I've always been a competitive guy. I've liked to participate in tournaments, matches, and other competitive situations as it allows me to stop living vicariously through famous athletes in pro sports but actually be competitive myself, feel the thrill of advancing through a tournament and beating other teams as well as the heartbreak of losing, plus sometimes the motivation to get better and challenge the best.
That's why this weekend at the Elite National Dodgeball Championship was a great experience in my life. One of the problems with dodgeball and why the sport hasn't taken off in the national or world spotlight (never been an Olympic sport) is not because it's not just as fun as other sports and interesting to watch or strategic (ton of strategy involved), it's because it's not unified yet. There's a lot of different organizations for dodgeball running different programs, using different modified rules for their leagues, different balls, different courts, etc. It just isn't organized yet, and thus doesn't get funding, thus doesn't attract the best athletes, doesn't attract TV sponsorship, viewers, etc., the whole business end of things.
The Elite Championship, though, gathered some of arguably the best dodgeball players at least in the USA into one place (Las Vegas) on Labor Day Weekend to settle who's the best in the nation. More than 30 teams in the country competed, in several different divisions, and I had a great time participating in 2 of the divisions. In my opinion Elite is not perfect, it uses a different kind of ball that I'm used to (the hard rubber 8.5 ball that stings when it hits someone), but it's a great step in the right direction towards potentially uniting dodgeball players around the country.
For me, it also presents the best dodgeball team in America, and shows me the top of the hierarchy of the sport. Unlike basketball or football or tennis, I will probably never be able to step onto the court professionally with any of the top athletes in any of those sports in any type of serious match (maybe for like charity or something). However, in dodgeball, I know on Friday/Saturday I stepped on the court with some of the best in the world at the sport, and even though my team didn't win, I knew what it felt like to play against them, how far off I am (or if there's any possibility of reaching that top). For a competitor, it's a great feeling to shine some light on this, gain some insight into one's place in the world, feel like one is relevant and is part of something. I think that's what competitors seek more than anything else in the world: a chance to become the best at something, to defeat others (in combat, win-loss, zero-sum sports) and get what everybody wants: the championship. I don't feel much more alive than I do in a big match where a lot of people are watching, knowing I've prepared myself for the competitive moment and have earned a chance to perform on the big stage and show everyone my abilities. It's probably why I've never needed any drugs or roller coasters: the thrill of competiton is enough for me, and I'm addicted to it. I want to be one of the best dodgeballers in the world. Whether that's trampoline dodgeball, 8.5 dodgeball, mud dodgeball, cage dodgeball, etc., etc. (I've played in many different formats), I'd like a chance to do that.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
No comments:
Post a Comment