The Dodgeball Club at Stevenson University has been established for three years, originally founded in December of 2013.

Despite being relatively new, the club’s popularity has been shown in its rapid growth and demand for playing time.

Kristofer DeJesus, currently the club event manager, started the Dodgeball Club when he was a freshman and has been playing the game all his life.

“There was a group back at home in Delaware that played every week, and joining it was one of my best choices in high school, so I decided that I wanted to bring dodgeball with me to college so that others could enjoy the game,” said DeJesus.

Growth of the club has been rapid. In the first year, there were nine people on the team, which grew to 16 members in the second year. Currently, there are 26 members.

The Dodgeball Club joined the National Collegiate Dodgeball Association (NCDA) in November of 2014. The team competes against other universities in Maryland, including the University of Maryland at their Invitational Dodgeball tournament. Since then, they have also played at Towson University.

They are officially the seventh-ranked team on the East Coast. Though competition is a priority, the club has been a way for Stevenson students to come together, socialize and stay in shape.

The club members practice frequently in the Stevenson gym, at skill sessions and team workouts. They are also involved in other activities as well, including Haunted Hallways, FanFare, Movie Night and trips to SkyZone.

“Dodgeball is a game that helps me forget about the stresses of life every time I play it, and I have fun learning new things about the game,” said DeJesus.

The club’s upcoming tournaments will be played Oct. 29 against the University of Maryland and Nov. 5 against Towson. Both teams are Stevenson’s Dodgeball Club rivals.