Kelowna Secondary School hosted one of the last sports tournaments of the year on Thursday.
But this event wasn’t just about winning and losing; it was also about building community.
“We are trying to unite the school district because we have six schools in our district and they are all quite divided,” said Jordan Johnston, a KSS student.
And so what better way to bring people together than a game that targets people for humiliation, exclusion and shame.
That’s right, dodgeball. That middle school game made famous in the Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn classic film: Dodge Ball an Under Dog Story.
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Here’s a basic refresher in case you forgot: The object of the game is to eliminate opposing players by hitting them with the ball, usually as hard as you can.
“Well, It’s softcore violence, right,” said Logan Braun, a member of School District 23’s collective school council.
“At the end of the day, it’s harmless, but, man, is it fun.”
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As with any other school sports tourney, there’s always the requisite amount of taunting from the stands.
Plus plenty of arguing a questionable call with the referee.
All part of playing a child’s game from grade school.
But if you want to stay alive in dodgeball, you can’t act like a kid; you need patience and maturity.
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“You just got to stay composed, not attack right away and throw the ball but just stay back, wait till the end, then start getting some guys out,” said Lucas Hicklen, a dodgeball player from KSS.
The old game of name, nail and shame all for a good cause.
“We’re raising funds for the Central Okanagan Family Hub and they provided services families in need,” said Johnston.
To the winners go the spoils of course, bragging rights as the third annual SD23 Dodgeball champions and a once seemingly glorious trophy that has been totally repurposed.