Some scholars theorize that dodgeball dates back to 19th-century Africa. The Three Rivers Dodgeball Club, however, began in 2022 when a group of enthusiasts decided there just wasn’t enough dodgeball in their lives and launched a year-round league that became a community.
When it comes to Three Rivers Dodgeball, cofounder Bill Urbanic knows that when a lot of people think of dodgeball, their minds conjure images of their elementary school days, where PE teachers allowed the most athletic students to single out their weaker peers. The Three Rivers Dodgeball Club promises a new approach to the game where inclusivity rules and every player, regardless of their skill level, is useful.
“Instead of just having teams sign up with a captain like in other sports leagues, we work with the captains and make sure that there’s parity on the teams,” Urbanic says. “There are leaders and people that know the rules on teams, and new people on each team so that veteran players can grow as leaders and new players can grow as veterans.”
Urbanic’s love of the sport goes back to childhood, whereas Dale Thomas Vaughn, another cofounder, spent 10 years in Los Angeles helping to build up the City of Angels’ dodgeball community. What sets the sport apart from other team sports, Vaughn says, is that any player can be useful. Additionally, despite the chaos associated with balls flinging around the court, in the absence of referees, players must govern themselves.
“We say this a lot, that the court reveals character and the court builds character. And the reason that we say that is because it’s an honor system,” Vaughn says. “So when you get hit by a ball, not everybody can see that you got hit by a ball. You take your own outs.”
One of the things Urbanic, Vaughn, and Three Rivers Dodgeball Club League Manager Franco Francis felt was important was that the club provide opportunities for meaningful connections outside of the game. When players aren’t on the court, they can participate in activities such as potlucks, going to Penguins games, trips to Kennywood, and even a prom night for players.
“It’s a great way to meet new people and learn new team strategies,” Francis says. “I think we do have a lot of a club aspect to it, too. It’s not just about playing the sport every Wednesday; we all hang out and talk to each other every day. And it’s a great way to make new friends.”
Within the club, there are currently 80 players participating in the game throughout the year. Since there’s no offseason, there are a variety of ways for players to take part in the sport. There’s a group from the league that travels to take part in tournaments in other cities.
For women-identifying players, there is a monthly ladies’ night. In between the games, there’s a gaggle of community events, such as Market Square matches, geared toward convincing Pittsburghers to give the game a shot.
A point of pride for the club is that in July 2024, the team participated in the 10th annual Stonewall Sports National Tournament in Minnesota and placed fifth in the U.S. (Stonewall Sports is a nonprofit sports organization for LGBTQ people and their allies). As a club, the plan is to compete again in 2025.
“I would say more than half of our community are in the LGBTQ community, so that’s an important part of our DNA,” Vaughn says. “We care about making sure that our league is not only inclusive in representation but is inclusive in style so that people have an opportunity to be all kinds of themselves on the court and off the court.”
In the way of inclusivity, Francis and Urbanic add that the club’s leadership consciously chose a ball size that allows people with smaller hands to throw them well. Additionally, the leadership designed the play style so that multiple people are involved in every instance of the game, which requires more communication between the players – thus more inclusion in the game altogether.
Some players come to the game out of childhood nostalgia, others due to a referral from a friend, and others are just looking to meet new people after a move. Whatever brings a player to the court, Francis, Urbanic, and Vaughn agree that the goal of playing dodgeball in the league isn’t simply crushing the other team but having fun and working together collaboratively.
“We have so much fun playing. It’s kind of a silly game, but a fun game, and it’s serious, and it reveals a lot about you,” Vaughn says. “So it’s one of those things where you want more people to play, and it’s a Pittsburgh kind of sport.”
This article appears in Nov 13-19, 2024.
