Sports
Rookies & vets: Stonewall Dodgeball
Players value fun, camaraderie over winning
John Elias, left, and Sean Holihan, a rookie and vet respectively of Stonewall Dodgeball. (Holihan photo courtesy the subject; Elias photo by Denis Largeron)
In this week’s installment of the Washington Blade series spotlighting the rookies and veterans who make up the LGBT sports teams in D.C., we check in with two LGBT players from Stonewall Dodgeball.
Stonewall Dodgeball burst onto the LGBT sports scene in 2014 and quickly outgrew its venue. Now operating out of the Washington D.C. Jewish Community Center, players are wrapping up their fall season with playoffs to begin next week.
The league rotates seasons between a draft system where the players may not know each other, and a season where the teams are formed by the players.
John Elias signed up for his first season in April of 2016, a draft season. He only knew one person on his team and half of his teammates were also new to the league.
“The draft makes the league more accessible to new people,” Elias says. “This was completely outside my zone and I have been surprised by how much I am enjoying it.”
Elias was born in California and grew up in Plainville, Conn., and other than running junior varsity cross country, did not play sports. While earning his degrees at Yale and Stanford Law School, he played ultimate Frisbee recreationally.
He moved to D.C. in 2006 and is working as a lawyer for the federal government. After giving Stonewall Bocce a try, he decided he wanted to play a new sport.
“I thought dodgeball would be fun, energetic and athletic,” Elias says. “I only consider myself to have moderate athletic ability, so I wanted something that would be a good time without having to take it too seriously.”
Elias says he was a little lost at first in terms of the team dynamics, but Stonewall Dodgeball offers open gyms on the weekends to work on skills and he has found a lot of direction from the veterans, especially his team captains.
“The veterans have been great for giving tips on timing and positioning,” Elias says. “My captains have been good about directing traffic, pacing and instructions on playing our own game. They even send out strategy emails.”
The social aspect has also been a plus for Elias and he has met an entirely new group of people.
“We recently had a social outing to laser tag in Virginia,” Elias says. “I am having a blast, all while getting a real workout.”
Sean Holihan is in his sixth season with Stonewall Dodgeball with three seasons as a team captain. He has also played multiple seasons with Chesapeake and Potomac Softball, the D.C. Gay Flag Football League and Stonewall Kickball.
Originally from New York, Holihan grew up in Virginia Beach and played football for one season, but ultimately turned his attentions to theater and debate after wrecking his ankle. He moved to D.C. in 2009 to follow his partner and be closer to the political scene. He is working in political consulting and is now married to his partner. He found his way back to sports shortly before moving here when he joined a gay softball league in Hampton Roads, Va.
“I get a great deal of enjoyment from playing sports and meeting new people. It is a great use of a day,” Holihan says. “I am a simple guy and I love any sport with a ball.”
Becoming a captain in the league was a natural progression for Holihan because he enjoys teaching people how to play the game and better themselves.
“I also like board games and the parallels are there with sports,” Holihan says. “There are different pieces on the dodgeball court; scramblers, throwers, blockers, catchers and snipers. I like putting the pieces together.”
Holihan says having rookie players helps keep the league in check because they come in looking to have fun with less focus on winning.
“The league doesn’t want anyone to be overly aggressive,” he says. “The overall tone is inclusiveness and that everyone is involved in every aspect of the game.”
He shares a story about one game where he lost his head because he thought the opposing team was playing unfairly. It was the thought of the example he was setting in front of the rookies that helped him pull it back in.
“I wouldn’t want any rookie player to think that winning is the only thing this league is about,” Holihan says. “Winning is great, but having fun and meeting new friends is much better.”
More than a dozen LGBTQ athletes won medals at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics that ended on Sunday.
Cayla Barnes, Hilary Knight, and Alex Carpenter are LGBTQ members of the U.S. women’s hockey team that won a gold medal after they defeated Canada in overtime. Knight the day before the Feb. 19 match proposed to her girlfriend, Brittany Bowe, an Olympic speed skater.
French ice dancer Guillaume Cizeron, who is gay, and his partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry won gold. American alpine skier Breezy Johnson, who is bisexual, won gold in the women’s downhill. Amber Glenn, who identifies as bisexual and pansexual, was part of the American figure skating team that won gold in the team event.
Swiss freestyle skier Mathilde Gremaud, who is in a relationship with Vali Höll, an Austrian mountain biker, won gold in women’s freeski slopestyle.
Bruce Mouat, who is the captain of the British curling team that won a silver medal, is gay. Six members of the Canadian women’s hockey team — Emily Clark, Erin Ambrose, Emerance Maschmeyer, Brianne Jenner, Laura Stacey, and Marie-Philip Poulin — that won silver are LGBTQ.
Swedish freestyle skier Sandra Naeslund, who is a lesbian, won a bronze medal in ski cross.
Belgian speed skater Tineke den Dulk, who is bisexual, was part of her country’s mixed 2000-meter relay that won bronze. Canadian ice dancer Paul Poirier, who is gay, and his partner, Piper Gilles, won bronze.
Laura Zimmermann, who is queer, is a member of the Swiss women’s hockey team that won bronze when they defeated Sweden.
Outsports.com notes all of the LGBTQ Olympians who competed at the games and who medaled.
Sports
US wins Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey
Team captain Hilary Knight proposed to girlfriend on Wednesday
The U.S. women’s hockey team on Thursday won a gold medal at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Team USA defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime. The game took place a day after Team USA captain Hilary Knight proposed to her girlfriend, Brittany Bowe, an Olympic speed skater.
Cayla Barnes and Alex Carpenter — Knight’s teammates — are also LGBTQ. They are among the more than 40 openly LGBTQ athletes who are competing in the games.
The Olympics will end on Sunday.
Sports
Attitude! French ice dancers nail ‘Vogue’ routine
Cizeron and Fournier Beaudry strike a pose in memorable Olympics performance
Madonna’s presence is being felt at the Olympic Games in Italy.
Guillaume Cizeron and his rhythm ice dancing partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry of France performed a flawless skate to Madonna’s “Vogue” and “Rescue Me” on Monday.
The duo scored an impressive 90.18 for their effort, the best score of the night.
“We’ve been working hard the whole season to get over 90, so it was nice to see the score on the screen,” Fournier Beaudry told Olympics.com. “But first of all, just coming out off the ice, we were very happy about what we delivered and the pleasure we had out there. With the energy of the crowd, it was really amazing.”
Watch the routine on YouTube here.
PHOTOS: Queen of Hearts
New book profiles LGBTQ Ukrainians, documents war experiences
More than a dozen LGBTQ athletes medal at Olympics
Rob Jetten becomes first gay Dutch prime minister
US Embassy in Mexico issues shelter in place order for Puerto Vallarta
Judge rescinds order against activist in Capital Pride lawsuit
Trans activists arrested outside HHS headquarters in D.C.
How do we honor Renee Good, Alex Pretti?
Calendar: February 20-26
