Skip Navigation
*To search for student contact information, login to FlashLine and choose the "Directory" icon in the FlashLine masthead (blue bar).

Billy Cameron, a member of the Kent State Dodgeball Club, ducks for cover during a dodgeball match in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.
Billy Cameron, a member of the Kent State Dodgeball Club, ducks for cover during a dodgeball match in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.
Kent State dodgeballer Josh Sayre goes on the offensive during a match.
Kent State dodgeballer Josh Sayre goes on the offensive during a match.
Kent State Dodgeball Club member Mitchell Malleo fires a ball at an opponent during a match in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.
Kent State Dodgeball Club member Mitchell Malleo fires a ball at an opponent during a match in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.
Kent State Dodgeball Club Captain Kyle Fitzpatrick is hit during a match in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.
Kent State Dodgeball Club Captain Kyle Fitzpatrick is hit during a match in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.
Dodgeballs line the center of the court prior to the start of a Kent State Dodgeball Club match.
Dodgeballs line the center of the court prior to the start of a Kent State Dodgeball Club match.
Kent State Dodgeball Club co-captain Ryan Mann goes high on a wall to avoid a throw during a match in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.
Kent State Dodgeball Club co-captain Ryan Mann goes high on a wall to avoid a throw during a match in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.
  • Billy Cameron, a member of the Kent State Dodgeball Club, ducks for cover during a dodgeball match in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.
  • Kent State dodgeballer Josh Sayre goes on the offensive during a match.
  • Kent State Dodgeball Club member Mitchell Malleo fires a ball at an opponent during a match in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.
  • Kent State Dodgeball Club Captain Kyle Fitzpatrick is hit during a match in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.
  • Dodgeballs line the center of the court prior to the start of a Kent State Dodgeball Club match.
  • Kent State Dodgeball Club co-captain Ryan Mann goes high on a wall to avoid a throw during a match in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.

Dodge & Catch with Dodgeball Club

By Jessica Smeltz
Remember the best thing about high school gym class? More than 40 Kent State University students do and have banded together with the Student Recreation and Wellness Center to form the university’s official Dodgeball Club.

While the club has been around since 2002, more student and faculty members get involved each year either as players or spectators.

This semester, the club has several events planned to keep that momentum. On Nov. 4, the club teamed with Alpha Phi Omega, a service fraternity, for a charity benefit.

Kyle Fitzpatrick, senior zoology major and dodgeball captain, along with Kaitlin Forister, senior fashion design major and fraternity treasurer, had planned the event to raise money for a charity of player’s choice. The event brought together five teams each with a charity in mind, earning a total of $110 towards the winners. The winning team, Manifest Destiny, made the decision to donate the earned money to a local no-kill animal rescue center called Heaven Can Wait.

“I’m proud of the work and dedication my team had in working for a good cause,” said junior theatre studies major Ryan Hinman. “Nothing beats helping a good cause and having fun doing it.”

Dodgeball is a regular club on campus that practices every Tuesday night from 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Practice tournaments are played every Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The club’s first official tournament of the semester was played at Bowling Green State University on Oct. 23. Competitors included Bowling Green, Ohio State University, Grand Valley State University, Michigan State University and Saginaw Valley State University. Kent State was victorious against Bowling Green’s team and a close second to the others.

“Dodgeball is a great physical and social event,” said Tim Williams, senior health education major who plays weekly. “It’s the best part of my week.”

All are welcome to support the dodgeball team at home tournaments or visit the recreation center to participate in the heated matches. For more information and admission costs, visit the Student Recreation and Wellness Center’s website or contact Fitzpatrick at kfitzpa2@kent.edu. Just be sure to bring your game face!

For more general information about dodgeball clubs, visit http://www.ncdadodgeball.com.

For more information about Alpha Phi Omega and its upcoming benefits, contact Forister at kforiste@kent.edu.