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If you can dodge a rock, You can dodge a Ball!
If you can dodge a rock, You can dodge a Ball!
The leaves are changing color, there's a chill in the air (at least sometimes), and the daylight is shrinking, which can only mean one thing...the end of kickball season. In 2010, two years after Big League Kickball was founded, the players were antsy for more. According to CEO Maurice Reep, the players were having, "Kickball Withdrawal" from November to April and were looking for something to do. Enter: dodgeball.
Did you know dodgeball started as a training method over 200 years ago in Africa where people would throw rocks at one another? Well, luckily for us, Big League went with the more modern form of the sport which uses balls instead.
Over the years, Big League Dodgeball has seen many homes, different venues in White Plains, Stamford, Nyack, Norwalk, Westport, and even Danbury. In fact, Danbury hosted the most dodgeball seasons - only taking summers off - whereas White Plains and Stamford only host two seasons - late fall and winter. Currently, dodgeball is housed at House of Sports on Tuesday nights, with both a coed and a women's league, and the newest venue, the JCC of Stamford on Thursday nights.
2011 Winter Season
2023 Winter Season
The rules of Big League Dodgeball are simple: six players line up at the wall, six balls line up on the court (five of each for women's). Three players on each side run up, grab a ball, and either run it back to the wall or toss it back to a teammate. Once a ball has made it back to the wall, the game is on. Players throw the balls back and forth at one another. If a ball hits you, you are out. If you catch a ball, the person who threw it is out and one of your teammates can return to the game (up to six players on the court at a time). The round ends when one team has been fully eliminated. The winning team receives a point, and a new round starts. This continues until the clock runs out.
Just like with their other sports, dodgeball comes with a social twist. In dodgeball this comes in the form of special themed weeks: coed's Powerball week and women's Kill the President week. During Powerball week, an extra ball is placed on the court and each team can have eight players in at a time rather than the usual six. Powerball can cause just enough chaos that even a team that typically struggles has a chance to get points on the board. In Kill the President, the women must choose a secret "President" and the game only ends when that player is eliminated. But, the "President" also has the power to bring their entire team back in with one catch. Kill the President week is so loved, many players have asked to have it played more than once per season.
The Dundies...But Make it Kickball
The Dundies...But Make it Kickball
I'm sure most of you reading know this, but for those who don't: I am part of a group of teams - across multiple sports - referred to as the JKI Universe. When you are part of the JKI Universe, you get an invitation to my personal favorite day of the year, the Kickies. What is the kickies, you might ask? Well, if you've watched The Office, it is basically the kickball version of The Dundies. And no, surprisingly, the current host of The Kickies had never seen an episode of The Office until I showed him.
The Kickies is a night of celebration for everyone who touches the JKI Universe (a group of teams that spans multiple seasons and sports). Not only does every player receive a personal award, but there are other special awards up for grabs. Once referred to as the, "Live Awards," there are also team voted awards for performance through the year in different categories. But before we get to that, let's take a step back.
2014 Kickies: On the FIeld
2018 Kickies: Gino's Home
2020 Kickies: My Backyard
The Kickies started in 2011, the year Jiminy Kick It (JKI) was founded. That year, the team was given paper plate awards on the field. Since that day, not only has the JKI universe grown, but with it, this special day. It now hosts approximately sixty people and takes place at a rented venue. The main portion of The Kickies consists of each player receiving a personalized award related to something that happened through the year - on, or off the field. Throughout the night, other awards are also given.
There are three categories of voted awards - each special in their own way. The first are the, "Live Voted," awards. Once actually voted live, now these awards are pre-voted (due to the size of this special night). These voted awards are: Best Kicker, Best Catcher, and Best Grounder (formerly Best Bunter). A video of the top six nominees is shown before a presenter announces the top three in each category. The next voted award is the Hall of Fame. In order to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, a person must have played their first game in the JKI Universe 3 years prior and have played in at least 3 seasons on a JKI team. This award can only be voted on by current Hall of Fame members. The final voted award is the Person of the Year award - arguably the most special. Person of the Year can only be won one time in someone's entire career in the JKI Universe. Every person who has played on any JKI team that current year votes on this award and must select one person who made that year special for them. It could be related to something that happened on or off the field - anyone and everyone is eligible for this unique award.
Since my first year, The Kickies has been my favorite night of the year. It has always been a day of celebration with all my favorite people where we get together, remember our favorite and least favorite moments of the year. Celebrate our wins and losses. Celebrate our friendships. Celebrate each other. Because Big League Sports is about so much more than kickball. It is about making friends and having fun.
2021 Kickies: Portugese Cultural Center
2022 Kickies: Dave & Busters Private Room (current location)
Does your team have a fun tradition you want to share? Tell me about it at BLSSIDELINES@gmail.com!
Maurice, is that you?
Maurice, is that you?
BACK-TO-BACK
BACK-TO-BACK
As we approach the end of fall season, we have 3 teams currently on a back-to-back streak!
Special shout-out to TNT who went completely undefeated in 2024!
Check back next month to see if any other teams complete the streak before the late fall season begins!
*All champions are two time champions unless otherwise noted.
Upcoming Late Fall Leagues
Fun Fact Corner
Fun Fact Corner
Big League Sports used to hold trophy parties! Instead of our current end-of-season parties, teams would dress up on a Friday or Saturday night and head to the bar to collect their trophy and medals and celebrate!
Where in the world is
Where in the world is
Big League Sports?
Big League Sports?
This Big League Superstar brought her new Forest Green tee on a work trip to Lexington, Kentucky!
Email us a photo of you wearing or holding a Big League shirt to be featured in next month's newsletter! BLSSidelines@gmail.com
Send us your fun facts, stories, and photos to BLSSidelines@gmail.com for your chance to be featured in the next newsletter!
Meet the Author
Ariana Tringali has been a Big League Superstar since 2018. She has played in many different leagues: coed kickball, women's kickball, softball, volleyball, dodgeball, pickleball, and even soccer!
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