Ducking and diving: NHS students throw annual dodgeball tournament
Students dodged and served their community last Thursday to raise money and awareness for Charity Bash at the National Honor Society’s annual dodgeball tournament.
NHS invited any grade level to participate at this event last Friday night at the Field House. Volunteers from the club came together under the leadership of Austin Myhre, junior, and Riley Pemstein, senior, who assigned each NHS member as a referee, concessions worker, time keeper, and overall making sure the event ran smoothly. The event started with multiple teams playing each other in small games before culminating in a championship between two undefeated teams: the “Brotherhood” and the “40 Thursdays”.
“I heard a ton of cheering from the audience and players cheering on their teammates. There was a lot of feedback coming from the audience,” Haley Eder, senior and NHS president, said. “When it got down to Forty Thursdays and the Brotherhood playing against each other, everyone got super involved and pumped up. Everyone was really invested to see who the winner was.”
Although the eventual winners were Brotherhood, Eder believes that the tournament was more about promoting the message of Elyssa’s Mission (this year’s choice for charity bash) and raising money for this cause.
“I saw many teams come together after only having one player left on the court, and then all of a sudden having them all back,” Eder said. “They used a lot of teamwork. I think that is a very important skill in life, because it not only brings friendships closer but [teamwork] makes you feel better as a person which can inhibit those negative thoughts, which is really what Elyssa’s Mission wants to promote.”
Even if a student was not actually on the court, their support for Elyssa’s Mission was evident, Sophie Young, senior NHS member, said. Young said the attendance surprised her at the game and that she “appreciated all the people coming out and helping charity while supporting their friends.”
“The turnout was bigger than I expected. I think of dodgeball as one of those dreaded PE sports, but kids actually really got into it and had a lot of fun. Everyone was having a blast in the stands,” Young said. “People support the tournament every year because it’s an easy way to donate while also having a memorable experience with your friends, siblings, teammates, [or] whoever you play with.”
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