Each year the Platteville Dodgeball Club puts on the Tim Ebert Memorial Scholarship Tournament 2026. The tournament was held on Saturday, September 12th and we raised $800. Tim Ebert was a player at the University of Wisconsin Platteville who was respected by his teammates as a captain and friend. Tim could always be counted on, always there to help, and was always making a difference. The funds raised go towards a scholarship in his name offered by the Platteville Dodgeball Club.
Tim loved dodgeball! As a captain, he always wanted to help new players get better and make sure they had fun. I knew that if I ever asked Tim for help he would do what he could. Tim was a firefighter in his hometown and Platteville and worked on campus with facility maintenance, which shows you what type of person he was. He just wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. That is why we thought it was fitting to make a scholarship in his name so that even though he is no longer here, he is still making a difference.
The Platteville Dodgeball Club understands the burden and cost of college and that is why we are offering this Scholarship in the amount of $750 to an applicant deemed worthy by the selection committee. To apply for this scholarship please click on the following link to fill it out (Application). Please read through everything carefully and answer each question to the best of your abilities. It needs to be submitted by Saturday, October 10th, at 11:59p.m. eastern time.
For anyone that would like to donate to the scholarship fund, you can at the following link (Scholarship Donation).
This event consistened of four teams: The University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, University of Iowa, University of Wisconsin Platteville, and the Platteville Pickaxers. We saw a lot of familar faces from last year’s event as well as some new ones and some of Tim’s old teammates too. It turned out to be a fun and competitive day that the Platteville Pickaxers ended up being the tournament champions!
We saw a lot of talent show cased that weekend from several players. From Iowa, Nolan Reed stood of out for his incredibly strong arm. For UWEC, Cleo Moen and Grant Trygstad stood out as two of the top players for keeping their team competitive. On Platteville, David Laux and Alex Kirchman really show cased their skills. David is starting to show his talents and just how impactful he is on the court and Alex’s throw has come so far in such a short time. All theses players will be seeing a lot of action on the court this season and these are players you should watch for throughout the season!
The league wants to remind everyone that September is Suicide Prevention month. Tim was one of those individuals that took his life and was unable to get the help he needed. That is part of why the Platteville Dodgeball Club puts on this event each year, to bring awareness to this topic and hopefully this awareness will help someone get the help they need that Tim couldn’t get.
Suicide is complicated and tragic, but it is often preventable. Knowing the warning signs of suicide and how to get help can save lives. If you or someone you may know is struggling reach out. The following are links to a few resources to learn more or to get help.
1. National Institute of Mental Health Resource Center
2. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
3. 988 Lifeline