I am Amanda Sayers and my hometown is Los Angeles, CA. I work as a toy designer for one of the world’s leading manufacturers of play materials. Dodgeball for me is more than just a sport, it’s a family. I joined my first dodgeball league during my senior year of college as I was writing my Senior Anthropology thesis on recreational dodgeball in West Hollywood. I initially thought it would be something I played for a year until I finished my paper and that would be the end of it…but I was very wrong.
At first I was terrified of getting hit and couldn’t throw a ball to save my life, but I was instantly hooked. All the players in the league were beyond welcoming and knew exactly how to balance competition and fun. For that I will always consider that league as my home. Almost six years later and too many broken bones, sprains and bruises to count I have now played dodgeball all over the world. I ran my own charity tournament, started a league internationally in Denmark where I am currently living, built a local and international network of some of the most amazing people I know, and truly found a sport that I will constantly push myself to strive in.
I always played sports growing up. I honestly think I pretty much tried every sport at least once. While dancing was my main passion, I also played volleyball and soccer. I was okay at the sports I played, but I never felt like I really had a sport I truly excelled at until I stumbled upon dodgeball. My strong suit is catching. However, I have worked super hard over the years to hone my skills and knowledge beyond just being a catcher. In order to push myself I trained with top level players. I always sought out my fellow players for tips and teachings. I played in every tournament I could find and at times would even play five times a week.
Some of us joke that dodgeball is an addiction, but luckily it is one that has only yielded positivity. With dodgeball you gain a great workout, great friends, a sense of accomplishment, and too much fun and joy! I am truly excited to represent my country in this upcoming tournament, and can’t wait to implement all the skills I have picked up along the way! Let’s go USA 🙂