By Chandler Howard

Three, two, one, dodgeball!

The idiom ricocheted off the gym walls as nearly 30 players ran toward midcourt. Many can rattle off a few memorable quotes from the blockbuster film starring Ben Stiller centering on an underdog gym’s dodgeball aspirations to make it big in the sport. Though many may believe this is a relatively fictional piece of work, it often goes unrecognized that not only is it reasonably realistic, but also that the concept is paralleled in their own back yard.

UK club dodgeball is kicking off their season, and make no mistake about it; this is no sport for the weak.

“Face shots are highly encouraged,” said team captain Ralph Compton, a UK senior from Berea, Ky.

Every Wednesday evening a group of devoted, red-rubber-ball-toting warriors can be found in Alumni Gym preparing for what can only be described as the most enjoyable battle of any sort. Bryce Robinson, a UK senior also from Berea, serves as club president, coach and player.

“Our club is open to anybody who had that passion in high school, that loved playing dodgeball and who wants to take it to the next level to play collegiately,” Robinson said.

The relatively young UK club dodgeball program has been in existence for five years, with the current season being far and away their most populated. Errol Strauss, the founder and “Godfather” of the dodgeball team, as he is referred to by many of the members, is still a dutiful player and an important component of the squad.

The team travels to play both in- and out-of-state opponents including clubs from Western Kentucky, Ohio State and the University of Louisville. Robinson and Compton have also been working to establish teams at Eastern Kentucky and Berea College in the attempt to gain a more local competition base.

The National College Dodgeball Association, the league in which the UK team plays, has been rapidly growing over the past few years and is continually making efforts toward future success through constant league expansion and increased publicity.

Two years ago, the team went to the national tournament hosted in Michigan. Of the approximate 15 teams, the UK team finished fourth overall.

“There is a tremendous amount of strategy involved,” Compton said. “But there will always be huge room for

improvement.”

The club chooses a 15-man tournament team before each competition based on each individual’s performance leading up to the match. This means each tournament brings a clean slate and an even opportunity for any player to earn a starting spot for the upcoming event. Robinson and Compton both speak of the personal growth they have achieved throughout their four years of collegiate dodgeball to become the elite players they are today.

“You may think you’re pretty bad at dodgeball, but I’m sure there are worse than you,” Robinson said. “And you can always get better.”