KAPAA — Fun In Fellowship (FiF) Dodgeball is free to play and free to watch, said Chris Kostka, co-chair of the 11th annual Dodgeball Tournament which starts Friday at the All Saints’ Gym in Kapaa. More than 150 players are
KAPAA — Fun In Fellowship (FiF) Dodgeball is free to play and free to watch, said Chris Kostka, co-chair of the 11th annual Dodgeball Tournament which starts Friday at the All Saints’ Gym in Kapaa.
More than 150 players are expected. Individuals who do not have a team will be placed on a team before the tournament starts.
“I don’t have a team,” said Ty Shiramizu, a 10-year veteran dodgeball player. “Most of the guys are working and can’t make it for the tournament. I already registered, so we’ll see what happens.”
Shiramizu, who is a student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, said he has played Fun in Fellowship dodgeball from the very first year.
“You might say I came home from UH just to play dodgeball,” he said. “Dodgeball brings a lot of cool people together.”
There are three divisions and seven brackets in the tournament which starts with preliminary pool play Friday. It goes all day Saturday with the finals and awards presentation.
Divisions and brackets include the Keiki 8 and Under, Keiki 10 and Under, Youth 13 and Under, Youth 17 and Under, Masters Coed, Masters Kane, and Masters Seniors for 35 and Over.
“Dodgeball is for everyone,” said Faith Shiramizu, Ty’s mother who got onto the floor to warm up her son by dodging some throws. “You want to get a photo of an old person playing? FiF Dodgeball is open for anyone from age 6 to 65 and older.”
She said Brant and Lance Haugh are from California and discovered the game during one of their summer visits with their grandmother who lives in Wailua.
“Brant is really good,” Faith said. “He’s so good, last year, he helped officiate some games.”
The California visitor said the family stopped in after seeing the roadside banner three years ago.
“We saw some family friends and did it,” Brant said. “We loved it and have been coming ever since. They don’t have dodgeball in California. The games are really fun and gets your adrenaline going.”
Preliminary pool play starts Friday with the Keiki division scheduled from 4 p.m. followed by the Youth division from 5 to 6:30 p.m., and the Masters division taking the floor from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
“The gym has been pretty full the last two weeks with about 50 or 60 players each night,” Kostko said. “It’s a nice feeling to see all these people being active and having fun.”
Saturday play starts with the keiki division wrapping up its championships from 9 to 11 a.m. followed by the youth division taking the floor from 11:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. The masters continue play from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Registration deadline is today.
Info: www.dodgeballkauai.org.
