Swarm Defense: Big Red Balls

So you want to find a new activity to do where you can throw a ball around, get a little non-gym-based activity, and maybe meet a few new people in the process. Basically, you want to play the adult version of intramural sports. That makes sense, believe me — a lot of people like playing sports in the city. Problem is, your office doesn’t sponsor a beer-league softball team and you’re not quite good enough at soccer to keep up with the D-III college starters who dominate most of the New York leagues. So what shall you do?

While a wide assortment of options present themselves to the athletically inclined Gothamite (many of which I’m sure to talk about at some point), let us take a look today at one aggression-fueled stress reliever that I happen to enjoy on occasion: dodgeball.

I know, I know – when someone mentions dodgeball, you either begin sweating uncomfortably due to bad memories from middle school, or you chuckle a little thinking of the marginally funny comedy from a few years back starring that guy from Old School. Regardless of which feeling grips you, when it comes to friendly ways to burn off some excess stress and have some fun, dodgeball has a lot to offer. So much, in fact, that there are at least three different organizations hosting dodgeball leagues in the city, possibly more. The three that this commentator is aware of are Party Dodgeball, Zog Sports, and the New York City Social Sports Club.

Each of the three organizations plays with different rules (and different levels of physical exertion), with Party Dodgeball and NYCSSC offering more traditional game-play – once all the members of a team are out, the game is over – while Zog offers timed games instead . I like timed games because it offers more running around and exercise, though many of my friends enjoy the traditional games. All three organizations offer multiple levels of play from more relaxed (e.g., the Extremely Social division at NYCSSC) up to advanced levels of competition (e.g., the Players division at Zog), and both co-ed and same-sex leagues are available.

One important thing to consider when thinking about joining a dodgeball league is why, exactly, you want to play. If you are looking for more of a social league that you can join as an individual and meet lots of new people, Party Dodgeball would seem to be a natural fit (I mean, the name says “party”).

For pre-existing groups of friends looking to get out some aggression once a week, Zog would tend to be more your speed –- though Zog sponsors post-game drink specials after games, most teams are so amped up from the game, as well as being sure the other team cheated, that they go their own ways, or at least socialize mainly with themselves at the bar. While this might not be the atmosphere all want in their dodgeball, it is one I enjoy and has given me an excuse to see a group of friends once a week that I otherwise might never see.

Whatever your motivations and desires, there is a dodgeball league out there for you. But no matter what league you join, the amount of booze you consume or the new friends you make/people you alienate, it’s always important to remember the five D’s of dogdeball: Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive, and (of course) Dodge.

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