Author: Hunter Ford

First East Coast Showdown: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

This past weekend MSU opened up the 2017-18 NCDA season with the EA tournament in East Lansing, MI.  There were certainly some interesting surprises, but the main point is that dodgeball is back!  Now, it is the first chance for some East Coast schools to show what they’re all about.

This Saturday, Towson University has the pleasure of hosting the first event of the season which will also include Stevenson University and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).  Towson comes in as the top rated team after having their best season ever last year followed by VCU and Stevenson.  This will be their opportunity to flex their muscle against some familiar opponents and start the year strong.  That being said, Stevenson and VCU won’t make it easy, and are each looking for a statement win.  Let’s take a look at some things to watch with each team, from the good to the bad, and even the ugly.

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East Coast 2017-18 Preview

Next on our region by region previews is the East Coast.  There were a lot of headlines coming out of the East last year, and this year should prove to be no different.  In Kevin Bailey-esque fashion, let’s take a look at our teams to watch out for in the 2017-18 season, and who is likely to emerge as the top team out of the East Coast.

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2018 Executive Board

WASHINGTON – Office of the Director of Officiating (and Records): 27 of the 32 Member Teams have submitted valid ballots for the Election of the 2018 Executive Board.  Additionally, non-voting ballots were submitted by upcoming member teams Gonzaga and the University of Central Florida, we thank them for their contribution.  A number of alumni voted, however did not reach the required number of votes (14) to be included as an Alumni Ballot.

The open positions on this year’s ballot included: President, Treasurer, and three Directorships under the recent Board expansion. These three directors will be titled as one of their first actions of business. The positions of President and Treasurer were unopposed, so only one round of voting was required for each.  There were four eligible candidates for the three Directorships, and required three rounds of voting under our preferential Single Transferable Vote system.

Member Team ballots were confirmed and preferential election counted by the upcoming Director of Nationals (Hunter Ford).  The winning candidates have accepted their positions and the defeated candidates have been notified of the results prior to this posting.

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Nationals 2018 Updates: Hotels

As we continue to count down the days until the 2017-18 season, I wanted to take the time to provide updates on the progress made towards Nationals 2018.  As Director of Nationals for next season I will put forth the best effort in ensuring we have an event that runs well and continues to improve what is the staple event of the NCDA.

One of the first things I wanted to accomplish was securing group rates at some of the hotels in the area for players, alumni, and fans.  This will help guarantee high quality rooms for the NCDA at affordable prices.  Below are the details for hotels where we currently have.  This list will continue to be updated as more deals are finished.  Continue reading “Nationals 2018 Updates: Hotels”

2017 All-East Coast Team

The long awaited All-East Coast list has finally arrived.  Member teams of the East Coast include JMU, PSU, Stevenson, Towson, UMD, UVA, and VCU.  Representatives from each team submitted one ballot each in order to help pick this team.  There was at least one representative per team on this list, and it certainly highlights the special leaders and players from this past season.  While heavy on upperclassmen, plenty of these players will also be returning for the 2017-18 season as well.

Here are your 2016-17 All-East Coast selections:

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Next Season Goals: East Coast

While everyone is preparing for Summer internships and finishing finals, it’s never too early to start thinking about the next season.  The biggest key to improving from one season to the next is understanding weaknesses from the past year.  For many teams, how they handle the offseason is a key indicator of what to expect from them in the following season.  Here, I will highlight some of the biggest things that I feel each team needs to accomplish either during Summer or early portions of next season.  While some teams will need to center their focus around recruiting, for others there are very specific goals in mind.

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2016-2017 Women’s All-American Team

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This year we will be doing something that we’ve never done before, the women of the NCDA are finally getting the recognition they deserve. There are many talented ladies in the league, as showcased in the Lady’s match at nationals the past couple of years. Every season the match grows in number and talent. The women on this list are not to be taken lightly and are dedicated members of the squads that they represent. Without further delay, the 2016-2017 Women’s All-American Team!

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Bold Predictions for the 2017-2018 Season

Over a week has passed since Nationals and the dust has had a little bit of time to settle.  Congratulations to the Lakers of Grand Valley State once again on their tremendous season.  With that being said, no on else in the league cares anymore, we’re ready to move onto the next season.  There are a lot of things to look forward to even before the start of next year including All-American and MVP voting coming soon, voting on rule changes, and selecting the next host for Nationals in 2018.

I wanted to take the time to present some interesting thoughts for next season as a nice buffer for what will be some intense discussion tomorrow.

Let’s take a look at some interesting predictions.

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The East Coast All-Stars

With Nationals around the corner also comes one of the fan favorite events, the All-Star Game presented by SAVAGE Apparel Co.  This year the game will be larger than ever before, both figuratively, and quite literally.  As Colin mentioned in his article, there are definitely members of each team that don’t get selected who are more than worthy of being called All-Stars for their team.  As such, I wanted to take the time as well to highlight some of the East Coast players that I believe could be All-East Coast athletes from this season.  This is not organized in any type of first team or top-15 group, but just giving recognition to players who have worked hard and performed well all season.

No this was not Co-authored by Colin O’Brien, it was however inspired by him.

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All is Fair in Love and War

It’s time to take a break from the craziness that has been the Captain’s Page and all of the rule proposals popping up.  Let’s make dodgeball great again!  This weekend the University of Akron will be hosting The War, which is the largest and last tournament of the 2016-2017 regular season.

11 teams from 5 different states will come to Akron, OH to compete in The War.  Needless to say, it’s a pretty big deal, with a lot of implications on seeding heading into Nationals, take a look at an article by our VP Zigmas Maloni, Status Quo Ante Bellum, on the possible exchanges.  There has also been a lot of talk off the court heading into this weekend, which I’m sure will translate into some exciting on court performances.

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Opinion: NCDA Bracketology & Potential Nationals Matches

We already infused the March Madness style into our Baller of The Month voting, so why not for an actual bracket as well?  Now, keep in mind there are still a couple events that are on the way, which are sure to impact the current standings, along with…well you know, day 1 of Nationals.  But I have to work with what I have darn it!!  So given those limitations, let’s take a look at some intriguing matches to watch that could happen on a round-by-round basis when we get to the Sunday bracket play.

As a disclaimer, included are my personal predictions on a round by round basis, ultimately leading to a final champion.  These seeds are subject to change up until April 9th.

Current NCDA Bracket*

*This is subject to the teams that scheduled to attend Nationals, and is not a complete reflection of the current league standings

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Kent Hosting Fundraiser Tournament for Former Member

For those of you who don’t know, Matthew “Kelso” Kelsey (who was one of the original Kent State dodgeball players) was recently diagnosed with leukemia. This tournament is to raise money to help him with his medical bills. Kent is looking for participants in the area interested in playing or helping raise money for Kelso’s medical expenses. If you can’t make it but would like to make a donation please donate to his gofundme.  There is also a Facebook group for the event if you are interested in signing up.

You can sign up to participate in the event on eventbrite.  More information is provided there but here are the basics:

  • 6v6 Rubber tournament
  • $50 entry fee per team
  • Must be 18+ to participate

The event is scheduled for March 18th from 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Kent State’s Recreational Center: 1550 Ted Boyd Drive, Kent, OH 44240

We are a competitive dodgeball league, however we also view all of our members both current and former as part of our family.  Whether you are able to donate or can just simply share this with your friends, we want to help come together to support everyone in our dodgeball family.

Top Tweets of February 2017

In our second edition of the top tweets of the month, Kevin and I once again sat down to look through the savagery our league has to offer.  We were pleasantly surprised with this month’s candidates, and look forward to what the league has to offer in the future.  Now, let’s take a look at what we believe to be the top 10 tweets of February 2017:

Top tweet of the month:

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Border War Could Prove Important for Nationals Seeding

Don’t let the Michigan Dodgeball Cup (MDC) distract you from everything else going on this weekend.  Over in Richmond, Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) will be hosting the Border War, consisting of teams exclusively from neighbor states Virginia and Maryland.

Why should anyone pay attention?

Well, 3 of the top 10 teams in the country will be present which includes #4 James Madison University (JMU), #5 Towson University (TU), and #9 VCU.  The University of Virginia (UVA) and University of Maryland (UMD) both have an opportunity to move up 2-3 spots in terms of seeding with a win. There will also be three JV teams playing which means we will have the opportunity to see the future of the league.  Here are some headlines to watch out for this coming weekend.

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