Steve Damon was one of those kids who were good at dodgeball. Really good.
Most of the time, he said, the P.E. instructor had to call the game when he was the only one left, "since no one could hit me, and the game would drag on without end."
But life goes on. He tried golf, football and roller hockey at Tucson High Magnet School, and he kept active with baseball and martial arts.
Then when he was at the University of Arizona a few years ago, a friend asked him to play "medic," a form of dodgeball. "I was hooked," he said. "It was such a great way to relieve stress and enjoy that brief moment of being a kid again. For those few hours, everything kind of just goes away."
Today, Damon, 24, is the director of Tucson Dodgeball Inc. — which was started "in 2003 by a group of friends who had nothing better to do on a hot summer night than play dodgeball," according to www. tucsondodgeball.com.
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The group has played at various places around Tucson, reaching a peak of 80 people a night about a year and a half after "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," starring Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn, hit theaters in 2004.
Tucson Dodgeball recently started Open Dodgeball on Wednesday nights, Downtown at the Lohse Family YMCA. It's coed, and those who show up usually are divided into two teams. "For us having 20 vs. 20 isn't a problem," Damon said.
However, he said he knows some people may find that intimidating. "That's one of the reasons why we're looking into league play at the Y as well as other venues."
In Phoenix, AZ Dodgeball (azdodgeball.com) offers league play and tournaments.
"Just about anyone can play this game and become very skilled at it, whether they're athletically inclined or not," Damon said. "I've seen many people that couldn't throw a football or baseball to save their lives do exceedingly well at dodgeball."
Dodge that ball
Catch Open Dodgeball from 7 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays at the Lohse Family YMCA (60 W. Alameda St.)
It's free for YMCA members; others pay $2. Anyone 18 or older can play. Wear loose-fitting clothing and gym-friendly shoes.
Tucson Dodgeball is hosting a tournament at Bladeworld (1065 W. Grant Road, 624-1234) from 3 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 23.
Steve Damon hopes the tournament generates enough interest to spur the creation of leagues and more tournaments.
"It is our hope to spread dodgeball throughout Tucson," he said. A few things to know
• You throw a ball at somebody on the opposing team. When you hit players, they're out. If they catch the ball, you're out.
• With Tucson Dodgeball, throwing the ball at a player's head is illegal; anywhere from the shoulders down is fair game.
• It's a good cardio workout.
