To the Women of Dodgeball:

To the Women of Dodgeball:

I was very impressed with your performance this past weekend. However I feel that that is an inadequate statement if left unaccompanied by the following open letter:

Like Dodgeball itself, the Grand Canyon State Games has continued to evolve into what it is today. It is most impressive that this event in Arizona can continue to pull the top teams and players from Tucson, Phoenix, San Diego and Los Angeles without the allure of National Dodgeball League ranked team points, a cash prize or even a fundraiser benefit of some form. The GCSG is rapidly establishing itself as an event in which teams willing to make the trip can measure themselves and see where they stack up amongst the nation’s best.

That being said, it has also served as a proving ground for Women’s Dodgeball which itself is evolving. What may have begun with the Dodgebelles in 2006, eventually paved the way for teams like the Dirty Girls and the Ball Busters who after growing tired of waiting for the NDL to produce a legitimate Women’s division, took it upon themselves to test their mettle in the Open Division (which bears the connotation of “Men’s Division) and staking their claim as formidable adversaries worthy of the court time and game matchup.

It is unfortunate that such claims however, are still met with sexism, shrugged shoulders, resentment towards the time used for the division, lackadaisical officials and a lack of respect for the female opponents squaring up against the male opponents, but the results of the 2011 Winter Games may begin to change that.  On the day of the playoffs, a quick survey of the women with several bruised legs, jammed fingers, red faces and even a dislocated thumb showed that after the day of Round Robin play, they came back for more and will do so again. It showed that they can be more than ball fetchers, more than a cheering section and more than a lover or friend pulled onto a team for the sake of making the requirement for entry into a coed division. They are a competitor that can bring serious competition and the teams that take them lightly may find themselves watching the rest of an event on the sidelines early.

A sincere heartfelt display of respect and thank you is offered to the women of The Ball Busters, The Naughty Beavers, Lady Syndicate, Black Swans and Cali Crush as well as the women who played competitively in the Coed Division who continued to highlight one of Dodgeball’s greatest strengths: an aggressive sport in which both men and women can play against and amongst one another for victory, with play and role significance shifting on either side, at any time.

If things continue to evolve this way, we can only expect to see more Women competitors.

Thank you and please continue to shock and awe.

Steven Damon