Photos by Will Cornelius – Last Saturday, the Berthoud Recreation Center hosted its first-ever Pajama Dodgeball tournament.

The new year is always a time of renewal and trying new things. Many people make new year’s resolutions or changes in their life. This year, the Berthoud Recreation Center also decided to try something new.

Decked out in flannel pajamas, a handful of adults waited restlessly last Saturday morning at the recreation center. The Center was hosting its first-ever Pajama Dodgeball tournament. Four teams were in attendance for the double-elimination tournament.

After a brief overview of the rules by Conor Howard, the recreation coordinator, the matches began. Teams were required to have three males and three females for each match. Teams played a best-of-five series to determine the winner.

While skills varied between and within teams, the fun of pajama-clad adults running and throwing foam balls at one another was lost on no one. Laughs were in abundance as players jumped and dived to avoid being hit by the excess of balls flying around.

Eventually, each match would whittle down to a few players on each side. That’s when the competitive juices started flowing in the players. Throughout the morning some players surprised themselves with their newfound dodgeball talents while others were happy just to be playing.

Howard said that the recreation center had held dodgeball tournaments in the past. But never one that was specifically for adults, let alone with a pajama dress code! He said he hopes they can hold another pajama dodgeball tournament in the future with more teams. Due to a registration deadline, some teams that wanted to compete weren’t able to.

Hosting pajama dodgeball tournaments is just one of the many events offered through the Berthoud Recreation Center. More information can be found on the center’s website. Registration for Spring 2023 programs and activities opens on Feb. 1.