Top-tier dodgeball tournament in Waterloo aims to attract new athletes to the sport

The Canadian Mixed Dodgeball Championships is being held in Waterloo at RIM Park this weekend.

The game, featuring six balls and two teams, isn’t the same one you played in grade 6 gym class.

“It’s night and day. These teams have built themselves so that they know how each other work. There’s strategy involved,” said Ian Assang, a court official with Dodgeball Ontario. “For kilometres per hour, we can see upwards of 100.”

Seven teams are competing over the weekend.

Kitchener’s Dylan Corriveau is the only player to represent Waterloo region but said the sport is growing in the area.

“Waterloo’s growing, Kitchener’s growing. We’re trying to build the game as much as we can,” he said. “Waterloo dodgeball is going to be our league to get you in the game, learn how it works and then you can go into tournaments.”

The mixed championship showcases some of the best co-ed teams in the province, including players who represented Canada on the global stage.

“I’ve played nationals the last few years,” said Jocelyn Luk, a Team Canada mixed player. “Last year I did mixed and the year before I did women’s. It’s growing all over the world. There’s more people getting involved,”

The tournament runs through Sunday and is open for spectators.