HEADS UP!

I've come to really enjoy my current Wednesday night ritual, where you will find me in some high school gym playing some elementary school game. DODGE BALL. It's actually quite funny thinking about the concept: grown women and men, running around an enclosed space, chucking red rubber balls at each other. And because grown people have bad memories, they've really dumbed down the game: it's not King's Court or any sophisticated variation. When you get hit, you're out until one of your teammates catches the ball. The team of six that doesn't have all of its members eliminated wins. I certainly see the appeal amongst grown-ups playing this game. What better way to work out life's stresses than by projecting them onto the ball and throwing it away as hard as you can? And it's quite a work out, running around, squatting to avoid being hit, launching the ball as hard as you can. But the thing I find most interesting about this game is that you can win this game defensively; if a team decides not to throw a single ball at all, they can still win. This is because whenever you throw the ball and it is caught before it hits the ground, you're out. So, playing a defensive game has many appeals.

1. It's so awesome seeing your competitor become deflated after they throw the ball as hard as they can and it's caught (plus, the rubber balls make quite the smack when you catch it in your chest, adding even more of a dramatic effect)
2. When you catch the ball, one of your teammates who was out gets to come back in (you're actually doing communal good)
3. Catching requires less energy than throwing the ball, accurately, as hard as you can.

So, in my opinion, they should call this game Catch Ball, although it probably wouldn't have the same marketing appeal. Time to go practice. I'm sure I can find a willing participant, because, as they say "If you can dodge wrenches, you can dodge balls!"