traditionally hosts an annual tournament in September, but he is hoping to shift it to an August beach dodgeball event.

"We're hoping that come next year we can attract a lot of players from outside of Prince Edward Island to come and play on our beaches," he said.

"It's a great opportunity to be on the Island, it's a great opportunity to play on these beaches and it's a great opportunity to play dodgeball."

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