GRRR!
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The Artful Dodgers: Colette G St-Onge, Jessica Kenney, Laura Jackson, Alex Lindsay, Scott Huggins, Russell Watson, Steve Stewart, Andrew McLennan
Fancy trying a fun and social sport that anyone can play? Dodgeball could be the answer By Nick Skoric
EEEK!
he latest craze to hit the streets has kids scrambling to school at 7am to play games before class, and adults dressing as grapes to compete! Dodgeball, a game traditionally feared by puny teens in gym classes in the States, is taking the borough by storm. The rules are simple. Eliminate opponents by striking them with a ball to win. The team with the most players left on court at the end is victorious. It is not as vicious as it may sound (it is a spongy ball) and has even been dubbed the most sociable sport around. The Fulham dodgeball league is in full swing at the Chelsea Academy in Lots Road with competitions throughout the year. Teams play an eight-week season culminating in a final, with the next one just around the corner as the current campaign concludes on April 3. A new season begins in April 24 with a fresh chance to be kings of the dodgeball court. Go Mammoth has run the Fulham league for 18 months now and has seen enthusiasm grow. “Dodgeball is a sport everybody can play and enjoy together. It really is a social sport which everyone seems to want to try out at the moment, as it is something different to what you’d have played at school,” said Emma Saunders of Go Mammoth. “Last year, we had a team covered from head to toe in balloons and green face paint called the Purple Grapes in our fancy dress week, which was lots of fun as the balloons began to burst during the game. It really is a lot of fun.”
Pupils at Langford Primary School in Gilstead Road, Fulham, attend a 7am breakfast club to play dodgeball before class. Richard Powers, who threw Fulham back into the boxing scene with the success of his Sands End Club, is now on to another knockout idea. From an initial 10 kids coming to the breakfast club, Richard now has 30 youngsters bounce into his early morning session. He is also offering free dodgeball sessions for all U18s every Wednesday at the newly refurbished Hurlingham and Chelsea School in Peterborough Road. “I want to give the kids a reason to get off the street and enjoy themselves with a good game of dodgeball. It is great because absolutely everyone can play it,” said Richard. “The kids just seem to love the game and cannot get enough of it. It really is the kids’ favourite sport at the moment.” The founder of GetSetGoSport, he has taken the sport to all primary and secondary schools in the borough and the kids just want more. So he launched the Fulham Hawks junior dodgeball team, which is the only one in the area and is one of just three junior squads in the entire capital. “We want the kids to enjoy a new sport that brings them all together in a fun and friendly environment. It is one of the most sociable sports out there and once you have given it a go you will understand all the hype.” For more information on local dodgeball visit www.gomammoth.co.uk or Fulham Hawks Facebook page Spring 2014 YourMagazine | 81