By Ty Schadt, Sports Editor
Asbury’s intramural program is bringing more exciting events this semester, including sibling series dodgeball, which debuted earlier this week.
Similar to kickball and innertube water polo, students will pair up with members of their respective brother or sister hall to compete against other teams. However, instead of kicking up dust on an infield or rapidly paddling through a pool, players will be scrambling around a gym floor dodging foam balls.
In Asbury’s intramural version, the rules are slightly different from the class game. Teams must be comprised of at least four representatives from the brother hall and two from the sister hall. Games last 45 minutes and teams gain points by eliminating every member of an opposing team. Once a team is fully eliminated, the balls are lined back up and another round begins. Once the time period ends, the team with the most points is declared the winner.
However, there are some tricks. If a member of a team manages to throw a ball into the basketball hoop on the opposite side of the court, all of their teammates are allowed back into play, adding an interesting element to gameplay.
Sibling hall activities were an integral part of intramurals during the fall season, and it is expected that they will play a similar role this semester. According to Clark Kendall, head of the program, the university is 58 percent female and 42 percent male, “and we wanted to try to reach them [females]. Sibling hall sports have been a great way to bring them along and better serve them.”
Sophomore Ben Campbell, resident of 4th Easy hall, explained that he has grown much closer to his sister hall through the series. “It has allowed us to spend more time with them as well as have some healthy competition,” said Campbell.
According to Kendall, brother and sister halls have been gaining points based on the final standings of each event. The team with the most points after every sibling series event is over will win an all-expenses-paid brother and sister outing of their choosing.
For some, the events serve as an outlet to meet new people. “Through the sibling series, I’ve gotten to know a great group of people that I now call friends,” said freshman Sam Henderson. Henderson’s team, Zoomstead, a combination of Zoo and Homestead halls, is currently leading the pack, having won titles in both kickball and inner tube water polo.
“We’ve been really pleased with the results of the series,” said Kendall. “We’re planning a fourth installment in the series once dodgeball ends, so stay tuned.”
With the success this series has garnered in regards to tightening relationships and creating a fun environment, it appears as though students will have sibling hall sports to look forward to for semesters to come.
