Dodgeball was originally played in Africa over two hundred years ago, but instead of the fun, jocular game that it is today, it was in fact a deadly game. Instead of using soft, rubber balls, the game was actually played with large rocks or putrefied matter, and it was used as an intense work out for the tribes, where each competitor would attempt to hit their opponent with the rock to injury or incapacitate them. Once a player was hit, they would attempt to be pelted by further rocks to finish them off.
It would be the responsibility of the team mates of the fallen competitor to try and defend him and force the attackers off with their own rocks. This would said to be a great way to encourage the tribesman to work together during skirmishes against other tribes, working to take out the weak and protect their own.
A missionary, by the name of Dr James H. Carlisle saw what was happening and was intrigued by the agility and ruthlessness of the tribal men , as well as by the solidarity and heart they were showing. He spent many hours watching the men, and became besotted with the ritual that he saw on a daily basis. When he made his way back to England, via Europe, he showed some of his pupils what he had seen. The European men that tried what Carlisle was telling them found they didn’t have the natural agility or accuracy to dodge or throw, and with Dr Carlisle continuously moving on, he was not able to encourage the people he spoke to about the sport to carry it on. It was only when he returned to his teachings at St. Mary’s College in Norfolk, that he was able to transform the vicious training in to an all-inclusive game.
He changed the rock and petrified matter for a leather ball, which was still hard but not dangerously so. The sport was played on an open field with no restrictions as to where players were able to go, and was played as if a game of chess or war, with players moving strategically to try and trap an opponent. A player was only out from the game when they were knocked to the floor by the continuous blows of the ball. Players would look to bat the ball away with their hands, in an effort to deflect the power away from them. This was played for the next century in much the same way, with only minor variations.
St. Mary’s College played host to a number of their colleagues from Yale University. Included within that party was Phillip Ferguson. Philip Ferguson is generally regarded as the person most responsible for taking dodgeball over to America and popularising it. He saw the boys of St. Mary’s College playing and he hit upon an idea for the game that would make it quicker and faster. He brought in the idea of playing within a set area, with teams on either side of the pitch. Once the sport made it back across the pond to America, it was there that the details of the sport we know today were fleshed out.
1905 saw the first official rules drawn up, which included the rules regarding players coming in after a catch and being hit once and you were out. With the colleges across America playing each other, it enabled the sport to spread like wildfire.
News of this emerging sport made its way back to England, and the American popularised rules became the norm for which all dodgeball matches were played. Schools up and down the country would play for fun, but it was the film of the sport in 2004 that brought the whole world’s attention to the sport. The only place that the original sport is played is St. Marys College, when they host their Yale brethren for a match, every 4 years, to honour the founding fathers of the sport, and the African innovators.
In this installment of our internation interview series, we asked an iconic athlete of dodgeball, Anthony Aldred, about his beginnings, tournaments and favourite moments.
* Can you give us a bit of a background of your Dodgeball playing career? When did you start playing dodgeball? – I started playing dodgeball in 2013 after I graduated from university. My flat mate at the time invited me along and I’ve been playing ever since. Since then I’ve gone on to play as part of the Granite City Guerrillas men’s team winning quite a few competitions and league titles in Scotland and also getting the opportunity to play in England at open events and the British Championships. In 2017 I made the Scotland Highlanders Men’s team and took part in the Six Nations where the team came away with a gold medal. I’ve also represented Scotland at the European Championships in 2017,2018 and 2019 along with the Northern European Championships in 2018.
* What inspired you to start playing dodgeball? – I was less inspired and more intrigued about it. My flat mate had been trying to get me to go for a while but I was too busy finishing off my degree to get involved. Once I graduated I went along with him and a few others. I hated my first session, but everyone seemed to enjoy it so I went back. I’m glad I did as I absolutely love it.
Anthony Aldred
* Do you remember your first time on the court? – Not in great detail, but I remember being targeted early on in most games because I was the new guy. It probably didn’t help I was wearing blue and everyone else was wearing a black Granite City Guerrillas vest so I stood out ALOT.
* Your most beautiful moment in your career? – Winning the bronze medal at the Euros in Italy 2018. The atmosphere of that event was amazing along with the setup and I truly felt like I had contributed in a positive way to achieving that medal.
* Best event you played at? – I’d have to say the 2018 Euros in Italy. I think having all the teams in such close proximity really made the social side and after party amazing! I got to speak to people I hadn’t before each night which has set it aside from other events. I won’t miss queuing for breakfast, lunch and dinner though
* What are you most important achievements so far on a national and club level? – At club level our highest achievement is either the Scottish Championship or Scottish league. They are pretty similar with only a few clubs for the league but a few extra teams for the championship. Unfortunately Scotland doesn’t have a huge amount of clubs but we are hoping these events become more competitive in the future as other cities and towns get teams and the sport grows in our country. Nationally my highest achievement is a gold medal as part of the Scotland men’s team at the UKDBA Six Nations event in Liverpool 2016. But I’m more proud of the Bronze medal from the 2018 European Championships.
Scotland Highlanders – Anthony Aldred
* How do you prepare before tournaments? – In the lead up to a tournament it’s all about team practice for me. You need to become a tight unit and look after each other on court. So I’d want as much game time with my team.In the moments before a game I’m probably getting a quick snack or going for multiple nervous toilet stops though
* How many times do you play a week? – Normally it’s between 2-3 times a week depending on what training or events are happening. It’s a mixture of open sessions, team sessions and international training along with competitions.
* Any tips you can lend to aspiring dodgeball players? – Find your strength and focus on that to start with. If you try and learn or focus on too many things you won’t see much progress and get a bit disheartened. Plus if you have one great skill It will give you something to fall back on in a game and you can kind of direct play towards your strength. Focusing on one thing also allows you to break things down into tiny parts.
Tom Brady or Lebron James
Lebron. I played basketball when I was younger and although I don’t keep up to date with it now, I’m definitely more interested in what’s going on there than American football.
Coldplay or Ed Sheeran
Neither! They are both terrible.
Gran Tourismo 5 or Carcassone
Gran Tourismo 5. Only because I grew up playing the Gran Tourismo games, Need for Speed Underground is where it’s at though.
The Mandalorian or The Queen’s Gambit
The Mandalorian… but only because of the memes! I haven’t watched either.
Dog or Cat
Dogs! I love dogs. Plus I’ve got a dog and do t think I’d ever own a cat.
Chicago Pizza or Big Mac
Pizza! Lots of options and great hot or cold.
Tomato or Chilli
Tomato, I’m not good with spicy foods.
Bora Bora or Kathmandu
Bora Bora, I’d just love to relax next to those crystal clear waters.
Rangers or Celtics
Boston Celtics… because basketball. Neither if you mean the football teams here in Scotland. I have to support my local team of Aberdeen for that…. MON IH DONS!
Cloth or foam ball
Cloth. It’s what I know and have played the most, but I’m keen to try foam. I just wish the rules were consistent across all the ball types for ease.
*Which team or nation is your favorite opponent? – Sweden. They are such a fun team to be around and the last time we played them at the Euros in 2019 it was such a close game. So close and action packed but also super friendly and fair. It ended in a draw and I don’t think anyone was disappointed by that. They have improved hugely since I first saw them but still bring a fun aspect to the game.
* Who is your best dodgeball player? – I don’t think there is one player that stands out above everyone else as ‘the best player’ for me. That’s not to say I don’t think players are great , there are a lot of players I admire. I just think I’d be doing players a disservice if I named just one person. There are definitely a lot of quieter players that are going a bit unnoticed because of bigger personalities too.
* You have built up an amazing collection of sports jerseys! Just how many do you own? – I’m not 100% sure but I think it’s in the region of 200 dodgeball shirts now. But that’s continuing to grow and it’s definitely something that’s snowballed as the Instagram account has grown. But I’m still enjoying speaking with everyone along the way and swapping my way to new and exciting shirts/teams.
* Do you remember which one was the first you got? – The first shirt outside of the club I play for was the Malaysian WDA 2016 Home shirt made by Ozz Vampo. It’s yellow and black tiger stripe and mandarin collar had me hooked, so I just had to get one. It took a while to get here so I might have received a different jersey before it, but it was definitely worth the wait. It was great to learn about all the other teams playing at the time too and Malaysia definitely set themselves apart as looking super professional in their photos and social media.
Granite City Guerrillas
* We had a year which foiled many things. We barely had any Dodgeball tournaments, for example. What would be your most important takeaway of 2020? – To have fun and enjoy dodgeball when we get back to playing. Let’s enjoy the game, enjoy the sport and enjoy being surrounded by our friends. It’s why we play.
* Finally, what advice do you have for those who are just being introduced to this wonderful game? Why play dodgeball? – Play dodgeball because it’s fun and you can meet some amazing people from different places in the world. It’s also a very inclusive and supportive sport too and one you can play at all levels depending on what’s important to you and continue to play into old age.
The currently valid regulations will continue to be in effect until 1st March as per the latest deicisions made by the Hungarian government. Because of this, the earliest possible date for our Dodgeball sessions and tournaments to be resumed is in spring.
More and more schools provide opportunities for the youth to try Dodgeball. The special cloth balls have a large role in this, but of course the 150 PE instructors who have joined our program have an even larger role!
This photo gives the answer to a frequently-asked question. They’re this big! On the far left you can see our dodgeball with a volleyball next to it.
Although it’s a little hard to believe, but with the benefit of the doubt, we believe that we will have Dodgeball matches and tournaments eventually. So, before we’d conquer the continent, we ardently keep on with our sessions on Monday and Thursday evenings in our new hall.
The main goal of our school programme, which we launched in August 2020, is to get young people to know and play Dodgeball regularly in more and more cities and after the school cups, to organise national tournaments as well. Therefore we are looking for those PE teacher colleagues and institutions who would be partners in this initiative and we hope that together with the schools we can promote and teach this wonderful game.
We hope that we can help many children interested in sports feel the team spirit and learn about a healthy lifestyle and the benefits of regular exercise.
Hungary Dodgeball in the school program
We have created a Facebook group where, in the beginning, we can introduce the basics of the game and help PE teachers to get to know the rules, tactics and proper technique. Besides, we can also discuss any questions regarding the balls and the court there.
It is our pleasure that within such a short period of time, more than 150 PE teachers have applied from the Carpathian Basin. If you would also like to join our school project, please contact us!
Does Dodgeball have a realistic chance of being selected for the programme of the 2028 Olympics? This topic will surely come up during tonight’s talk with Jake Mason, president of USA Dodgeball and the representatives of the sports newly introduced to the Olympics.
As a member of the Austrian women’s and mixed team, Annika Jedliczka has recently won the European Championship. As the ambassador of Dodgeball, she recently also had the opportunity to meet the presdient of the International Olympic Committee. In our – by now traditional – international dodgeball player interview (Krista Leveleky was the first, Tamás Ward was last year’s guest), we talked with her about the beginnings, the most interesting moments, and the opportunities of female competitors in the dodgeball.
Why is Dodgeball the sport of the future? According to Annika,
„people often prefer to watch men’s matches, while women’s matches only come second. This is where Dodgeball is different and cut above the rest. This sport is the best example to follow by mixed team sports.
The guys do, in fact, throw more often. But it takes more than just strength to throw the ball such that it will not be caught. It’s only natural that our throws are not as powerful as the guys’, but it’s not true that we can’t throw well and accurately.”
* Can you give us a bit of a background of your Dodgeball playing career? When did you start playing dodgeball? – I started playing Dodgeball November 2012 at one of the legendary Dodgeball Mania Events in Vienna. My team won the title and half a year later I was asked if I wanna play Euros for Austria in Chester. Ever since then I am part of Dodgeball Austria and had 11 international appearances for Austria.
* What inspired you to start playing dodgeball? – I would love to tell an inspiring story but the truth is a friend from school just asked me if I wanna join their team and I said yes. What made me stay was the community and the friends I made there.
* Do you remember your first time on the court? – No. But I remember the final of the first tournament I played. I was overwhelmed by the atmosphere and super nervous.
* Your most beautiful moment in your career? – Thats a tough one… there are so many. A few that I will always remember are: the moment the whistle was blown and we were European champions for the 4th time in a row and also won womens mens and Mixed division at euros 2019, our boys becoming world champs and one of our team rituals where we all together listen to a specific song the day before a tournament starts.
* Best event you played at? – Euros 2018 in Lignano (in terms of organisation, food, accommodation, players comfort) and Euros 2019 in Newcastle (in terms of results:))
* How do you prepare before tournaments? – We are lucky to have an awesome coaching team that leads us through those phases with everything it needs: personal skill development, strength and mobility training, tactics, practicing playing sitiations and a lot of talking.
* How many times do you play a week? – Normally 2-3 times a week, now that corona had other plans for us only once..
* Any tips you can lend to aspiring dodgeball players? – Apart from playing, tactics and personal skill development I would say: team communication and video analytics!
* Which team or nation is your favorite opponent? – Has to be England. Cause its the closest and the games that stay in my mind the longest. But I really like to meet all the nations on and off court.
* Who is your best dodgeball player? – Stefan Leitinger. Men’s and mixed player as well as womens coach for a reason. He has done a lot to help Dodgeball Austria coming that far.
* Did you see the Austria – Hungary men’s quarterfinals at the Central European Championship? With the outcome getting decided only in its final moments (16-12). – Yes I have seen it. It was a close game and it is wonderful to see other countries stepping up and becoming stronger and stronger. It is good for our beloved sport and everyone playing it.
* Finally, what advice do you have for those who are just being introduced to this wonderful game? Why play dodgeball? – The game itself is just fun. It has so many diferent aspects so that anyone can play it. It is action, adrenalin, teamwork, skill, fun… dont know why u shouldnt.And not to forget: the community. I ve been playing a lot of different sports in different teams, but the dodgeball community for sure is something very special that i dont wanna miss in my life.
If we weren’t in the situation in which we are, we would be having a great training session tonight and would be preparing for our next tournament due in two weeks. But regardless of how things have turned out, we weren’t idling around and took a step forward, leaving cones & tape behind: we now have a painted court on our Budapest Pirates headquarters.
How did it turn out? Quite pretty from a distance. It was a lot of work, the phases of which you can see below. No doubt it will turn out perfect next time. We hope you’ll be able to try it out as soon as possible!
The sport already has a world champion with Hungarian roots – as member of the English National Dodgeball team, Tamas Ward will have a good shot at claiming the title of European Champion as well next week.
Tamas Ward
* Can you give us a bit of a background of your Dodgeball playing career? When did you start playing dodgeball? – I started playing dodgeball back in 2011 whilst at college and have been playing ever since. First for Reepham Raiders, later for Bedford Bulls and presently for Bedford Rangers.
* What inspired you to start playing dodgeball? – I enjoyed playing it throughout school and with a lot of my friends playing for Reepham.
* Do you remember your first time on the court? – Yep! Love the atmosphere even if I spent most of my time in the outbox!
* Your most beautiful moment in your career? – Winning the World Cup with England back in 2016!
* Best event you played at? – World Cup in Manchester 2016!
* How many times do you play a week? – Two or three times a week including tournaments at the weekend.
* Any predictions for England at the European Championship European Dodgeball Federation ? Can England win all three categories like at Euro19? – We have the strength and depth to go all the way again. So England winning all three of course!
Tamas Ward
* How do you think the other nations will go at the European Championship? Any nation you’d like to single out for being a favourite for success on this stage? – Austria are always very strong and focused and will be fierce competitors. Other home nations such as Scotland and Northern Ireland will also pose a threat.
* Which nation is your favorite opponent? – I always enjoy playing Scotland being such a rival we always have a good game against them.
* Any tips you can lend to hungarian dodgeball players? – Also playing as much dodgeball as possible throughout.
