DURYEA — In the 2004 film “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story,” the fundamentals of the sport are summarized using the five Ds: dodge, dip, duck, dive and dodge. Another D — donate — was added to that list last year when Holy Rosary School held its first dodgeball tournament.
During the weekend of April 28, the school will once again become a rubber ball battleground when it plays host to the second Holy Rosary Dodgeball Tournament. Tournament committee member Qiana Lehman said the over 70 teams that participated last year helped raise money to install a new science laboratory at the school. This year, the cause remains the same.
“There’s a strong emphasis in schools these days on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics),” Lehman said. “We don’t have a specific, dedicated lab room to do projects. Students still conduct experiments, but they’re done in regular rooms, which can be messy and inconvenient. We thought a dedicated place would be a wonderful way to showcase the STEM curriculum we have.”
Not unlike a dodgeball court, there are two sides to Holy Rosary Dodgeball Tournament. Lehman said the event is equal parts fundraiser and fun.
“We wanted to bring a different type of event to the school,” Lehman said. “It’s something fun for the kids and the community to all take part in together and, hopefully, raise some money for a science lab in the school.”
That money is raised through a $10 entry fee. Potential players can register online at RaceRoster.com. Teams should consist of 10 players and can be created or joined through the site. Lehman said brackets will be created approximately two weeks before the tournament; four brackets will be created for elementary students, one for high school students and one for adults.
Joe Simkulak, 54, said doesn’t remember his team name, but he does remember the look on his teammates’ faces as they hurled dodgeballs across the school gym. Simkulak’s wife teaches at Holy Rosary School and together they formed a team of community parents, faculty members and friends to go into battle with during the tournament.
“This is a great group of people, a great group of committed parents and they make stuff fun,” Simkulak said. “You have a good time while doing something for a good cause.”
Simkulak said his team did poorly but had a lot of fun; the winning team in each bracket gets to keep any fun they may have during the tournament and receives an item commemorating their victory.
After brackets are created, teams will be notified of their game times. Games will take place from 4 to 11 p.m. April 28, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 29 and from 1 to 9 p.m. April 30 at Holy Rosary School’s gym, 125 Stephenson St. The tournament is open to students from any school and adults from any community. Lehman said last year’s event included students from neighboring elementary schools and teams from nearby colleges.
Lehman also said teams are encouraged to dress in uniform and can look to the romantic comedy that centers around the sport for inspiration or invent their own (tastefully fun) outfits. Whatever their chosen dress, teams should arrive ready to dodge, dip, duck, dive and dodge for a cause at Holy Rosary School.
