I’m Ed Prentiss from the small town of Ellington, Connecticut and I have been playing dodgeball since before some of my US teammates were born. In grade school (and today) I was smaller than the other kids but always felt there wasn’t a ball I couldn’t dodge or catch. Back then, my arm could hold it’s own too. Nowadays my shoulder says otherwise.
It’s been over a decade since I founded the National Dodgeball League in 2003. Since then, I’ve organized and participated in hundreds of charity events and 12 World Championships. I won the first Last Dogeballer Standing competition (single elimination at the time), was a member of the NDL Champions, The San Diego Crossfire and have served as a captain on the USA team since its inception. I have played against some of the best players and teams to take the court, including current top teams: New York Empire, Team Awesome, Doom, Rise and Beaver Damnation. Not to mention, great teams that came before them like: Triple A, Mix Plate Crew, The Destroyers, Demolition and Team Alaska.
A lot of folks don’t take our sport seriously. Those folks also have never stood twenty feet away from cannons like Kevin Pack, Tommy Viviano, Brett Granfors, or Justin Payan. I’ve had the honor of sharing the court not only with these great players, but many of their predecessors: Bryan Lowe, Chase Feindel, Sebastian Sciotti and Brian Jenkins, just to name a few. I’ve also witnessed the explosive growth of women’s dodgeball from regional hotbeds in California, Arizona and Oregon to a national movement, highlighted by the careers of greats like Ashley Tyree, Jacqueline Thomas, Micki Meng and Kelly Salamone.
The biggest part of this crazy journey is the support I’ve received from my family. My wife and kids have been there for the ups and downs and I can’t thank them enough for the long roads trips and their help taking team photos, registering teams, managing brackets, and taping fingers. Their support has been inspiring and unwavering.
On the court, I‘m typically very aggressive. However, I’ve dialed it back over the years. My role in the World Cup will be to manage the court, keep an eye out for my fellow teammates, and dodge or catch whatever comes my way.
In what could mark my final event at this level, I am honored to be part of the first-ever Dodgeball World Cup and, more importantly, to represent the United States of America. I look forward a great tournament that no doubt will be seen as a defining moment for the sport of dodgeball.