Photo: Susan Warner EVENT MANUAL How to Create a Dodgeball Throwdown Event SavetheChildren.org/Dodgeball
t TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION... 3 DODGEBALL THROWDOWN AND SAVE THE CHILDREN OVERVIEW... 4 PREPARING FOR YOUR EVENT...5-11 Snapshot of Dodgeball Throwdown... 5 Where to Start... 6 Court Set up Diagram... 7 Team Captains... 8 Fundraising... 9 Recognition & Awards... 10 POST EVENT... 11 Participant Thank You & Follow Up CONTACT US... 11 APPENDIX... 12 Prep Timeline...13-14 Game Day Checklist... 15 Tournament Rules... 16 Registration Form... 17 Donation Form... 18 Photo: Susan Warner
INTRODUCTION Hello! Thank you for organizing a Dodgeball Throwdown to support Save the Children. We rely on dodgeball enthusiasts and fundraising fanatics like you to help us bring Dodgeball Throwdown to neighborhoods around the country. By hosting a Dodgeball Throwdown, you provide a fun and friendly day for your community while also raising money to help children in the United States and around the world. You ll find everything you need to know about planning a Dodgeball Throwdown in this manual. It includes lots of useful information for you to consider in making your event successful. If you have any questions or need additional support, just let us know: Email: Dodgeball@SaveChildren.org Phone: (475) 999-3094 Thank you, again, for organizing a Dodgeball Throwdown. We look forward to working with you this season. Sincerely, Team Save the Children 3 Photo: Susan Warner Photo: Susan Warner
DODGEBALL THROWDOWN AND SAVE THE CHILDREN OVERVIEW ABOUT SAVE THE CHILDREN Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the U.S. and around the world, we work every day to give children: A Healthy Start in Life Opportunity to Learn Protection from Harm When crisis strikes, and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to respond and the last to leave. We ensure children s unique needs are met and their voices are heard. We deliver lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to reach. We do whatever it takes for children every day and in times of crisis transforming their lives and the future we share. Photo: Susan Warner ABOUT DODGEBALL THROWDOWN Dodgeball Throwdown is the most fun you can have while helping the world s most vulnerable children have a chance at a brighter future. The event is typically a one-day dodgeball tournament and fundraiser, hosted in cities around the country by passionate event organizers, held in gyms, trampoline parks and other community spaces. The goal of Dodgeball Throwdown is to raise money to help Save the Children do whatever it takes to save every last child in the U.S. and around the world. The vibe of the event is fun and friendly it s a competition, yes, but a fun and friendly one. And best of all, we re all there to make the world a better place. Check us out: Who We Are Where We Work What We Do Photo: Save the Children in Mali 4
SNAPSHOT SNAPSHOT OF DODGEBALL THROWDOWN Objectives Objective of the event is to raise money for Save the Children to help kids in need Objective of the game is to eliminate opposing players either by hitting an opposing player or catching a ball thrown by an opponent First team to eliminate all opposing players will be declared the winner Tournament Format You can set up your tournament in a number of ways including Round Robin, Single Elimination or Double Elimination. Please email us for recommendations at Dodgeball@SaveChildren.org based on your event and the number of teams participating Online resources such as www.printyourbrackets.com are available to easily build your tournament bracket Teams/Participants Teams must be a minimum of 6 players, maximum of 10 (up to 4 alternates) 6 players from each team allowed on the court at one time Must be 13 years or older to play Equipment 6 balls used per game 8.25 inch rubber-coated no-sting foam balls Gaffer tape or cones to mark court lines Photo: Ian Carr Referees We recommend 1-2 referees per game during the event. Make sure the referees are versed in the rules of the game before the tournament 5
WHERE TO START Photo: Austin Albert 1 CHOOSE A DATE & TIME Give yourself enough planning time. We recommend one-to-two month lead time. Consider what time of day works best for your event - week night or weekend morning? 2-3 hours of playing time, depending on the number of teams in the tournament Check online event calendars to see if there are any other confilcts happening that day; be mindful of major national holidays, faith holidays, etc. 2 3 CHOOSE A VENUE Finding a venue that works for your event and your budget is one of the most important steps in the planning process. The venue should be able to accommodate a minimum of 2 active playing games at any given time, or up to 3-4 games/courts for larger events (20+ teams). The dimensions of a dodgeball court are the same as a volleyball court (30 x 60 ) with a neutral midline. Consider gyms, schools or athletic centers. Court-dividers or curtain/ netting is recommended between the courts. If climate allows, set up your event outdoors! CONTACT US! Once you know your date, time and venue, contact us at Dodgeball@savechildren.org. We will set up a custom online event page and help you get started! 5 6 Photo: Matthew Morrison
COURT SET UP DIAGRAM Court Set-up The typical dodgeball court is about the size of a volleyball court (60 x 30 ), with a centerline and 2 sidelines Dodgeball is primarily self-refereed and played with the honor rules. If referees are available, there are 2 stationed at the end of the centerline. Referees start the game, confirm hits and catches, and count ball possession time. There are 6 balls placed on the centerline at the start of a game 60 ft. 4 ft. OUT PLAYER LINE UP X 30 ft. ATTACK LINE NEUTRAL ZONE NEUTRAL ZONE 10 ft. 10 ft. ATTACH LINE X OUT PLAYER LINE UP COURT DIMENSIONS Two 30 feet x 30 feet areas, with a 4 feet x 30 feet neutral zone located at center court separating the two sides, a start line located parallel and 10 feet from the center line, for a total court length of 60 feet from endline to endline and 30 feet from sideline to sideline. Approximately 2-3 feet should be allocated for an out of bounds area for officials to move across the sidelines. Photo: Ian Carr 7
HELPING HANDS TEAM CAPTAINS Dodgeball Throwdown is a team-based event. Your team captains are the link to your greater participant population. By communicating with and building relationships with your team captains, you can focus your efforts on this core group of participants while still reaching everyone who has registered for your tournament. Supporting Team Captains has a multiplier effect, so plan to invest time and energy assisting them. See link to Team Captain guide on your Event Page. Please share that guide with your team captains, and familiarize yourself with the information provided. Recruiting Team Captains As soon as your date and location have been confirmed, send a Save the Date email to your entire network. Ask your family, friends and committee members to do the same. Remember to ask them to form a team in your email, and ask them to reply with their commitment. Create a social media presence whether you use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or other channels. Social media is an effective way to publicize your event. Because you will recruit the majority of your attendees through personal connections, social media gives you direct access to your target audience. Be sure to tag us, too, wherever you are being social: #DodgeballThrowdown #SavetheChildren #TubeSockHero RECRUIT VOLUNTEERS Start by asking your friends, family, neighbors and colleagues to help. Also consider approaching people who have experience planning events. The dedicated individuals who serve on your committee will work closely with you in the coming months, so be sure to recruit people you trust, who have the time or resources to help and who you ll enjoy working with closely. Recruit people with a mix of skills, networks, and personalities, and make sure that everyone understands the scope of their responsibilities and the time commitment required Photo: Susan Warner 8
FUNDRAISING FUNDRAISING TOOLBOX Dodgeball Throwdown is a fundraising event for Save the Children. With your help and focus on fundraising, Dodgeball Throwdown will provide a future for children in the U.S. and around the world. Every dollar you raise through Dodgeball Throwdown will help ensure that: 1. No child dies from preventable causes 2. All children learn from a quality basic education 3. Violence against children is no longer tolerated The best way to start achieving fundraising success is to set a goal. It not only gives you a specific dollar amount to work towards, it also gives you something to talk about when asking your participants to donate and fundraise. In addition to setting a goal, ask your participants to donate or fundraise to help you achieve it! It s not enough to assume that they know this is a fundraising event you need to ask. See the Fundraising Guide on your event page or the downloadable Fundraising Toolkit at www.savethechildren.org/dodgeball for more information and helpful tips. Photo: Susan Warner Photo: Ian Carr 9
CELEBRATE! At the end of the tournament, be sure to celebrate everyone s hard work by recognizing them and inviting them on stage: The winning team The top fundraising team The top fundraising individual If time and resources allow, you can create additional fun awards, like: Best dressed team Funniest costumes Team with the best sportsmanship And so on! Also, you don t need to spend a lot of money or any money on awards. Bragging rights are usually sufficient. If you would like, you can print up certificates, buy plastic trophies, or ask a sponsor to donate a gift, gift basket or prizes for your fundraisers. Photo: Susan Warner Remember to take lots of pics, post them to social media and tag us: @DodgeballThrowdown, @SavetheChildren and #TubeSockHero. 10
POST EVENT PARTICIPANT THANK YOU AND FOLLOW UP Within one week after your event, send a thank-you email to your participants, team captains, committee members, volunteers and sponsors. Let them know how much the event raised, recap who won the awards at the end of the day in case anyone had to leave early, also ask participants to send you their feedback. Let them know that their feedback is invaluable to you, and they can be part of making next year s event even better. Within one week of event, also send all remaining donations via check or cashier s check to: Save the Children Dodgeball Throwdown PO Box 187 Fairfield, CT 06824 Donations should include your contact information, official donation forms if applicable and other documentation about the event. Photo: Susan Warner CONTACT US We appreciate everything you do to help us save every last child. If you have any questions or need additional support while you are planning your Dodgeball Throwdown, we are here to help. Email: Dodgeball@SaveChildren.org Phone: (475) 999-3094 THANK YOU! 11 Photo: Susan Warner
DIY EVENT MANUAL APPENDIX APPENDIX Prep Timeline Game Day Checklist Tournament Rules Offline Registration Form Offline Donation Form 12 Photo: Susan Warner
PREP TIMELINE Appendix While there is no specific length of time needed to plan a Dodgeball Throwdown, make sure you give yourself enough time to create an impactful and well-organized fundraising event. We have created our sample timeline with 2-3 months to plan, but you should adjust accordingly for your event. It is always better to give yourself more time than you think you need. TWO-THREE MONTHS OUT Set your event date and time Secure your venue Develop your timeline Set realistic fundraising goals Develop a list of potential attendees Send out Save the Date email announcements Meet with your venue contact to confirm what kind of support and equipment they can provide, if any Determine additional equipment, vendor, and/or volunteer needs based on meeting with venue contact Secure any necessary permits or insurance ONE MONTH OUT Recruit event day volunteers Begin sending weekly email communications to team captains Create a recognition plan for top fundraising teams Order dodgeballs. Sources for 8.25 foam dodgeballs: www.gophersport.com and www. amazon.com Finalize event day logistics and schedule Follow up with any potential team captains or players who have not yet replied TWO WEEKS OUT Print materials as needed Submit final number of attendees to venue, if applicable Send confirmation details to Team Captains THE DAY BEFORE GAME DAY Create tournament brackets Send reminder email to volunteers with event day schedule Send final confirmation details to Team Captains Review supply checklist Photo: Ian Carr 13
PREP TIMELINE continued Appendix Photo: Matthew Morrison GAME DAY Arrive early Set up registration/check-in table Meet with committee and volunteers Have fun and raise a lot of money! WITHIN 14 DAYS AFTER THE EVENT Submit all proceeds to Save the Children Write and send personal thank you notes to: committee members, volunteers, sponsors, and major donors WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER THE EVENT Host a debrief with your committee members Email Save the Children at Dodgeball@Savechildren.Org with a wrap up and photos of your event. We look forward to celebrating your success with you! 14
GAME DAY CHECKLIST Appendix Creating a checklist that includes everything you will need on hand for game day is the best way to stay organized and make sure nothing is overlooked. We have created this sample event checklist as a starting point, but you should customize it as needed. For many of these items, your venue contact will be able to tell you what is available for use at the site and what you will need to bring. List of registered teams/participants Game balls (six per game) Tournament brackets/ whiteboard Contracts/planning documents Registration forms Donation Forms Rules sheets Committee contact list Volunteer schedule Volunteer contact list Clipboards Cash box Cash to make change Pens and pencils Stapler and staples Large & Small Envelopes Tape Hand sanitizer First aid kit Awards and prizes Extension cords Duct tape Food and refreshments, as needed ipod or music source, as needed Gaffer tape or small cones to mark court Court set up diagrams Certificates of insurance (if applicable) Permits (if applicable) Venue contract Photo: Susan Warner We recommend that when you create your list, you write the name of the person responsible for bringing each item next to that item on the list. Be sure anyone whose name is on the list has a copy of it, and send out a reminder email during event week with a current version of the list. 15
SUGGESTED OFFICIAL RULES Appendix NO HITTING ABOVE SHOULDERS KEEP SMACK TALK CLEAN HOW DO YOU WIN? Objective is to eliminate opposing players by hitting an opposing player or catching a ball thrown by an opponent First team to eliminate all opposing player will be declared the winner Maximum 6 minutes per round if no team has eliminated all opposing team s players at that time, then the team that has eliminated the most players at the 6-minute mark will be declared the winner YOU ARE OUT WHEN When you step on or over a sideline or centerline A thrown live ball hits your body You throw a live ball and it is caught by an opponent You hit an opposing player in the head BALL PLAY A thrown live ball can only hit out 1 player Thrown balls that hit the ground, the wall, other balls or other objects before hitting the opponent are considered dead balls and are ineligible to hit players out You may block a thrown ball with a held ball Any player hit in the head is deemed safe The act of squeezing or pinching the ball in order to alter the thrown or blocked ball is not allowed GAME PLAY Each team is allowed one 30-second time out per game and may switch out players at that time To reduce stalling, a team may not hold all 6 balls on their side for more than 5 seconds Players may not cross center line to opposing team territory GET BACK IN THE GAME! If you are out, line up on the side of the court in the order you were sent out. If your teammate catches a ball, the player at the start of the line comes back into the game Photo: Matthew Morrison 16
OFFLINE REGISTRATION FORM Appendix PARTICIPANT INFORMATION please PRINT legibly First Name Last Name Street Address City State Zip Code Phone Email (required) Gender Birthdate T-shirt Size Fundraising Goal Join as an individual Join an existing team Team Name $ PARTICIPATION TYPE Player $ Team $ Note: All players must sign a waiver. I would like to make a donation $ PAYMENT INFORMATION Promotion code Cash (Exact payment please. No change available.) Check (made payable to Save the Children) Credit Card Name as it appears on card Card Type Total Amount Due: $ Credit Card Number Expiration Date WAIVER: In consideration of Save the Children Federation, Inc. ( SCUS ) and any lessor of the Event premises ( Lessor ), permitting me to participate in the Event and use the Event premises and facilities, I hereby, forever release SCUS, the Lessor, and their respective directors, officers, employees, volunteers, agents, assignees, licensees, contractors, volunteers, and representatives (collectively Released Parties ) from any and all actions, claims, or demands that I, and my respective assignees, heirs, executors, guardians, next of kin, spouse and legal representatives now have, or may have in the future, related to (i) my participation in the Event, (ii) the negligence or other acts, whether directly connected to these activities or not, and however caused, by any Released Party, or (iii) the condition of the premises where the Event occurs, whether or not I am then participating in the Event. I understand that this means that I agree not to sue any or all of the Released Parties in connection with the event. Consent is also hereby given to use my name, picture, portrait, likeness, writings or biographical information), audiotape; or videotape recordings and sound or silent motion pictures of me in any media, including but not limited to the internet for editorial, educational, promotional and advertising purposes, for the solicitation of contributions, and for any other purpose in furtherance of the corporate purposes and objectives of SCUS. By signing this document, I certify that I have read this document and fully understand it, and that I am not relying on any statements or representations of any Released Party. This document shall be binding upon me, my heirs, executors, administrators, assigns, and all legal guardians. There will be a $30.00 fee for all returned checks. P2P-CE-DODGEBALL-HOST AN EVENT A17021OWNO0251ZBNF Participant Signature Date Guardian Signature (if under 18) Date 17
OFFLINE DONATION FORM Appendix Thank you so much for your support! To make a donation by mail, please clearly print your information on this form and send along with a check or money order to: Save the Children Dodgeball Throwdown PO Box 187 Fairfield, CT 06824 Please make your check(s) payable to: Save the Children. Name of Dodgeball Event Team Name Participant Being Supported $ Total Contribution Amount YOUR INFORMATION Your Name Name of School or Organization Street Address City State Zip Code Country Email Phone P2P-CE-DODGEBALL-HOST AN EVENT-EVERGREEN 18 A17021OWNO0251ZBNF