The Team Impact Award is given to the player that always gives it his all on the court and brings the energy regardless of the score. They know how to rally the team and keep the mood light when it is needed. This individual was voted on by their teammates and the winner of this year’s team impact award is Eli Huntley. Let’s take a look at his interview on how he feels about winning this award!
Q. How do you feel about winning this award again?
A. Glad that I could continue to have an impact on the team in my final season of dodgeball. It feels good to be recognized for the work that I put into the club.
Q. What do you hope to see the club achieve this coming season?
A. I hope to see an increase in the rookie class size over the next few years. More people will help with retaining players over the years.
Q. What advice would you give to younger and new players?
A. Keep playing. Dodgeball is a fun and competitive sport that allows you to compete and network with people all over the Midwest and more.
Q. What was your favorite moment from this past season?
A. Graduating.
Q. Do you have any plans to continue playing Dodgeball?
A. I will occasionally play in the NDA and help with league expansion when needed.
This award is given to the individual that puts in the work and effort to improve and take their game to the next level. They are always looking for ways to get better and want to make an impact on the court. The award is voted on by their teammates and this year’s most improved player is Zach Brand. Let’s take a look at his interview and what he has to say about winning this award!
Q. What are your thoughts on winning this award?
I’m honestly surprised. I personally didn’t expect to be nominated for the award because I couldn’t see my improvements.
Q. What moment or moments from this past season are you most proud of?
I don’t have any personal moments that I can think of, but the team’s best moments were the way we all chipped in to help the rookies or anyone confused about an aspect of Dodgeball.
Q. What skills do you hope to continue focusing on? Any new skills you want to learn?
The skills I need to work on are my catching and blocking. The rest will come with time and experience.
Q. What are your goals for this coming season?
I don’t have any goals for myself, but my overall hope is to see my team succeed in their goals and that they can improve to a point where they are proud of what they’ve accomplished.
Q. What is something you are looking forward to for next season?
I want to prove to the rest of the NCDA wrong when it comes to Platteville. We are not a team to be taken lightly.
This is an award that is given to the best player on the court. This individual throws outs, makes catches, provides pressure, and allows the team to compete. The winner is voted on by their teammates and this year’s winner was Tomas Zander. Let’s take a look at the interview below on his thoughts of winning the award.
Q. How do you feel about winning this award?
A. This award means a lot to me because of how much work I put into getting my teammates and myself better this year. I am glad that my teammates were able to see that I was pushing not only myself but also them every game. Knowing that I made an impact on the team even when not at practice is important to me. I never want to be known as the person who didn’t give it their all for their team. I want to give a shout-out to the other nominations for this award: Jalen, Nick, and Caleb. Those three getting better every game made me want to push myself so I wouldn’t get left behind.
Q. What was your favorite moment or moments from this past season?
A. I was only able to come to a handful of practices this year because I moved to Madison. One of my favorites was the first practice I attended. The reason was that for a long time, Coach Erik and I have been trying to create a culture of people wanting to come to play dodgeball, compete, have fun, get better for themselves, and get better for their teammates. I showed up to that first practice, and everybody was early to practice, running team drills without complaining and having fun. That moment really stuck with me because it felt like we finally achieved that culture Coach Erik and I have been looking for at Platteville. I give a lot of credit to the veterans for having a good mindset and taking the time to teach the rookies. I am sure it will be even better next season.
Q. What does your future in Dodgeball look like?
A. I don’t know how yet, but my plan is to get UW- Madison to start a Dodgeball Club in the fall and I plan to be their Coach. I want to help the Central Region of the NCDA grow. As for playing dodgeball, you better believe I will be at every home tournament playing for the Alumni. I also plan to play in the NDA league for the Platteville Pickaxers.
Q. What will you miss the most from this club?
A. Tournament weekend was something that I always looked forward to. From having a six-plus hour jam session in the car heading to a tournament, to hanging out with the team at the hotel and staying up really late, to playing dodgeball all day the next day, to finally ending the day back in Platteville hanging out until we passed out from exhaustion. Most people would say that sounds awful, but I have had some awesome teammates over the years to share in all those memories and I would not trade them away for anything.
Q. What advice can you give to any young or rookie players for next season?
A. Find a way to make an impact! Don’t give excuses, give solutions. This sport is not all about you. You have 11 other teammates on the court that are relying on you to fulfill your role. If you can’t throw, find something else to do to help your team win! Also, on or off the court, show that you care to be there. Some of your teammates put a lot of work into the club. Be present, on time, and come with a good attitude. You do that and you will find success in this club.
This is award given to a first year player on the team that has put in a lot of effort and makes an impact on the court. They provide us with throws and catches when it is needed the most. The winner is voted on by their teammates and this year’s rookie of the year is Eric Sullivan. Let’s take a look a the interview below and what he thinks of winning this award!
Q. How do you feel about winning this award?
A. I’m deeply honored and grateful to receive this award. It came as a surprise to me, as there were other candidates who were equally, if not more, deserving of this recognition.
Q. What was your proudest moment from this season?
A. Seeing my performance at nationals exceed my expectations was one of my most rewarding moments of the season, and it was a result of the team’s support and teamwork.
Q. What do you hope to improve on?
A. I hope to improve on my throw and my communication skills on the court.
Q. What are you looking forward to for next season?
A. I hope to improve on my throw and my communication skills on the court.
Q. What is your greatest take-away from this season?
A. My greatest take away from this season is the importance of perseverance and the importance of teamwork.
On April 6, 2024, UW-Eau Claire welcomed UW-Stout and UW-Platteville for their Blugold Invitational dodgeball tournament. UW-Platteville brought ten players while UW-Stout and UW-Eau Claire both brought eight players each. Let’s take a look below on how the day went.
UWP vs Stout (8-0)-The first game had UW-Platteville playing UW-Stout. The first half ended with twenty-one seconds on the clock with a score of 4-0 for UWP. The second half ended with UWP with a score of 8-0 and two minutes and thirteen seconds left in the game. Although the score doesn’t show it, UWS improved since the last time that they played us and we look forward to their continued growth.
UWP vs UWEC (7-1)-The second game had UW-Platteville playing UW-Eau Claire. The first point went to UWEC, but UWP took the 1st half 3-1 with two minutes and five seconds on the clock. The second half started with those two minutes rolling over, and UWP quickly took the first point and stayed on track. The game concluded with a clean sweep by UWP and a guest appearance by former UWP player number eight Eli Huntley. The final score for UWP vs UWEC was 7-1 and another victory for UWP. Eau Claire was a fun to group to play against and we hope to see them next season.
UWEC vs UWS (8-2)-The third game had UW-Stout playing UW-Eau Claire. The first half ended in a tie with two points each. UWEC took control in the second half with six more points. UWEC won 8-2 with both teams fighting hard until the end of the game.
Overall, the weekend was a great success and and it was a fun a event and a great opportunity to visit another school and play dodgeball! If you would like to see some of the action from that weekend you can check out the links below. Make sure to subscribe to our channel so that you get notifications of when we go live!
