Big Take Aways in the Elite Season Part 4
Written by Alicia Ellis, Edited by Tyler Greer
Gone are the days when the South women only get to play one division or try our luck in the open division to play more dodgeball!
My biggest takeaway from last year’s Elite season to the completion of every region’s round 1 is the significant exponential growth and development in skill and interest in the South. Our women’s division had a meager beginning by scrounging together four teams of four (barely) for Round 1 in 2018. 2019 kicked off with four solid teams of 6, making it a full, sanctioned tournament. It might not seem like it, but THIS IS HUGE! Having a recognized, point-accruing women’s division was priority number one for us all, and while, unfortunately, there were some last minute cancellations on a couple of teams, we still managed to pull it off. We struggled initially, but in true South form, we embodied the phrase “it takes a village.” We pulled together and filled every spot necessary to make this a true tournament worthy of the Elite name.
It’s a similar case for open 8.5 and Coed No-Sting. Last year we saw a solid 9–10 open teams playing from round to round. Not only did we begin the season with more teams than we had last year, but opening with coed no sting is so incredible for the men and women of the South. “If you build it, they will come” has been the guiding principle for building men’s, women’s, and coed teams, as evidenced by local leagues taking note and providing new divisions, leagues, and opportunities to supplement the growing interest in the sport. There’s obviously still growing pains, and each round we have them, but even with those occurrences we have had a great start to the 2019 season; one I know we can all be proud of. We have a few returning teams who continue to make names for themselves and have recruited some very talented ladies to complement their already existing team chemistry. Some teams have rebranded themselves and look to make waves this season, but I am most excited about the new teams who have formed or are forming for the next 2 rounds! With Round 2 being in Fort Worth, I am positive it will be our biggest Elite South round to date for all divisions!
I’m consistently surprised by the effort and time that our South men and women continue to put in to make it all work. Everyone has been willing to play, practice, and recruit more, and they continue to put in the effort on becoming better dodgeball players. We still aren’t where we want to be as far as teams, involvement, and competition go, but there’s no doubt we are heading in the right direction! I couldn’t be more proud, and I love getting to be a part of the positive changes!
Whether they’re new to Elite, have been playing dodgeball for years, or bringing their talent from other regions to the South (and hopefully more for rounds 2 and 3,) I’m looking forward to seeing what each team brings to future rounds and onto Nationals.
If you’ve always wanted to check out a South round, DO IT! I would love to see more people travel here, and see what we’re all about. At the very least you will leave with a hundred new friends and be fed with some of the best cuisine (BBQ, Mexican food aka tacos, guacamole and queso, Cajun food etc.) in the country! The competition is heating up in the South, and 2019 looks to be another great year of Elite Dodgeball!
