If you can dodge a wrench, or even if not, this could be for you

Once a week, teams face off at the École De L'Anse-Au-Sable or Spring Valley Middle School gymnasium to take part in a fast-paced, friendly, coed game of dodgeball.

It’s a game of strategy, skill, and endurance, as six players on each team battle to take home the win.

Urban Rec coordinator, Ryan Letourneau, told Kelowna10 the dodgeball league started about 17 years ago, as there was a need for it in the community.

“Urban Rec just kind of picked up on that… there’s a great opportunity for fun, and social, and having a good time after work, after hours with adults,” Letourneau said.

He added how when you finish high school, your rec sports ends.

“There was a direct need in the city to create that environment for adults,” he said.

The main rules of dodgeball are simple: if you get hit with a ball, you’re out, if you catch a ball, the person who threw it is out (and you get a teammate back in), and the last team standing wins.

“It brings the community together… [there’s] lots of people dating. It’s all about social. I think in a community that although can seem very large, we’re a really small community,” Letourneau said.

Dodgeball can be great for physical health, as it involves constant movement and stamina. On the other hand though, Letourneau said: “wings, and burgers, and beers after the game,” tends to be a common theme in adult rec league.

“It can be fun and social… or it can be a great aspect of your health to really improve your endurance,” he said.

He added there’s so many muscles you didn’t know you had until you played the game.

“All of the sudden, the next day you wake up and you go ‘I’ve never felt that… sore muscle before,’ so it’s a good time,” Letourneau said.

When it comes down to it, it’s the community that is Letourneau's favorite part about playing dodgeball.

“Sometimes it gets a little intense, sometimes it’s just super fun and everybody's laughing. But we all know at the end of it we can go for a quick drink after,” he said.

Current coordinator for the dodgeball league, Keith Bennett, said his friend group wanted to do something on the side, leading him to sign up for dodgeball.

“I love getting out and seeing everybody every week, [and] see the comradery,” Bennett said.

He added it’s a lot of fun to be strategic, and finally start beating the teams that were winning against you at the start.

“It just makes it [feel] like you can actually accomplish something in the league,” Bennett said.

For him, it’s just a great community to be a part of.

“Come out, throw a ball or two, catch a ball or two, it’ll be a lot of fun.”