GDT! Ambassador Spotlight – Katie Howard
Earlier this week, we sat down with one of our GDT! Ambassadors, Katie Howard, to get an insight into her role as a GDT! Ambassador for British Dodgeball; from the GDT! Taster Sessions she has run to why she loves being an Ambassador for the sport. Read Katie’s Ambassador Spotlight below. Follow our dedicated @girlsdodgetoo page on Instagram!
Why did you become a GDT! Ambassador?
“I wanted to be involved in this project because I want to help provide the opportunity for girls and women to join in and experience the fun and enjoyment of dodgeball.”
What has been your favourite thing about being an Ambassador?
“Having the resources to run sessions for girls and women that would otherwise not have the chance to learn and play dodgeball, and sharing my love for the sport through coaching points and fun games.”
Why do you play dodgeball?
“I play dodgeball because it’s a really fun way of getting exercise, socialising with friends, meeting new people and developing skills through hard work. My favourite thing is no matter the level of the match I play, I still stand on court laughing and having the best time.”
How have your sessions gone so far & what do they involve?
“So far I’ve run two sessions in Manchester – one with Manchester University dodgeball at the start of their academic year, with the help of Emily Walker (one of the Manchester Bees women’s coaches) we ran games and matches for about 35 women. Many of the women had turned up not knowing much about the sport and just wanting to try something, so we started with the basics and worked our way up, giving bits of feedback as we went. My second session was with a Brownie and Guides group – the Brownies got highly competitive, and their leaders joined in with a game of Brownies vs adults.”
Why should girls get involved in dodgeball & what would you say to anyone who is nervous to try it?
“It’s a sport that you can play with any level of sporting ability – the main skills are dodging, throwing and catching, which means you can be included no matter what. There’s a lot of fast moving balls in dodgeball, but jump into one session and you’ll see what all the fuss is about!”
Why do you think the GDT! project is so important?
“It provides ambassadors with the resources to go to groups of girls and women and provide them with a structured introduction to dodgeball as a sport, where we can share our experiences. By creating sessions at their location, this removes several barriers to trying new things.”
Do you have any final comments?
“If anyone reading this knows of a school, uni, youth group or adult women’s group who would fancy trying dodgeball out, please let us ambassadors know! We’d love to spread out as far as possible to create dodgeball experiences for a range of girls and women.
Enjoy!”
We would like to say a massive thank you to Katie for taking the time to talk to us and giving us an insight into her experience as an Ambassador for the #GirlsDodgeToo initiative. Good luck with your upcoming sessions and we look forward to seeing you at the end of the season GDT! Day.
Dodgeball is growing at such a fast pace, with 1 of our 4 Areas of Focus being #GirlsDodgeToo!. It is with the help of volunteers & Ambassadors, like Katie, that we are being able to grow the sport in such a positive and inclusive way! If you would like to learn more about our GDT! project or how you can get more involved, then click here.
If you know of someone who deserves a spotlight, then email alex.media@britishdodgeball.com