Dodgeball Extravaganza

Company morale seemed to be at an all-time low based on what I was hearing from my co-workers. I decided a dodgeball tournament seemed like a great solution, but there were a few small problems: we had no court, no money, I had never run an athletic event, and I did not know the first thing about official dodgeball. 

The COO saw my post on our intranet trying to gauge interest and called me to offer his support. He connected me with facilities, risk management, and the event coordinator for our company park. I persuaded my officemate to make posters advertising the event. My friends at lunch suggested a double elimination tournament since one match only lasts three minutes. I assembled a team of seven to assist me and secured the help of an official high school football and golf referee. 

The first day of the Dodgeball Extravaganza consisted of 18 teams totaling 130 participants that met at the park during lunchtime. The first day went off without a hitch and included a lot of smiles, laughs, pictures, and a GoPro camera. On day two there were upper level managers, administrative assistants, and fans encircling the field. They brought whiteboard signs, a cowbell, and a vuvuzela. It was stiff competition that day, but Team ACE...Bandage consisting of first and second line managers won. 

The winning team received champion t-shirts (thanks to some generous donations) and both first and second place teams received certificates to proudly display in their offices or cubicles. I sent out a survey and 78% of participants responded.  Ninety-nine percent of them had fun and 98% said they would absolutely play again. People loved it so much they requested to play twice a year. Several people wrote on the survey that it was the most well-run first time event they had ever been to and it was just what they needed to help pick up their spirits.

It turned out Lexmarker's all over the world posted on our intranet applauding our efforts. I could not go two weeks without someone mentioning dodgeball or asking me about it. Most of the time they wanted to know when we were playing again. My officemate's poster campaign was so successful some say it is the best ever made for an event at Lexmark.

I learned a lot from organizing the Dodgeball Extravaganza and there are a few improvements that will be implemented next time. But most of all, I was just excited to see my coworkers smile, laugh, and have some fun together again. 

May 2014 Update: The event was revived and was just as successful as the first time. This time though, we added an oversized trophy for the winning team and food trucks everyday at the event. I handed off ownership of the Dodgeball Extravaganza before I left Lexmark and I hope the annual tradition will live on.