How many 28-year-olds own a dodgeball league?
Nick Grenier of Île-des-Chênes does. He bought Dodgeball Winnipeg last year and now it’s the largest dodgeball league in Canada with approximately 900 players.
For a game which originally used rocks thrown at moving opponents 200 years ago in Africa, today’s dodgeball games are a little less injurious. Referees keep the game on track and rubber or foam balls are used instead of rocks.
All players need is a pair of running shoes and they’re in the game.
Grenier’s been playing dodgeball since 2019.
“I was heavily into baseball growing up,” he says. “After baseball was over, someone approached me and said I obviously have the skills to throw the ball. So why don’t you come and play dodgeball recreationally?”
Grenier started on a rec team for fun with some friends. He didn’t take long to get into the game and start playing competitively.
Competing at the national level was a natural segue for Grenier, an electrical journeyman who also owns Grenco Electrical, an electrical installation business he started two years ago.
Last July, Grenier’s team, New Era from Manitoba, played in the nationals against the best teams across the country and won gold.
The icing on the cake was qualifying for Team Canada and representing his country at the world dodgeball competition in Austria last year. His hope is to qualify for the team again in 2026.
In the meantime, with approximately 900 members on the roster for Dodgeball Winnipeg, Grenier hopes to encourage more people to play in this sport that accepts all levels of skill and physical fitness.
“Dodgeball is super inclusive,” he says. “It’s a very easy sport to get into.”
And if you aren’t competitive, you can play for fun, he insists. Referees are there to ensure that players know the rules. It’s also an excellent form of exercise, especially during the winter months.
A few players from Niverville drive into the city to play dodgeball. Grenier adds that if there’s enough interest, he would consider starting a division in Niverville, and possibly Steinbach, in the coming year.
The game is affordable. Registering a team, which consists of six to ten players, costs $625 a season with a guaranteed nine weeks of one-hour games. The game requires a minimum of six players on the court, but Grenier encourages teams to have enough subs to offset those who need a quick rest during the hour-long game. Individuals who don’t belong to a team may register for $75 a season.
To accommodate the growing interest in the sport, Grenier just added a new location, at the Issack Brock Community Centre in Winnipeg’s West End.
Most of all, Grenier just wants people to get active and involved.
“If more people try it out first, and gain enough interest, and start the division in Niverville, that’s a least a good step in the right direction,” he says.
