I've been taking some time off of dodgeball recently, but I've found that it's in my blood, and I'm going through withdrawals: Other than thinking about my girlfriend and work, the third-most trending topic in my head is dodgeball. Anyway, I honestly do feel that one can show a lot of their own personality on the dodgeball court. Here are the 10 people one meets on the dodgeball court:
1.) The "Play one time, have no interest, dodgeball is not for me"-type. My girlfriend belongs in this category. Nothing wrong with it: don't like to have balls thrown at one's face, don't like that there's so many balls moving around at one time, I totally get it. People who don't play dodgeball comprise the vast majority of the world's population, who favor not getting too dirty, not trying a kid's game, or those who don't actively seek playground/new sports. It takes a real special breed to try dodgeball and continue playing. (And sometimes a little craziness and obsessiveness, like myself)
2.) The former athlete/baseball-player time: relies strictly on athleticism and arm strength, believes those are the core fundamentals of dodgeball success. They are helpful, surely, but not what I believe to be the most important tools. These athletic types are easy to spot, often monopolizing control of the balls and forging ahead, trying to prove a point that they were athletes or simply not cognizant that there are other aspects to dodgeball, easily getting sniped when they move up or some other rookie mistake.
3.) The team player: this is what most players on a winning team should be: willing to do whatever for the team, whether it be shagging balls, giving up the ball to the team's best thrower, going for loose balls, trying to catch teammates back in, this is the type of glue personality that every team and business needs (a lot of business and team analogies in dodgeball). Unfortunately, these team players often don't the credit that they deserve and the accolades associated with being a team's "star player."
4.) The team's "star player/big gun." Every team has one of these, perceived as the queen on the chess board, where other players pass them balls and they get things done. They throw really hard and get others out, then try to keep themselves alive by blocking with balls. Everyone pretty much aspires to be this "star player" as a sign that they made it to the top of the food chain, but there are a lot of "wannabe" star players who haven't mastered what it takes to be one. In order to be a star player, have to be one of the best players on the floor and be "worth" protecting at all times, which some players are not ready for. It takes years to groom these guys/ girls, but often people try to take shortcuts and assume the role prematurely at the expense of the team. (Sense a little bitterness here from me?)
5.) The leader. The leader and the star player could be the same player, but often it's the quote unquote "captain" of the team who calls out how many balls there are, gathers everyone to talk before the game, organizes everyone as a "coach" would: (there are as yet no dodgeball coaches yet, as the sport is too young for retired players to assume the role and just isn't prominent enough to require coaches, but player coaches our really important to keep everyone in line.
6.) The Pump Faker- a surprisingly effective move that shows immediately the mental prowess and shrewdness of a dodgeball player, it's like the "tell" at a poker table that this player is not to be messed with. It also shows that player has pretty good arm health, as full pump fakes take a lot out of one
7.) The dancer: dodgeball is fun after all, and a lot of people like to do wacky things on the court, like break dancing and jumping around. These players are welcomed in non-competitive settings and some even succeed at the top levels, as dodging and jumping is a useful skill, albeit not my favorite. Sometimes it is nice to slip in jokes and make everyone on the court laugh, and
8.) The enforcer: unfortunately there are these around who for whatever reason has to stick up for one's teammate, or show how macho one is, is the guy who gets easily offended at accidental head shots, accidental cheap shots, etc., and will go to the brink of challenging other people to a fight, or implement retaliatory measures like throwing back at someone's head, etc. These enforcers exist in most pro sports (hockey and baseball with its unwritten rules and such especially), but hopefully will not be a part of dodgeball as they are unnecessary.
9.) The competitive guy: came to dodgeball cuz maybe they got picked on as a kid, or failed at other sports, or just has a chip on one's shoulder, they often bark at the referees if they missed a call, I probably fall into this category, as winning is a higher priority than having fun. Tough to balance the 2, but hard to stifle that competitive juice as it is what fuels me and other competitive types to do their best. Sport is by definition trying to do one's best to top the competition, so if it's to be taken as a serious sport then the competitive side of this (to a certain point, don't go overboard) has to be allowed/tolerated.
10.) The cheater: the guys who get hit and don't take their out, staying in even when they are otu. There are varying levels of these offenses: 1.) those who aren't sure about if they got hit and stay in, not great but understandable, 2.) those who just stay in until they get called by a referee, not good but pro sports stars do it, and 3.) those who blatantly cheat and then try to convince others that they are in the wrong by calling them out. The best is obviously to be the most honest and seek to take one's outs even if they're unsure, (sometimes at the risk of maybe even going out when they're not out), and in a perfect society that would be the standard for everyone, unfortunately as people do cheat and get away with it, it affects even the most dutiful of players and truthtellers, especially in highly competitive tournaments.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
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