The lure of five balls, two teams and hundreds of bruises is too appealing for some adults to put behind them.
For the grownup dodgeball faithful, dedication to the game beyond their playground years brings out the very best kind of fanaticism.
Inspired by the 2004 movie Dodgeball, a group of high school students began hosting dodgeball tournaments at Brookline High School. Out of high school but not quite yet ready to give up their glory days, the tournament founders still put their dodgeball skills to a test once every few months at Basketball City’s rooftop gym near TD Banknorth Garden.
Founder Paul Naddaff said when the tournaments started attracting bigger crowds, he realized there was a demand for dodgeball.
“People want to have fun, throw a ball at someone, let off some steam,” he said.
Though some elementary schools are considering banning or have banned the sport from gym classes, Naddaff said dodgeball is harmless and said school administrators who ban it are doing students a disservice.
“I believe that in life, there’s rejection,” Naddaff said. “If you’re trying to protect kids from that, you’re only delaying the inevitable.”
The tournament’s 16 teams, some of which made the trek from distant states, made it clear the Brookline dodgeball fanatics are not alone in their zeal for the “elusive” sport.
Teams have started to take their play much more seriously with high stakes on the line, including the grand prize of a night out on the town sponsored by a limousine company. If one thing could be said about the teams, they have a sense of humor about themselves and approach the games as a chance to shed their professional daytime personas.
Some “Dance Party Vietnam” team members, known for their mismatched, revealing uniforms, sport unfashionable mullets.
“We like to dress obnoxious and borderline obscene,” teammate Justin Tracy said. “We want to look like the team that isn’t going to beat you. Nobody wants to be beat by a group of guys in short shorts.”
The Maryland-based team remains the most intimidating force in the tournament, according to several opponents. It has been honing its skills for seven years, Tracy said. He said in some cases, dodgeball has received a bad reputation for little to no reason.
“It feels good to be recognized for something other than being from Baltimore,” he said.
Chris Murphy, a member of “Whitey’s Bulge,” said some teams take dodgeball seriously — though his team name might not reflect that sentiment.
Expressing concern about his team’s odds against Dance Party Vietnam, he said playing well is not as easy as it looks.
“There is a lot of strategy in this game, and they have the experience,” he said.
Some returning teams have hit the practice courts and improved their play since the last tournament to adjust to intense competition. “Nation of Domination” has been practicing religiously since its last appearance, team spokesman Darbi Lyons said.
“We made five cuts, so we have five new first-round draft picks,” he said. “We had to do what we had to do.”
Unlike last November, when many teams cited the after-parties as the main draw for the tournament, players expressed a heightened level of dedication last night.
“We don’t get intimidated,” Lyons said. “We came here to do what we need to do. Break it down like four flat tires, finagle the bagel and call it a night.”