There are a number of other alum from Saginaw Valley that deserves recognition and appreciation. Below are three guys that I had the pleasure to play dodgeball with for a number of years with the club. On the court they are amazing athletes. Off the court, they are great guys that I’m lucky to call my friends. -Lindsay Maynard [SVSU]
Jim Curtis #17
My freshmen year, I played a dodgeball game against Jim. The team was terribly intimidating. Jim may not know this, but he’s the reason I continued with dodgeball. Not because he took me under his wing or inspired the best in me as an athlete. No, it was because he’s hot. Yeah, I said it.
Now that we’ve cleared the air, Jim was a key player on the Saginaw Valley dodgeball team for years. He’d been with the team since it began and helped shape it into the National championship team you see today. On the court, the man was an all-around great player. His throw was accurate and fast. Deadly when combined with his manly grunt. He could catch and dodge with the rest of them too.
Jim was one of Bryan Janick’s assistant captains, but took the helm his last year of play in 2011. Before every game, we’d put our hands in and shout “SV” or some variation. Jim got us saying “As One.” The reason we played so well that year was because of the “As One” mentality. Although the team lost to Central in the final four at Nationals, the team had never played better. The team had never played like such a team.
Jim is a man to be respected. He took the SV dodgeball team to new heights with his emphasis on “As One” team playing. His skill on the court inspired others to play better. And he’s good looking. It is an honor to know and have played on the same court with #17. One can learn a lot about dodgeball from him.
Ryan Schian #8
Ryan is one of the greatest, most genuine guys you will ever meet. He makes you want to be a better person. His personality is absolutely stellar both on and off the dodgeball court. But Ryan is also just a giant kid. He’s one of the biggest goofballs I know. And he’s actually bitten me on a number of occasions. Why? I don’t know; it’s kind of his thing.
After dabbling with the Delta College dodgeball team, Ryan made the best decision of his life by enrolling at Saginaw Valley and joining the team here. Yes, it was the best decision of his life. Not even his marriage tops it…although his wife is pretty cool.
Although his throw wasn’t the most intimidating, Ryan was hands down the best blocker,
shadower, and pump fake-er on our team, if not in the league. Any ball thrown his way was
deflected. He would come out of nowhere to block a ball for a teammate in trouble. And the
man’s pump fake is un-paralleled! I swear he had velcro for hands. Ryan stopped wearing his trademark knee pads while playing in his last few seasons. Still, he was willing to sacrifice his body for dodgeball. After playing games, his knees would be bruised and swollen because of dropping to the floor to dodge or block a ball.
Ryan was an assistant captain for a number of years with the team, and he was great at it. His personality and charm kept the team calm in intense games and helped us pull through on many wins.
Currently, Ryan has graduated with a degree in education and is happily married to a beautiful woman, Nicole. He spends his days teaching and daydreaming about starting his Masters degree at Saginaw Valley to get back on the court. We all hope he enrolls soon.
Josh Brettrager #33
Josh Brettrager. The man with the wicked curve and peek-a-boo throw. If this guy had you in his sights, you were toast. Being in a dodgeball stand-off with him is terrifying. Utterly terrifying.
Josh dabbled on the Delta College dodgeball team and decided to enroll at SVSU when the
program was cancelled at Delta. SV is extremely thankful that he joined the team. Without him, our national championship win would have been a much harder battle, although, admittedly, it was a hard fought win getting past GVSU in the semifinals.
Perhaps his best asset to the team is his arm. Well, it’s more like his arsenal of throws. Josh has a beautifully executed peek-a-boo throw, curve ball, straight shot throw, and a deadly cross court throw. His throw dances so much sometimes that it is impossible to catch or read. At practice, I was always on his team because playing against him is scary. Had he not been injured during the first day of play at Nationals in 2011, I believe we would have moved past Central to the finals rather than being beaten.
Off the court, Josh is a great guy and ambitious business-man with a talent for card throwing. Yes, card throwing. He’s put flames out on candles with this talent of his. Every now and then, we are graced with his presence at practice. This is both a good and a bad thing. Good because he shows the newbies what great skill and practice are. Bad because the newbies he hits rarely return. I told you he was terrifying on the court. Perhaps Josh will think about taking masters classes well…we can only hope.
– Lindsay Maynard
SVSU Dodgeball Vice President
I couldn’t agree more with all of these descriptions! I miss seeing these guys at practices and playing in games. The talent, drive, and passion they brought to the court was insurmountable!
Their passion!! YES!! You certainly cannot match the passion these guys brought to SV and the league.