Sorry for the delay folks. The UWP Dodgeball content writer is about as efficient as the current supply chain. We have a repeat offender this month as he was also the October BOTM. Caleb Newell, Co-Captain and dodgeball extraordinaire, is greatly deserving of the March BOTM Award due to his excellent leadership skills during games and his overall enthusiasm towards the team. For anyone that saw national’s this past weekend, I’m sure we all can agree that Caleb is a perfect candidate to win 2 BOTM Awards in the same year.
1. Upon completing your first national’s dodgeball competition, is this what you expected it to look like?
Honestly, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Many of our teammates had kept talking it up and it didn’t disappoint. It was a great atmosphere to be around people who love the game. I really enjoyed being able to make friends and talk with those that I have already had the pleasure of playing against. I’m excited for next year already.
2. Do you have any comments from the loss against Cincinnati?
Man, that was a tough loss for us. We had ample opportunity to win that game and mental errors killed us. However, I am extremely proud of us. I want to give a shout out to the rookies and back half of the starting 12. We asked you to come into this tournament to play roles for us and you did just that, it was amazing watching you all work as a unit. I think we made noise around the league and especially in the heads of Cincinnati. I know they were hurt after that tough game, and if we couldn’t win I’m glad we made them work for it.
3. You were a part of the bidding process for next year’s NCDA national’s tournament. What are your thoughts on UWP potentially hosting a national’s tournament?
I seriously think UWP is perfect for nationals. Almost every single year we have put in a bid for Nationals, but we’ve come up short. Everyone’s complaint is that its far and I think that is a poor excuse. The other clubs would have all year to raise travel money for nationals. Also, our club literally travels anywhere and everywhere for games, so that just reiterates the fact that distance shouldn’t be a factor. One of the big reasons we should be looked at is the fact that all of our courts have curtains on all sides, this would eliminate wall ball and keep all of the balls on the court, which was an issue at the most recent nationals.
4. How has your outlook on the sport changed since joining the UWP Dodgeball Club this past Fall?
Whenever I first joined, I thought it would be a good way to stay active but play a goofy childhood game. I shortly realized that it was competitive and that I was hooked. I believe I can play with the best of the best, every time when get on the court I plan to prove that. I think if Platteville got more attention, I would be considered one of the better players in the league.
5. Looking ahead, what needs to change in order to compete with other top tier teams?
We need our team to take things a bit more seriously. By this I mean we need to focus more on drills to improve individual facets before we just play games. Yes, you can get reps in games, but if you get out early there is no way to have players improve on certain skills i.e: blocking, catching, countering. To add to that we need a change of philosophy. For us to improve we need coaches to hear the players out and vice versa, although I believe it’s gotten better over the year, there was a significant tension that could be felt at practices. If we are all on the same page, we will perform better.
6. Is there anything else you would like to share?
In the wise words the ‘Man of Many Words’, Mr. Jacob Sebranek, Roll ‘Neers.
