Diving and Ducking: The Campus Cup dodgeball tournament

For one weekend a year, the U of A becomes a haven for dodgeball. Over 1,000 people compete all weekend in the Campus Cup Tournament.

On the last weekend of November, 134 teams compete in three leagues based on competitiveness. A-diff is for the best of the best, the elite and seasoned dodgeball veterans. B-diff is for experienced players, balancing fun and competition. C-diff is the “rec league” of Campus Cup, made of players with little to no dodgeball experience who are mostly there for the fun.

Teams are made up of students, alumni, and even faculty members. The Gateway sat down with various players, the first being a team in B-diff.

Tommy, Reese, Kayen, and Grady are part of the Lister Dodgeball League (LDL). They are first-year players who got into Campus Cup by encouragement from their dodgeball liasons in Lister Hall. Their team is named “Smoking that scat pack.”

“It’s the best tournament we’ve played so far,” Tommy said. The rest of the four agreed.

“Campus Cup mirrors life, that if you don’t do good in Campus Cup, you won’t do good in life,” Kayen said.

The community behind Campus Cup

The Gateway later sat down with Cole Omochenko, a U of A dodgeball player since 2011. He discussed how the sport has evolved for him from a competitive activity to a way of connecting with friends.

He primarily plays with teammates from Edmonton and Calgary, using dodgeball tournaments as an opportunity to reunite with old friends who have moved away. Cole previously helped run East Campus Dodgeball (ECD).

“Dodgeball is almost like a way to keep the community together, connect with your friends.” Cole said.

As the final matches wrapped up and teams cleared the courts, the thrown-out shoulders and bitter losses mattered less than the connections made and continued by Campus Cup.

From first-year students discovering the sport for the first time to veterans returning year after year, Campus Cup isn’t just about winning, it’s a way to bring people together. For one weekend a year, dodgeball becomes a shared language across campus. It’s a reminder that community at the U of A isn’t just built in lecture halls and labs, but also on the court.