The Dodgeball Lowdown

The UDC Championships have come and gone, Winnipeg’s had a handful of teams play  at this year’s Sky Zone UDC qualifier. In case you were sleeping on the court, the Winnipeg team MORB won the qualifier and headed to vegas for the championships.

For those that are new to the dodgeball world, the popular trampoline park franchise Sky Zone currently offers Ultimate Dodgeball at their facilities. Each year up to fifty teams gather to play UDC Championships in Las Vegas NV to crown the victorious team. The championships is an invitational tournament so you can’t just sign up, you have to win in your local qualifier. The game is played with 5 players, 7” rubber balls and on a trampoline court.

The championship is fast paced with hard throws, rubber balls that sting bare skin and awareness on court is key. MORB mentioned they came home with lots of new experiences and new ideas to up their game after playing in Vegas this year. Dylan a member of MORB mentions that at the qualifying games the rules were not as strict “We were thrown off because half the rules were never enforced in previous games we’ve played”. Austin fellow teammate added “It was the most competitive thing I have ever been to. There were so many good teams, it was so overwhelming”.

Winnipeg doesn’t offer as high caliber play as you see at the UDC Championships. MORB mentioned that watching the finals was one of the highlights of the trip. “it was cool seeing such a large community based around something as niche as trampoline dodgeball” Colton added.

The team didn’t train, but they frequently played scrimmages against each other before heading to Vegas. “It’s hard to find other people who are going to skyzone to play against”. There’s not a huge interest in Sky Zone Ultimate Dodgeball, which is a shame for the team because you can’t get better without playing against a similar caliber. “we watched films of other teams competing and tried new things but basically we just played 3 on 3 alot” says Austin

There were some setbacks during their journey to the UDC Championships, but they are willing to give it another go next year. From the brief conversation we had – these guys have dedication and drive to win.

If you are interested in playing Ultimate Dodgeball Colton mentioned there may be a league starting up in winter at the Sky Zone facilities but in the meantime check out groupon for some deals on jump time.

Looking for people that may be interested in a night of Ultimate Dodgeball? head over to the Winnipeg Dodgeball group on Facebook and gain some interest.

See you on the court