Vancouver Dodgeball League
 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (June 2015) |
| Most recent season or competition: 30 | |
| Sport | Dodgeball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2004 |
| Founder | Kevin Bao |
| Official website | vdldodgeball.ca |
The Vancouver Dodgeball League (referred to as VDL) is a non-profit organization that was founded on February 11, 2005, on the idea that dodgeball could build a positive community. The League's dedicated commission is to promote the sport of dodgeball and build a vibrant community in the Greater Vancouver area.
VDL is Vancouver’s first, largest and only non-profit dodgeball organization. VDL’s mission is to advance dodgeball in Vancouver and build a community that’s based on fun, fitness, service and spirit. VDL is governed by a board of directors, and all revenues go back to supporting this mission.
VDL has a tier system that caters to recreational and competitive play. There are three tiers per division, according to the competitiveness of the team. At the end of the season, teams are divided into six tiers for playoffs, depending on their cumulative performance.
In addition to league play, each season has an exhibition night, skills clinic, skills competition, pub night, and playoffs. They organize tournaments sponsoring various charitable causes.
History
[edit]Founded in 2004 by Kevin Bao, VDL began by hosting various drop-in nights and tournaments. Twelve players attended the first drop-in night, and a few months later, that number swelled up to 120 players playing in tournaments. With a founding team consisting of Keith Bao, Truong Cao, Amy Chin, Jason Chow, and Eddie Lee, VDL began offering league play in Spring 2006 (Season 1), which became a permanent home for avid dodgeball players. VDL has now grown into the largest dodgeball league in Metro Vancouver, played across 4 nights a week including a subsidiary league in Coquitlam (CDL), with over 200 teams and 1,500 players.
Timeline
[edit]| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| October 2004 | Kevin Bao plays at a Simon Fraser University dodgeball tournament and discovers the sport’s ambiance. He is inspired by the potential for a great dodgeball community in town, and begins building its foundation by investing some his student loan money. |
| November 24, 2004 | The first dodgeball night is held at Simon Fraser University. Inviting any interests, the gym ends up with 12 people, and they experiment and establish the rules of the game. |
| October 2005 | Official VDL logo is created by graphic designer, Graeme Jack. |
| December 2004 – May 2005 | Along with his brother Keith Bao, the duo organize over 10 tournaments, averaging 12 teams per event. |
| December 2005 | The Team House of Lu create the first "World Dodgeball Federation" belts, made out of cardboard during engineering class. The idea inspires the championship VDL belt for the winning team. |
| January 2005 | VDL's first charitable event, The Tsunami Relief Tournament, raises $800.00 for the Canadian Red Cross. |
| February 2005 | VDL incorporates as a non-profit organization. |
| June 2005 | VDL’s logo and website are developed. |
| September 2005 | The VDL executive team is established, with Jason Chow, Amy Chin, Truong Cao and Eddie Lee joining the organization. |
| September 2005 – March 2006 | The newly established team organizes 7 more tournaments and builds momentum for VDL’s first season. |
| April 2006 – June 2005 | Season 1 is successfully launched with 16 teams and 150 players. Hatesauce and Y-Unit (YMCA) end up battling in the finals. Hatesauce emerges as VDL's first league champions. |
| May 27, 2006 | The 'Dodge for the Cure' Tournament raises $500 for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. |
| June 17, 2006 | First annual all-star skills competition. Radar gun introduced. |
| September 2006 – December 2006 | Season 2 launches, with 32 teams and 300 players. The Spirit Rating is introduced, promoting good sportsmanship, peer reffing, and honest play. History repeats itself in the finals, as Hatesauce battles back to win 2 consecutive best out of five matches against ACMY. Hatesauce becomes VDL's two-time champions. |
| March 2007 – June 2007 | Season 3 launches, with 56 teams, and 500 players. |
| June 2007 | Season 3 champions: Hatesauce (Tuesday division), Ball Huggers (Thursday Division) |
| September 2007 | Season 4 launches, with 80 teams and three nights: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Coquitlam Dodgeball League, a chapter of VDL, launches Season 1 with 16 teams. |
| December 2007 | Season 4 champions: WWF Superstars (Tuesday division), One Hit Wonders (Wednesday division), Hatesauce (Thursday division) |
| February 2008 | Season 5 launches, with over 100 teams on four nights: Monday-Thursday. |
| May 2008 | Season 5 champions: They Hate Us (Monday), Olympus (Tuesday), Bush Leaguers (Wednesday), The Royal Family of Dodgeball (Thursday) |
| September 2008 | Season 6 launches, with over 100 teams on four nights once again and with a new tiering system implemented. |
| December 2008 | Season 6 champions: Strange Bedfellows (Monday), Olympus (Tuesday), Eat Our Ballz (Wednesday), The Excuses (Thursday) |
| February 2009 | Season 7 launches, with over 100 teams on four nights once again and with an adjusted tiering system on each night. |
| May 2009 | Season 7 champions: Dodgeball, I Choose You (Monday), 8 Bit (Tuesday), Pokémon (Wednesday), Dynasty (Thursday) |
| May 2009 | First Biannual Champion of Champions Tournament Season 7 champions: Dodgeball, I Choose You (Monday) |
| December 2009 | Season 8 champions: Ballistics (Monday), 8 Bit (Tuesday), All Day I Dream About Dodgeball (Wednesday), Dodge Dodge Revolution: The Vu Remix (Thursday) |
| May 2010 | Season 9 champions: Dodgeball, I Choose You (Monday), 8 Bit (Tuesday), In Dodge We Trust (Wednesday), Young & Dangerous (Thursday) |
| December 2010 | Season 10 champions: Animal Crackers (Monday), 8 Bit (Tuesday), Awesome 8 (Wednesday), The S.H.A.T. |
| May 2011 | Season 11 champions: Almost Didn't Happen (Monday), XTC NRG (Tuesday), Awesome 8 (Wednesday), Woot Woot (Thursday) |
| December 2011 | Season 12 champions: Wrecked 'Ems (Monday), Vancouver Isotopes (Tuesday), Geeks 'n Sneaks (Wednesday), Little T-Rexes (Thursday) |
| May 2012 | Season 13 champions: Suicide Squad (Monday), Rec-less and Execless (Tuesday), Geeks 'n Sneaks (Wednesday), Love-Hate Relationship (Thursday) |
| December 2012 | Season 14 champions: Lantern Corps (Monday), Strangers With Candy (Tuesday), The Mascots (Wednesday), Disney's Recess (Thursday) |
Awards
[edit]-
VDL Championship Belt.
Picture by Lincoln Heller, Belt created by fiveleft.ca -
VDL Champion Medal.
Picture by Michelle Patterson.
Community
[edit]-
VDL Spring Season 3 Tuesday Playoff Picture -
VDL Spring Season 3 Thursday Playoff Picture
Logo
[edit]In October 2005 the original VDL logo was notably designed by well-known Vancouver-based graphic designer, Graeme Jack. Following its creation the VDL commissioned Graeme Jack to create the IDA logo (International Dodgeball Association) and the CDL logo (Coquitlam Dodgeball League). In later years the formation of the RDL (Richmond Dodgeball League) took inspiration from the original VDL logo.