WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK, SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco Dodgeball kicked off the first of its weekly events Wednesday, attracting approximately 50 men and women to Washington Square Park in North Beach to engage in a spirited round-robin style tournament of dodgeball games known simply as “the North Beach Classic”. The participants quickly organized themselves into 4 teams, gave themselves names like “Freeballin’ Gentlemen”, and commenced play on two make-shift fields marked off with plastic cones. Within minutes the players were darting back and forth furiously, throwing, catching, taunting and of course, dodging as the foam and rubber playing balls flew across the field at all angles. As the evening progressed, the teams switched opponents until each team had faced one another at least once. Often, players were exchanged seconds before the first ball of the game was thrown, in an attempt to even out the sides. Two hours later, after the last of the games had concluded, the remaining dodgeballers stood at the center of the field exchanging high-fives, grins and sympathetic glances, as they contentedly recapped the days events to one another and organized the agenda for the following week’s activities before trundling off to the nearest pub in search of a few beers and a breather.

The rules of dodge ball are varied depending on whom you are playing with and in what setting. Outdoor dodgeball, for instance, offers a different experience from its indoor counterpart, and the rules may vary accordingly. Typically, two teams of six to ten people line up opposite each other on a court of some sort. Each team occupies one half of the court, and each player must remain inside of the boundaries while he or she is still “alive”. The dodgeballers hurl foam-rubber playing balls at each other once the game commences, hoping to knock off opposing players. Players are killed off from each team by virtue of being struck with a thrown ball, or having their own throw caught in mid-flight by an opposing player. The game continues until one side has been completely eliminated. Once a game has ended the teams then switch side and play again. Despite the outward simplicity of the game, dodge ballers will attest to the fact that their sport offers a taxing physical challenge, testing the agility, stamina, reflexes and hand-eye coordination of its partakers. In part, this explains why the game enjoyed so much popularity with school-age children. It was this childlike exuberance that characterized the North Beach Classic, and made its follow-up, the Haight-Ashbury Classic… an inevitability.

Scheduled for Wednesday, June 9, the Haight-Ashbury Classic will build upon the momentum created by its North Beach predecessor. Having already established team captains, team names and the beginnings of team identities, the Haight-Ashbury Classic offers an opportunity for wayward dodgeballer to find a place among the active teams in the SF Dodgeball League, or else establish their own squad and stake their claim to supremacy within the fledgling organization. In addition, those uninitiated to the sport have an opportunity to witness first-hand the riotous excitement of this truly American game. The Haight-Ashbury Classic will begin at 6:30 pm on the eastern end of the Golden Gate Park Panhandle, near the intersection of Ashbury with Fell and Oak streets. All interested parties are strongly encouraged to bring their own dodgeball and join in the fun. Contact Sammy for further information.