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March 24, 2016Empire State Sports Council Holds Statewide Dodgeball Tournament
Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, D-Rotterdam, will join officials from the Empire State Sports Council and a number of Capital Region mascots Wednesday to announce a dodgeball competition that’s coming to Schenectady as part of a first-of-its-kind statewide corporate challenge.
Schenectady will kick off the series of games taking place across the state with a dodgeball tournament this spring; the events are open to corporate employees and their families.
As part of the announcement, area mascots including The Daily Gazette’s Newsie, the Smile Monster, Royal the Duck from Schenectady County Community College and more will compete in an exhibition match to demonstrate the sport of dodgeball.
The press event is set for 3 p.m. Wednesday on the indoor turf at the Schenectady Armory, located at 125 Washington Ave., where the dodgeball tournament will also take place Saturday, April 16. Depending on the number of teams that sign up by the registration deadline of April 1, the event could be a one- or two-day competition, with the possibility of games starting on Friday, April 15.
“The Empire State Corporate Challenge is the first event of its kind in New York State, and I’m proud to announce that it’s starting right here in Schenectady with a game everyone has heard about and even played, or seen on T.V. or at the movies,” said Assemblyman Santabarbara, who is serving as chairman of the dodgeball event. “After the success of last year’s amateur mixed martial arts event at the Armory, the first-ever in Schenectady, I’m thrilled to help bring another first to our downtown area. And just as the MMA event brought hundreds of patrons to our beautiful downtown restaurants and shops, I expect there will be another economic boost for our local businesses when dodgeball comes to town.”
He added, “It’s also another opportunity to showcase all we have to offer to regional visitors, who will come for dodgeball and return for the great city of Schenectady.”
Anthony Mills, executive director of the nonprofit Empire State Sports Council in Clifton Park, will be on hand for Wednesday’s announcement. He said the statewide corporate challenge is unique because it offers several different events and is open to the entire family.
“The Empire State Corporate Challenge is not a typical event bearing the name ‘corporate challenge’ as it includes seven different contested events, and is open to corporate employees, their spouses, their children, and even their grandchildren,” Mills said. “Our goal is to blend the family with their corporate employers in an effort to create and encourage increased camaraderie among those that make up an effective and efficient business. We want to make health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness a complete community affair.”
Ray Legere, co-owner of the Armory, will also be in attendance Wednesday and says the dodgeball tournament is a great use for the venue, which has about 30,000 square feet of floor space and seats up to 2,000.
“The Empire State Corporate Challenge is not your average sporting event, but then again, the Armory is not your average sporting venue. When I purchased and renovated the Armory, I had hoped it could be used to host large scale events the entire community could enjoy, and dodgeball certainly fits the bill,” said Legere, who is the co-owner of Legere Restoration. “I’m excited to see athletes of all ages and skill sets from across the Capital Region come together for this unique tournament, and I’m thrilled to bring such camaraderie to the Armory and downtown Schenectady. I am especially eager to see what creative uniforms our teams come up with when dodgeball comes to the Electric City, and I may even have to put on some short shorts and high knee socks to add to the fun.”
Assemblyman Santabarbara added, “Now is the time to get excited about dodgeball. You can register your team through April 1 by calling event coordinator Lisa Mills at 518.406.5478, or online.”
