If there ever was credit to be given for kickstarting our growth within the dodgeball community, it would solely have to be down to one person. Lisa first messaged the AKU inbox looking for kit partners for St Albans Samurai's and after eductating us that dodgeball is nothing like the self titled movie "Dodgeball",  helped immerse the brand into the world of competitive dodge. Today we kit out a number of teams across Australia in both elite and competitive dodgeball leagues. I'll never personally understand it, but she is also the brainchild of one of our highest selling social kits "The ALPACAS", resulting in Alpacas kits being worn outside of its origin's in Hawthorn to all across Europe and the States.

...Ruz

 

LL: "I started officially playing competitive dodgeball last year when my friend Jens asked me to join his state level club called St Albans Samurais. My determination to not let my team down - because let’s be honest I was absolutely hopeless when I started - was what drove me to spend countless hours training to hone my skills.

Since then I’ve been fortunate enough to partake in national level dodgeball competitions alongside Rowville Reapers DC and I am currently part of, and training with the 2020 Australian Women’s Foam Team.

The definition of ‘community’ on a surface level – is a group of people having shared interests, but to me it means so much more. The Australian Women’s Team for instance, currently consists of some of the best talent in Australia, and whilst this might naturally create competition and tension in other groups given the personalities that come with it, I’ve found everyone in the team to be genuinely supportive of each other. When we train every week, the mindset isn’t about ‘how do you get better than the girl on either side of you,’ but rather ‘what can you do to help each other be kick ass players’. This is evident when we run disgusting never ending laps/ sprints every week (no matter what we always finish together).

If there is one take out from this for me, then it’s that whilst there are pockets of communities everywhere, the best ones are the ones that have everyone within it taking the time to ensure everyone else belongs, so that in that process they find belonging themselves.

I see it in the Australian Women’s Team, I see it in my beloved Alpacas and Stack City social teams, and I see it in the AKU-mmunity."