BILLINGS — Niklas Danchenko essentially stumbled into becoming one of the world’s elite.
The Baltimore, Md., native was playing some rec league dodgeball in Toronto when a chance encounter springboarded his career.
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“I met a couple legends of the game — Jeff Snow and the other guy who runs it, Marc Cizravi — and they showed me that dodgeball was a real competitive thing. There's a competitive level and even a professional level," Danchenko said. "I signed up for that local league, told my friend that I'll see how far it takes me, and now I'm on Team USA."
The 20-year-old Danchenko, who currently plays for a cloth dodgeball team, the Boston Anarchy, is certainly on the younger side of competitors at the professional level. But he’s seen a distinct connection between dodgeball and other sports that kids grow up playing.
“A lot of the guys have a baseball or softball background," Danchenko said. "The throwing mechanics that go into baseball translate very well into dodgeball.
"You have to be very agile. You need to be able to get small. If you have a ball you have to be able to track a ball well. Catching is obviously a big thing, too. You need to be able to track a ball and close on it. It's a really, really fast-paced game, especially at the highest levels."
When Danchenko isn’t causing havoc on the dodgeball courts, he actually tours in an old-time country-western band, while also playing guitar for a rock/hip-hop band out of Toronto. But it's his dodgeball tour that takes him all over the world.
“Off to London to play with Boston Anarchy in the Dodge Central Open. I was in France at the beginning of the year with Anarchy. We were in Vienna. We went to Mexico City for the Champions Tour, which was the best eight cloth teams on the planet," Danchenko said.
"It's taken me all over the world. I'm going to Bangkok later in December for the World Championships. I'm really grateful I've had the opportunity to travel the world throwing balls at people."
Truly one of the most interesting young men you’ll ever see.
