Submitted graphic Naomi Friese put together this dodgeball tournament poster, which advertises the upcoming El Roi x FCA Dodgeball Tournament that will take place on Aug. 9 at Harman Park in New Ulm.

NEW ULM — Is your team gonna cook or be cooked?

That’s the question and tagline brought forward by the organizers of the El Roi x FCA Dodgeball Tournament, which is slated to take place from 5-10 p.m. on Aug. 9 at Harman Park.

The tournament is open to incoming high school freshman through 2024 graduated seniors and was an idea that soon-to-be New Ulm High School junior Naomi Friese helped put in motion with her dad, and Eli Dahl, a member of her church. The plan was to hold a dodgeball tournament as a fun community outreach event.

“Us three, we thought about it that it would be fun to do a dodgeball tournament,” Friese said. “Kind of the goal for the dodgeball tournament was to bring awareness towards our Christian groups we have at the high school and one called El Roi … that’s our little youth group we do.”

The tournament will take place in the sand volleyball area at Harman Park, which will have the nets taken down and have proper adjustments made to lines on the court. The balls used in the tournament will be regulation-size rubber dodgeballs.

Friese said that dodgeball was an idea put together due to it being a fun, neutral game that most everyone can play.

“I’ve done it in gym class and it’s kind of just more because you don’t have to be all that athletic for it, but it also can be very competitive,” Friese said. “It’s kind of a neutral activity that a lot more people are open to playing than like flag football.”

While Friese attends NUHS and this tournament is put on by Christian groups, it is open to students of any high school. Currently, teams must have at least five members and have a minimum of two girls per team.

“We’re still adjusting [team size rules], but the maximum is seven and a minimum of two girls, just to even out the playing field,” Friese said.

To enter the tournament, the cost is $25 per team, with that money going towards the winning cash prize, which is currently set to be a minimum of $250. Games will have 15-minute time limits and subs are not allowed during a game unless there is an injury.

If more teams compete and the pot of money grows, Friese said they are considering adding second- and third-place prizes. The link to enter can be found on Instagram at nuhs_fca or el_roi.2023.

Pool play will determine seeding for the single-elimination tournament, which will also have on-site concessions available.

“I would just say go for it, even if they didn’t want to play, it would still be a great thing to watch and to encourage your friends doing it,” Friese said. “As of right now, we’re going to have concessions and we’re going to have a speaker halfway through.”

The guest speaker in the middle of the tournament will be from Waconia’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Chris Strange.

The Google Docs sign-up form can also be accessed at docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeDcBUXJUizQqfbvOctqP9cR69AqSm15UKdzjGy3rmpI1QKhA/viewform.