Above: The big annual dodgeball tournament features prizes by age groups for skill and flair. This year, the event asks teams if they want to be part of a division for girls only. (images cropped from the 2018 tournament on Facebook)
Fall is here. For many kids in our community, that means it’s time to start organizing friend groups and planning costumes/themes.
I’m not talking about making Trick or Treating plans. I’m referring to a popular annual fundraiser run by the Algonquin Boys Hockey Team.
Each year, 1st-8th graders are invited to register teams to play in the team’s tournament. The competition doesn’t involve slapping pucks. Instead, kids are challenged to chuck, catch, and dodge balls.
Organizers encourage kids to:
Unleash your inner dodgeball hero!
The 16th annual Dodgeball Tournament will take place on Saturday, November 21st. Registration is due by Saturday, November 14th.
Players register as a team of 8-12 players at $120 per team.1 Teams are divided by age groups with playoffs.2
This year, there’s a new detail some teams will consider when signing up. Based on community feedback, the team is offering a “Girls Only Division” in addition to the traditional co-ed division.
Their email to me clarifies that some age groups may only have a co-ed division if there isn’t enough demand:
We heard feedback from last year’s tournament that this may be preferred by some teams so we’re excited to offer this option as part of registration. I’m happy to say we already have enough teams for the 3rd/4th grade girls division and based on last year’s turnout, we think there will be demand for the 5th/6th grade division as well. We’ll support this wherever the teams land and the girls division will run next to the regular tournament – same time, same fun!
As usual — teams are encouraged to get creative with their team themes and shirts. (In the past, prizes were awarded for the best designs.)
All proceeds from the fundraiser benefit the hockey team (through the Boosters). In addition to registration fees, they’ll be selling concessions and raffle tickets.
The tournament is held in the Algonquin Regional High School gym. The time slots are:
- Grades 1 & 2 – 9:00 – 11:00 am
- Grade 3 & 4 – 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
- Grades 5 & 6 – 1:00 – 3:00 pm
- Grades 7 & 8 – 3:00 – 5:00 pm
Don’t wait until the last minute to register. Once signed up, you’ll need to follow up with payment and have a parent of each team member sign and return a waiver form.
For full details click here. To sign up, click here.
Please email any questions to: gonkdodgeball@gmail.com.
- Only 8 team members are allowed to play, but additional players can be substituted in when an “out” player qualifies to return to the game (after a member of their team catches a “LIVE” ball).
- The flyer promotes that there are “typically” 6–8 games, plus playoffs. The rules state that specifics of division playoffs “will be explained on the day of the tournament, as set up may change based on the number of teams in the age group.”
