Dodge, duck, dip, dive, dodge! Patches O’Houlihan may not be anywhere near California Lutheran University, but CLU Recreational Sports is putting on a Cosmic Dodgeball Tournament where students, faculty and staff can try the ‘5 D’s’ of dodgeball.
The Cosmic Dodgeball Tournament will take place on Oct. 28-30 in the Soiland Recreation Center from 7-11 p.m. The tournament will feature normal games of dodgeball with a twist- the lights will be out.
Black lights will be set up around the gym and glow-in-the-dark dodgeballs will be used. Players are required to wear white T-shirts and long white socks so other participants and referees can see them, but are allowed to add any neon accessories.
Paul Hartmann, coordinator for recreational sports at CLU said he wants students to have fun with the activity.
“As long as they have their white T-shirt, be creative with your team and have fun with it because we have enough black lights that…everyone will be glowing, that’s for sure,” Hartmann said.
This tournament is one of the changes Hartmann is implementing during his first year here at CLU. His goal, in addition to intramural sports and monthly fitness challenges is to have at least one event like Cosmic Dodgeball per month.
Although dodgeball is part of the intramural spring league, this is the first time intramural sports is hosting a dodgeball tournament.
Don’t worry though, Patches isn’t going to throw wrenches at you or see if you can dodge traffic. The dodgeball tournament is a new activity, similar to Sandblast (the campus beach volleyball tournament), that is just for fun.
“We try to do some different things with our tournaments that might appeal to other students rather than traditional sports,” Hartmann said.
Hartmann and his student interns collaborated to design the tournament and are hoping to have about 100 people sign up, aiming for an average of 10 teams.
Although there’s only a minimum requirement of five players per team, the same rule applies to the tournament as to the intramural teams: you must have two of each gender playing at any given moment.
Participants are required to sign up as a team, although each need to complete an individual registration form. There is a mandatory captain’s meeting on Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. in the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center in room 253. Players must also bring their student ID with them every night for check-in.
As White Goodman said, “I know you. You know you. And I know you know that I know you,” but you need to make sure the referees know you, too.
“I think people are very excited,” said senior Justin Jeffers, a fitness center and recreational sports employee. “I have heard people thrilled at the thought of cosmic dodgeball.”
For individuals who are interested in the tournament, but do not wish to play for fear of “bleeding their own blood,” they are more than welcome to come and observe.
The doors will be shut during the games to keep the light out, but people are welcome to come in between games to catch a glimpse of the fun.
“It sounds like a really cool event, but I’ll probably just go to watch,” junior Liz Whetstone said.
With participants of all ages and experience levels, some heavy competition – think Globo-Gym vs. Average Joe’s in the championship – is to be expected.
“I not only plan on attending [the event], I plan on winning,” Jeffers said.
Sign-ups are available online through the Intramural Sports and Fitness website through Oct. 23. For more information, email [email protected].
Danya Migdali
Staff Writer
Published Oct. 23, 2013