Adults battle it out at dodgeball tourney in Schaumburg
It originated generations ago. Ben Stiller helped revive its popularity in 2004. And this weekend, Glen Spejcher of Bloomingdale hopes to take home one of its championship trophies.
Dodgeball, once just a staple of elementary school gym classes and playgrounds, has grown to include national associations and societies organizing regular matches and tournaments pitting teams of all ages.
One of those tourneys, the two-day National Amateur Dodgeball Association Championship, starts today at Olympic Park in Schaumburg with a youth competition, followed by the adult division Saturday.
Spejcher's team, which he formed with former opponent Sleeter Dern, is one of more than 20 that will compete in Saturday's event. They call their squad “Hammertime.” Why? Because you “can't touch this.”
“I started in 2005 with an outdoor tournament,” Spejcher said. “And I've been hooked ever since.”
Spejcher even travels with his professional team, the Chicago Vendetta, to the annual National Dodgeball League World Championships in Las Vegas. His love for the game is more just a casual hobby. Besides his travels, he's even created a website in hopes of getting more people interested in the game.
“It's such an alternate to other sports,” he said. “You don't have to be tall, you don't have to be fast.”
Dern, his teammate, agrees.
“It's just a good time and it's a form of working out,” he said. “It's much more fun than running on a treadmill.”
The game requires minimal athletic prowess and experience to play. Simple ducking, dodging and diving, combined with teamwork and some strategy are enough to outlast an opponent.
Dodgeball pits two teams of players throwing balls at each other, while avoiding contact themselves.
Doug Sieder, the Athletic Supervisor at the Schaumburg Park District, which operates this weekend's tournament, said dodgeball has become a staple sport in the region.
After the release of the Ben Stiller-Vince Vaughn comedy “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story,” the game's popularity soared and the Association had its greatest number of participants.
After the hype of the movie faded away, a select bunch of dedicated players who've created a vibrant and active dodgeball community remains.
“There's a core group that loves it,” Sieder said, noting that the tournament generally draws adults ages 18 to 26. “It's definitely got its groupies.”
This year especially is significant for Spejcher and Dern. For the past nine years, no matter what team they have played on, they have always lost to a team based in Western Springs. That squad is coming to Schaumburg this weekend in hopes of completing their “Decade of Dominance.”
The friendly feud has motivated Dern to play twice a week in preparation for the competition.
“If they win this Saturday, they'll complete that horrible three-word term that I don't want to hear,” he said.
Though he is confident in his team's abilities, Spejcher mostly looks forward to encouraging new dodgeball players to stick with the game.
“I want to play well and I want my team to play well,” he said. “But I also really want to meet new dodgeball teams.”
The Adult Outdoor National Championships will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at Olympic Park, 1675 E. Old Schaumburg Road in Schaumburg. For more information, visit www.dodgeballusa.com.
Dodgeball Days
The Outdoor National Championships is the final tournament of the 2010-11 dodgeball season and will crown this year's Outdoor National Champions.
<B>When:</B> Matches start at 10 a.m.
<B>Where:</B> Olympic Park, 1675 Old Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg
<B>More info:</B> dodgeballusa.com