Dodgeball

Do you remember Dodgeball?  That was a game where a circle of young boys and girls with a ball to throw at those in the middle.  Now we have a sport with rules and a way of keeping score and both fun for the participants and the audience.

 Dodgeball is one of many sports competing for a spot at the Olympic circus.  My son developed a strong interest and as he was visiting Edmonton to participate at the world championships it seemed a good time to learn more.  Never did master the rules, but did come to appreciate that skills, physical fitness and strategies are important and it is fun to watch.  

The basic idea of hitting your opponent with a ball and avoid being hit has been retained.  One innovation is to catch the ball.  With a definite format we can have international contests.

Some of us (not me unfortunately) saw a movie that used Dodgeball as a vehicle, "Dodgeball" (2004).   Judging by the comments, it generated a lot of laughs with its plot and action.  Unable to locate it from my usual sources it seems that it did not advance the serious side of the sport, but must have stirred some curiosity. 

Rules are confusing (unless you read the written ones).  There are two versions:  one with a cloth ball and the other with a foam ball.  Both could be viewed at the World Dodgeball Championships in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The cloth version uses a harder ball that is more painful. 

There are 6 players per side with 6 balls in total.  Initially teams line up at opposite ends of a court and race for their 3 balls.  Strategies have developed to take advantage of this unique starting situation. As soon as you have a ball you can shoot at the opponents, but you also leave yourself vulnerable.  When a player is hit they must leave and stand by the sidelines. After that each team is given opportunities to fire on the other.  The object is to hit all six opponents while they try to do the same to you.   In a sudden death situation each team is given three balls on their back line to help decide the winner.  

After a set is completed the winning team is credited with one point.  Then another set is started with perhaps a change in personnel.  The object is to win the most sets.

Ball retrievers or shaggers play an important role. In practice each team has three, one at the end line the others at either side.  They are not allowed to pursue balls on the court while players are not allowed to go off the court.  Their role is to give their side a steady flow of balls which is a key factor in attacking and even for defense. Sometimes this means chasing into the audience, calculating which way a thrown ball will end up and at other times watching the ball roll to the opposition.  Two New Zealand players decided to help the short handed Irish team and shag for them.

Two referees in the middle, one blowing a whistle to start the game--they confer on disputed calls and check each other for greater visibility--there are also four other referees at each side of the court to catch deceptive angles.  Referees  discussing disputed call.  Accredited referees are critical for the game's credibility.   Very little contesting judgments, but as the level is more competitive, players do dispute and many situations are marginal.  

On the attack.  Advance using subterfuge;  for example looking in one direction and hitting someone in another direction.  Two balls for quick followup or blocking.  90% of the attackers seem to be right handed.  Fake shots force a change in position, perhaps making the target more vulnerable.

 

 

 

Head for safety.  On defense one can jump, duck, bend, step aside or best of all catch the ball. Catching the ball is rare, but sometimes a game changer.   The person who threw it is out and your team can bring back a player who had been out.  Sometimes a ball will bounce off a player, but if they can catch it before it hits the ground it does not count as a hit and you are allowed to bring one of the outed players back.  At the end of the game there is often only one player per side and often the game might appear to end when one player apparently has hit the opponent, but if the ball is caught the game reverts. 

In addition to the cloth and foam versions the modern version has three competitions within each version.  One for males, another for females and a third for mixed.  In the mixed it might be assumed the females are the weak link, but that has been proved delusional.  The Olympics are looking for more gender equality and Dodgeball does offer that.

 Dominant teams were from Britain, Austria  Malaysia, Canada, and the United States.  Several countries were unable to get visas for tournament resulting in no African or South American entries.  The poorer countries are handicapped in raising money.  A catch 22 situation;  if an event is considered an Olympic sport it is easier to get govt support, but in the meantime it is harder to raise support.

Excitement- levels run pretty high.  We met participants from different countries, -Ireland, France, Britain, the U.S.  plus a Canadian referee.  All here for love of the sport.

Goodwill was displayed.  The New Zealand team performed a hakka at the beginning of each day.   I don't think too many were intimidated, but appreciative.  Helps build team cohesion.

 

 

Some teams were so excited about the game they invited the opposing players to join them in  a dancing circle and finally collapsing.  Goodwill is an important part of any sport.

 

Is it going to make it to the Olympics?  As one American player said, that is not important.  It offers a lot for participants.  To be taken more seriously coaching also has to be developed.  One colleague suggested a key factor in coaching is teaching.

Check earlier blog on water polo  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2016/04/in-praise-of-water-polo.html

Another sport promotion:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/04/synchonized-skating-would-add-to-olympic.html

Eleven Rings

Basketball is just a game, like hockey or baseball or soccer. Each has its peculiarities and we assume they are not as serious as business.  But one thing they have in common is that business involves a group effort that can be optimized with co-operative energy.   Of course at its highest level sports are business enterprises trying to maximize revenue and minimize expenses.

Phil Jackson is unusual in his approach to coaching. A lot of people would consider him weird with his emphasis on spiritual matters and others attribute his success to the luck of having Hall of Fame players to guide.  Bottom line, he has participated in more NBA championship winners than any other person--11 of them referred to in the title.

Phil was born in a remote community in Montana and played high school and university basketball in North Dakota.  Like almost anyone who makes it to the NBA he was a key player at the high school and university level and used to getting a lot of attention.  But he was not a superstar and had to learn to blend in with others with more talent in the NBA.  As a player he won one championship while a reserve player and actually was off a whole season due to an injury when the New York Knicks won a second championship. The injury gave him the opportunity to work with coach Red Holzman who he credits with teaching coaching basics.

In Phil's mind, the NBA has become too glamorized with the marketing strategy concentrating on celebrity players.  This has made too many players shoot for glory rather than fitting in with a team to optimize their effectiveness..

With talent comes a lot of ego. Can you imagine players like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant?  Or Dennis Rodman?  Or Shaquille O"Neal?  They were all capable of critical contributions, but they also could demotivate others that were capable of blending their talents towards victory.  Coaches were constantly dealing with the others who felt they were not getting a fair chance.  Phil was fortunate to associate with wealthy club owners, but they all had problems with melding expensive talent to expected championships.

Two of his greatest players, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippin once felt threatened by the Chicago manager drafting a European player, Toni Kukoc and overpraising him.  They ganged up on Toni at the Olympics, but later teamed up with him under the guidance of Phil.  All three players contributed to a championship ring.

Kobe Bryant came straight from high school with more talent than almost anyone and an exceptionally developed ego.  He resented anything that did not revolve around him getting the shot. Phil teamed him up with Shaquille O'Neal, one of the most physically dominant centers of all time and used to getting a lot of attention.  It was a long time before they became buddies.

Phil studied psychologist Carl Rogers who believed it was virtually impossible for anyone to change unless they thoroughly accept who they are.

Before a game, especially a tough one it is common for coaches to try to rouse up their players' emotions, but Phil preferred to try to quiet their minds.  He encouraged his players to meditate and practice mindfulness.   Yoga and Tai Chi were on his agenda.  He also took from Lakota Indians, including their way of handling anger.

From Red Holzman, "Practice doens't make perfect.  Perfect practice does."  Red also realized the importance of bench players and made a point to warn them when they would be expected to play and to watch the 24 second clock so they wouldn't be caught off guard.

Phil comments that a lot of details are just as important as the ones that get recorded.  An example is the assist which is awarded to the player who makes the pass that leads to a score.  He feels the pass that leads to the pass that leads to a score is just as important.

His approach to basketball is unique.  He was fortunate to have the physical and mental requirements to be a professional basketball player and wise enough to learn how to get others to achieve great success on the court and to find greater meaning in life.