JRN521: Your Choice 3 (Photo Story)

LaValley grins towards a teammate as they wait for the match to begin.

Scott LaValley, of Lake Orion, began playing dodgeball at Saginaw Valley State University. When he transferred and began his time here at Central Michigan University, two years ago, he still saw many of the same faces, but this time, they were on the other side of the court.

LeValley is a senior majoring in Biology and Natural Resources, which requires a lot of time commitment to homework and lab work.  After  rooming with the former president of the team last year, LaValley ended up taking over the position, so. in addition to his class schedule, LaValley is the Team President of the CMU club dodgeball team.

The team practices tree times every week, Mondays from 9-11, Tuesdays from 8-10pm, and Thursdays from 7-9. Usually practice begins with drills, to get everyone warmed up and working together as a team before the action really begins.

“We have our small groups that are good friends, and some of us have played together previous years,” so the dynamic of the team is always evolving, says LaValley. Even with such a large group of people, the team still manages to stay tight-knit. “Everyone gets along when we are on the court… we are family out there.”

His favorite part of the game? “Outside of just having fun… hitting somebody in the face.” LaValley laughs. “When you get them really good, you get to watch that ball arc up, and then CRACK when it hits them. You get such a rush, and like everybody cheers.”

“It really pumps up your team a lot,” LaValley continued- which is what it all seems to be about: playing as a team, getting to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and working on them together.

LaValley takes a break during practice to tape his fingers. Taping gives players the advantage of a better grip on the ball during play, but if done improperly, or using the wrong tape, can also result in toughening of the skin and difficulty in bending fingers.

LaValley releases one of the two balls in his possession towards an opposing team member during a practice match.

LaValley laughs amid his teammates as he falls to his knees after receiving a hit to the chest, which he fumbled to catch, making him out. “He spends a lot of time either in the air [making catches] or on the floor,” joked teammate and friend Merissa McTaggart.

LaValley exits the court after being hit, disappointment visible on his face. The club status of this dodgeball team makes no difference in the dedication of its team members, and LaValley is no exception, taking losses especially hard when he feels he did not perform his best and do everything he could for his team.

Dodgeballs, when thrown in professional leagues can hit speeds of about 80mph… not something you want to get hit with at all, much less in the face. Usually, the team plays strategically. “If we can take out half their game in just catches,” said LaValley, “we can really modify their game.” But no one can deny the feeling of hearing a ball make contact with an opposing player’s face. “Everyone cheers,” LaValley laughed, “It just amps everyone up.”

Scott LaValley schedules classes for the following semester, during study time with friend Merissa McTaggart at the Down Under Food Court. With dodgeball practices three times a week, in addition to responsibilities as the Team President and scheduling tournaments, LaValley is looking at another busy schedule next semester, but has no complaints.

In a long exposure shot, LaValley runs to the center line where he grabs his pall, winds up, and throws. Neon orange accents on his shoes leave trails. This illustration is meant to depict the stop-and-go feeling of both watching and playing dodgeball: While there are short bursts of intense action with multiple players, as each game gets closer to the end, the members on the court get fewer and farther between, and it is all about waiting for the perfect moment to fire.

LaValley packs up loose balls after practice. The club dodgeball team uses a gymnasium in Rose Hall for their tri-weekly practices. However, relying on the university for practice space can lead to difficulties, especially during winter, with snow days and bad weather sometimes leading to cancelled practices.

Scott LaValley heads home after a two hour dodgeball practice, Thursday, March 24.