Norwood Community Dodgeball Tournament Connects Youth To Adults

NORWOOD, MA - Impact Norwood is teaming up with the town's Recreation Department to co-host their second annual community dogeball tournament designed to help kids score positive relationships with community leaders.

The event will be held on Saturday, March 12 at the Norwood Civic Center at 165 Nahatan St. in Norwood Center from 5-7 p.m.

Impact Norwood is a community organization with the mission of creating a positive environment for young people that will deter them from substance abuse. By highlighting their positive contributions to the town, it helps to break down negative stereotypes about teen behavior.

Impact Norwood Director Aubrey Ciol said the event began in 2019 but had to be put on hold during the past two years due to the pandemic. More than 100 people attended.

"In 2019, Assitant Recreation Director Katie Seastedt reached out to me with this great idea to have a community dodgeball tournament," she explained. "I said, 'Heck yeah. Let's get this going."

This idea dovetailed with information from a conference she had just attended where she learned about a study called Health Outcomes from Positive Experiences, also known as H.O.P.E.

"Basically in simple terms, if you provide youth and people in your community with positive experiences and ways to positively engage socially, you can help build youth and adult relationships, and foster community connectedness," Ciol explained. "You can actually rewire a person's brain who may have experienced various forms of trauma in their life, thus reducing the chances for addiction to happen later in life or other mental health issues."

The tournament will include eight teams of up to five members from grades six through 12. At least two adults also will participate on each team, from Board of Selectmen members to town employees to business owners. There is a limit of 40 youth players.

"The reason we are doing that is to show youth in the community that these adults came out on a Saturday night to play with you to show you that they care about you," Ciol stressed. "They care about your health and your well-being. And if you ever need anything from any of these adults, they will be there for you."

She added that it was a way to show young people "that there are trusting and caring adults from Norwood who want our kids to be the healthiest they can be."

Players on the winning team will each receive a $50 gift card to one of the following businesses: Target, Dunkin Donuts, Showcase Cinema or SPoT!

Ciol is actively seeking adults to participate as well to cheer for all those involved. Click here to email her for more information on how to participate as a resident or employee in Norwood. The Impact Norwood website includes a link for youth to register.

A big proponent of the event was Selectman David Hajjar, who died suddenly last October. He was the adult leader of the runner-up dodgeball team and one of the key people who worked to create Impact Norwood.

"He really supported this and got down to it," Ciol said. "He really had a great time. I think it will be great to do it in his memory this year."

She added that the Recreation Department "plays a huge role" in putting the event together.

The event is also part of the Norwood 150 yearlong celebration in honor of the town's anniversary of incorporation.

"Norwood 150 graciously put this on their calendar of events," Ciol said. "It's just another way to celebrate Norwood. And they made a wonderful donation to sponsor the purchase of the gift cards."