Who says you have to grow up

CHARLESTON - With rubber balls whizzing by at high speeds and people leaping, ducking and diving all over the place, chaotic is a good way to describe a dodgeball game at Arena City Soccer & Sports.

The arena, the only one of its kind in the Charleston area, hosts co-ed adult dodgeball league games on Monday nights year-round. League play accommodates up to 10 teams with as many as 20 players per team, according to manager Andres Betancourt.

"It's what you do on Monday night, go peg random strangers with rubber balls," Billy Barrett said following a match Monday night. "It's great."

Barrett has been playing for the past four or five seasons on his friend Louis Rivera's team called Watch Your Nutz. The team is the defending champ, but lost a tough match Monday to Team Body Count. The summer league playoffs start next week and both teams will be in the semifinals.

"No one is too competitive," Rivera said. "It is the adult version of a third grade sport after-all."

The seasons at Arena City run eight weeks with a two week playoff round, Betancourt said. Each team is guaranteed to play at least eight games and could play as many as 10.

"As soon as the season ends we start back up with the next one," Betancourt said. "The only time we shut down is the week between Christmas and New Years."

The rules may differ a little from what most people remember from elementary school or from the movie Dodgeball. Games are played in two 24 minute halves with a 3-minute half-time. Six balls are used, each team begins each round with three of them. If a ball hits a player before hitting the ground or the wall of the arena that player is out. If a player catches a ball thrown at him or her, the opposing player who threw the ball is out. The round lasts until all the player on one team have been eliminated, which results in a point for the team with players remaining on the field. Whichever team has the most points at the end of the game wins.

During the season five games are scheduled each Monday night, and because the games use less than half of the arena four teams are playing at any given time during the night.

"Most of the people that play here do it to stay in shape," Betancourt said. "They don't go to the gym."

One of the big draws at Arena City, Betancourt said, is that because of the walls, the outdoor facility doubles as an indoor one as well. It also has a small concession area that sells beer in addition to bottled water, soda, sports drinks and candy, and soon it will have an espresso machine as well.

Registration for a season runs $350 for a dodgeball team. The season covers two-and-a-half months, including the playoffs, and teams are guaranteed at least eight games. With up to 20 players per team that works out to about $17.50 per person per season.

Dodgeball isn't the only game going on at Arena City. In fact the facility is primarily a soccer spot. Tuesdays through Thursdays the arena hosts co-ed adult arena, or speed, soccer leagues that range from mostly non-competitive co-ed recreational teams to competitive college co-ed teams to the most competitive men's league.

"Thursday is our most competitive night," Betancourt said. "It's mostly former college players and a few professional players. We have a few guys in their late 30s, early 40s who are really, really good."

The soccer teams are usually limited to 15 players and play a six-on-six game. Arena City started out as a roller hockey rink and the soccer leagues make use of the old penalty boxes, making players called for fouls sit out two minutes at a time rather than handing out yellow and red cards, Betancourt said. The teams are also allowed to substitute players on and off the field during play similar to hockey.

The cost to register soccer teams depends on the league. The recreational and college co-ed teams cost $600 per season. The men's competitive teams cost $650 per season.

The arena also has a group of four referees that officiate the games.

On Fridays the arena hosts pick-up co-ed games. And on the weekends it is available for people to rent for birthday parties and similar events. Daytime rental costs $65 and nighttime rental is $75.

Recently a group of lacrosse players have been using the facility on Sunday nights around 8 p.m. for pick-up games too.

"The idea is to keep the place as a family," Betancourt said. "We've got people who have been with us for years."

Owner Patty Nagel used to bring youth soccer teams she coached to the arena to practice and refine their ball skills.

"Every time they came here they played better," Nagel said.

Because the arena is so much smaller than a full soccer pitch the players had to learn a much greater degree of control, she said. They also have to essentially play full court soccer.

"There is no offensive players and defensive players," Betancourt said. "Its so fast that everybody plays everything."

Outside of Daniel Island where the Charleston Battery play, Arena City is the best place in the area to see competitive soccer, he added.

Nagel grew up in California and played speed soccer there as a teenager. She loved the sport and wanted to find a way to make a living doing it so she started coaching.

"My dad always used to say to me, 'Are you making any money with your soccer?'" Nagel recalled. "He died of a heart attack and I inherited some money so I bought a soccer business so I could make some money with my soccer."

Roughly 5,000 people a week use the facility Betancourt said, though it's most crowded on Mondays because the dodgeball teams are larger than the soccer teams.

Summer leagues are ending soon and sign ups for fall leagues will start shortly.