West Broward DECA rejuvenates its school-acclaimed dodgeball tournament

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by Max Baumgartner & Naylie Hernandez

UP AND OVER: Junior David Franco makes the very first throw of DECA’s 2021 Dodgeball event. His team was among the first two to play. This event was DECA’s first dodgeball tournament since 2018. Photo by Max Baumgartner

After three years, West Broward’s Distributive Education CLubs of America (DECA) brought back its school-renowned dodgeball tournament, DECA Dodgeball. This year’s iteration of the game included winter-themed team names, all groups coming up with their own festive uniforms to match. With a total of 24 teams participating, each with 5 students and a teacher or staff sponsor, this was the club’s most successful year of the typically-annual event.

DECA is a career and technical student organization with chapters available in over 3,375 high schools and 275 colleges, internationally. The organization is committed to fostering entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges across the globe. Like most clubs, fundraising is essential to the operation of DECA, making events like DECA Dodgeball a vital component to its function, especially for the competition season.

“Fundraising from events like DECA Dodgeball really helps us out, so we like to give back to the students,” said DECA board member, senior Nicole Ruiz. “While the events themselves are already fun for everyone, we offer service hours to top it all off.”

Participants of the tournament were eligible to earn up to 50 volunteer hours, the acquisition of 40 being one of the many high school graduation requirements. Attendance of meetings and participation in the event itself contribute to how many hours a student gets.

“The thing that gets the students’ attention the most about our fundraisers is definitely the hours, but the events themselves get people talking about DECA which truly puts us out there,”

While all students receive service hours from playing in the tournament, only one team can be the winner: Team “Ice Ice Baby” took home the victory for the 2021 DECA Dodgeball event, winning mini trophies, a giant box of Sour Patch candies, and bragging rights.

“The turnout of DECA Dodgeball makes me excited for our future fundraising events,” Ruiz said.

Next up on West Broward DECA’s fundraising roster is the annual “DECA Fashion Show”, another notable event praised by students and staff across the school, set to take the runway after winter break.

“We may be a business club, but we know how to put on a show each and every time.”