Dodgeball Tournament Set for Year Four
February 26, 2018
The Project Water Dodgeball Tournament is back and bigger than ever. In 2015, the North Allegheny Project Water (NAPW) event made its debut with thirty teams of five players at NAI. On March 28, 2018, 1,000 players will be participating between NAI and NASH in the fourth annual spring tournament, a 50% increase from last year.
“I’m very excited about the growth we have seen this year. We saw amazing numbers and hope to keep seeing growth year after year,” Co-Director Jack Kenna said.
As the the popularity of the tournament has grown, so has the NAPW staff membership. The organization was started by Joshua Thomas, who is now a freshman at Wheaton college, and three other members. Now, NAPW has nearly 100 members across the Players’ Union and Leadership Team. According to Thomas, “Leading NAPW has been an incredible experience. Through every step of our team’s journey, the support we continue to receive from the NA community is humbling.”
The Players’ Union exists to ensure that the ideas and preferences of the student body are voiced and considered when planning the tournament. The Leadership Team is in charge of the logistics, which, in the words of co-director Nikhil Behari, “is no easy feat.” In addition to player registration, gym reservations, and scheduling, the leadership team also handles the mission of NAPW. The Dodgeball Tournament’s primary purpose is to serve as a charity.
“Every year, I’m amazed at the positive impact that students at NA can have on families and lives around the world,” Behari said. “Because of the massive support we’ve received, as well as the help and participation from the students and faculty at NA, families in Kyenjojo, Uganda were able to have a house and clean water for Christmas.”
NAPW has donated to Charity: Water, World Vision, World Vision Africa WASH program, and Heart for Uganda. So far, NAPW has built a school, septic tanks for a medical center and dormitory, multiple community wells, and a four-bedroom cemented house for a family in need.
The goals of Project Water are to aid others around the world and shift students’ perspective beyond the Wexford bubble.
The sponsor teachers at NAI and NASH, Mr. Paylo and Mrs. Prosser, are key to pulling off the event. NAPW thanks both them and all participating students for their time and service.
“I can’t thank the leadership team enough for the time and effort they have put into making sure our tournament grows and improves year after year,” Behari said. “My contribution to organizing this event is minuscule in comparison to the hours of marketing, planning, and developing that each team member contributes daily, and without this help and support, we wouldn’t have been able to grow NA Project Water to the magnitude that it has reached.”
NAPW expressed confidence that this year’s tournament will not disappoint. Kenna and Behari said that participants should expect surprises, thought-provoking experiences, intense games, and a quite coveted 2018 first place trophy.
