Dodgeball isn’t just for gym class anymore.
Kevin Frye, a sophomore biology major, was inspired to bring dodgeball to Indiana after transferring from the University of Kentucky to Ball State. In August 2017, he founded the state’s first college dodgeball team affiliated with the National Collegiate Dodgeball Association.
Ball State’s Dodgeball Club has more than 20 diverse members who practice and compete together against other colleges.
When the club started, Frye said he was not expecting so many people to join, and he believes that the popularity of dodgeball is growing on campus because of the game’s addictive nature.
“Once people play [dodgeball], it just sticks, and then you have to keep playing,” Frye said. “It just grows on its own."
Interested in joining?
The Dodgeball Club meets from 9-10 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays in room 141 of the Student Recreation Center.
Frye describes the twice-per-week practices as relaxed and welcoming even though collegiate dodgeball is more vigorous than what students would be familiar with.
“[Collegiate dodgeball] gives more of a competitive edge, but [it] doesn’t lose the fun of it,” Frye said. “With any other sports, something gets competitive, and you lose the fun.”
Cordell Pressler, a freshman social work major and the assistant captain of the Dodgeball Club, found dodgeball through Facebook and said he has found that playing the sport helps him destress from college life.
“Everybody just fell in love with the one gym day that all the dodgeballs were let loose, so it just kind of brings back that nostalgia,” Pressler said.
Pressler also said Dodgeball Club allowed him to build many friendships with fellow players.
“Coming down to Ball State, I didn’t really know anybody, but through practices and playing in an intramural club, it just really opened new doors for me,” Pressler said.
The club is always accepting new players and will host a home tournament in March and hopes to travel to the national tournament in April, which Frye predicts will promote further the growth of the sport.
“Hopefully, it grows out to other schools in Indiana and people start up teams there,” Frye said. “At Ball State, I feel like it’s going to be pretty big within the next 2 to 3 years.”
Contact Ally Johnson with comments at adjohnson12@bsu.edu or on Twitter @IamAllyJ.
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