For those who miss this elemental elementary school game of dodgeball, an adult version of the skin-stinging sport is returning to the central Kenai Peninsula. And there is still time to sign up.
"It's gearing up again. This is our fourth year, and the games begin Monday night at 6:30," said Tammy Berdahl, recreational supervisor for Nikiski Community Recreation Center.
The dodgeball event is open to men and women over the age of 17. Teams consist of six to 10 players, and Berdahl said team sign-ups are encouraged, but individuals also can sign up and be assigned to teams with less than eight.
"There's a lot of interest, and in the past it's been a diverse group of people that sign up. We've had some groups from oil companies, college kids and groups of friends who work together," she said.
Berdahl said she was hoping for more of the same this year, so she already took preregistration packets to several locations.
"I dropped them off at schools, fire stations and other places, so we'll see. We never know exactly how many teams we'll have until that first night," she said.
For those that are brave enough to sign up, the rules are simple, Berdahl said. The games at the recreation center will follow the official rules as laid out by the National Amateur Dodgeball Association. So, rather than "Prison Rules" in which a circle of throwers surround a group of dodgers, or "Fortress of Four Squared" in which every dodger hit joins the teams of throwers, the Nikiski league follows the "Roman" or "Trench Ball" style of play.
This means the game is played on a 60-by-30-foot court, roughly the same size as a volleyball court, with the centerline as the divider between the two teams. To start the game, six eight-inch rubber-coated foam balls are placed on the centerline. Players take their places behind their back lines. An official blows the whistle and the "opening rush" commences.
Both teams run to grab the balls and throw them at players of the opposing team. Anyone hit by a ball is out, but if a player catches a ball thrown at them, the player on the other team who threw it is out. Games play until one team has all players eliminated.
"It's a lot of fun, and it's good exercise that's something different," Berdahl said.
Interested participants can preregister at the Nikiski Community Recreation Center or the Nikiski pool. It costs $25 per person to sign up, which includes a T-shirt and covers participation in all games, which run weekly from March 24 through May 12.
Berdahl said the recreation center also will do a $5 per night fee option this year for people who don't want a shirt, or who can only play some of the games because of employment rotations, such as North Slope workers.
For more information on the dodgeball league, call Berdahl at 776-8800.
Joseph Robertia can be reached at joseph.robertia@peninsulaclarion.com.
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