Don’t dodge the chance to try a new sport this year

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This article was published 05/01/2016 (2700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Stacy Huen is hoping his favourite sport will be a hit with a few more Winnipeggers this year.

The 26-year-old is an avid dodgeball player and founder and co-ordinator of the Dodgeball Winnipeg league.

This January, the league — which is aimed at players aged 18 and up of all skill levels — will add Glenwood Community Centre (27 Overton St.) in St. Vital to its list of venues. Would-be players can either form a team and play in the co-ed league or sign up individually in the co-ed or women’s draft divisions.

Huen, a sales professional at Shaw Communications, has been working hard to raise the competitive profile of dodgeball in Manitoba and follow the lead of provinces such as Alberta and Ontario. The Dodgeball Winnipeg league offers various levels of play by incorporating World Dodgeball Federation (WDBF) rules, smaller foam court balls and draft-style teams.

The Vincent Massey Collegiate alumnus said one of the many benefits of dodgeball is that participants don’t necessarily need to be finely-tuned athletes to get started.

“It’s a really good workout, but you don’t have to be in great shape to start,” Huen said.

“Dodgeball has taken me from being a very sedentary person who used to play video games growing up to someone who now gets four hours of high-impact exercise a week. It’s tons of fun. I don’t like a lot of sports, I didn’t play sports as a teenager and I don’t follow any professional teams. Now I barely play video games as I’m too busy playing dodgeball.”

In the most basic terms, Huen said, the sport consists of throwing a ball at other people or trying not to get hit or catching the ball.

“The international rules make it a lot more intuitive,” he said.

And with the dawning of a new year meaning that many community members will vow — in time-honoured resolution tradition— to get more exercise, Huen said there is no better time to give dodgeball a try.

“It means you can avoid getting a gym membership, you’ll end up enjoying physical activity and it’s probably one of the only sports where you won’t be intimidated by hardcore athletes.”

Huen is inviting individuals to register for the next dodgeball season in the spring or consider attending a drop-in session to get a feel for the sport.  

For more information, including registration costs and news updates, go online at dodgeballwinnipeg.com

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com

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