Students squaring off vs. teachers in Revere High dodgeball tourney

REVERE – Many students dream about facing their teachers in a tough game of dodgeball. Tonight, some local students will realize that fantasy.Revere High School is holding its annual dodgeball tournament – an event so popular that this is the second tournament this year.?The kids get really excited about it,” said Bill O?Brien, the school?s co-director of student activities.Click for a photo gallery.O?Brien said the tournament hosts 16 teams, including two teams of teacher. The student teams are comprised of eight students, four boys and four girls. The last team standing is named the champion.Two teams will face each other in a five-minute round and whichever team has the most players standing at the end of the round moves on to the next, O?Brien said.There are two ways team members can fall in dodgeball: If a player is hit by a ball or if a player throws the ball and a player from the other team catches it, O?Brien said.The event is a fundraiser for the senior prom that is taking a place at the New England Aquarium this year. Players have to pay a $5 required fee and there is a $5 charge at the door at the event.?We make well over $1,000 in one night,” O?Brien said.Usually, the dodgeball tournament only takes place once a year but, O?Brien said, the past tournament was so popular that the senior class begged to have another one.?It makes money, so why not?” he said.O?Brien said the tournament turns into an event-filled night.Each team creates a team name, picks a theme song for introductions and some squads even dress up in costumes.?It?s a great way to help our senior class,” senior Alex Ambrosino said.?It?s a lot of fun and we get really competitive,” senior Peter Marino added. Marino will be playing on the team Red Nation.Red Nation made it to the second-to-last round previously only to be beat out by a team of sophomores. Tonight, Marino said, Red Nation is out for vengeance.?The seniors are taking it this time,” said senior Mike Ferrante, also a member of Red Nation.The students said their favorite part of the whole event is that they face their teachers.?That?s the best part. You get to throw a ball at your teacher?s head,” Marino joked.?You can get them back for all those horrible homework assignments,” Ferrante added.Players are not allowed to intentionally hit someone in the head. However, injuries do happen.?We have had teachers pulled hamstrings before,” O?Brien said.O?Brien said students from all corners of the school participate – even ones who usually shy away from school participation.?All different kind of students play, even ones you wouldn?t expect to,” he said.The event also showcases Revere?s growing diversity.?There is one team where each student is a different nationality and they were having trouble creating a name,” O?Brien said. “I was like ?Why don?t you be the United Nations?? “Sara Brown can be reached at [email protected].