A note from our Director of Company Life:

“You know company culture is rich when employees plan and organize events—we’re so grateful for Tammi Gott, the mastermind behind this trampoline dodgeball event at Altitude Trampoline Park in Billerica! Company outings are fun—the bottom line is to get out of the office simply to have a good time together. As Hector Gomez said — ‘You get to see people in a totally different context.’ A game with a referee brings out the competitor in each of us, so a few shots to the head were to be expected. We emerged only a little worse for wear.” – Lila Tocci

Testimonials from some of the dodgeball competitors:

“It was an awesome experience and something that my friends want to do now. However, I popped my hip out! Not that it’s unusual for that to happen.” – Melissa Engler

“It was definitely a lot of fun outside of my normal experiences! It was most difficult walking around the next day!” – Kara Greenwald

“This was a fun event. It was interesting seeing everyone’s competitive nature. Brian Bouchard was intense out there (glad he was on my team)! Two hours may have been too long, one hour would have probably been fine.” – Peter Tremblay

A play-by-play from VJ Tocci:

Congratulations Tammi! The event was a home run. Thank you for organizing it. Although my thighs were aching all weekend. I joked with my brother, John Tocci, that our 92-year-old father was walking better and faster around the house than I was when I visited him on Sunday.

Maria Pelaggi and Dan Arenz were getting 12ft in the air off the trampoline and that was BEFORE Peter Tremblay hit them with his cannon throws.

John Tocci and Tammi mastered the art of staying out of the frontline mayhem during the early stages of matches and were consistently amongst the last remaining competitors when the match was on the line. A shrewd strategy indeed.

Caleb Fenske was like Gumby (or Neo from the Matrix) bending out of the way of four balls thrown at him in rapid fire. Beware of the teammate that crosses your sight line during a match. I may never be able to pull off that screen against you again.

Bryan Mah was like Jackie Chan climbing up the walls and laying perfectly flat in a rapid-fire sequence to avoid balls thrown at him and then leaping to his feet to catch one that I fired at him.

Greg Cerino disappeared and tipped the scales against us when we lost the anchor on our old folk’s team. We recovered though.

Joe Flaherty and Jared Nicklas were consistently the last competitors hitting saps like me from outrageous distances. Joe Flaherty was the master of the “diagonal shot” completely across the court and Jared threw balls that threatened to break the sound barrier.

Joe Ferolito, who could’ve known?! Before early retirement (aka Gale Sayers, Bobby Orr, and Sandy Koufax) the most dominant force on the court.

Brian Bouchard had an awesome performance, dancing around the trampolines and, as always, cheering or heckling with his resonating voice. He consistently tried to rework the rules of the game (typically in his favor, naturally). Some things don’t change whether you’re in the office or not.

Hector Gomez went from “heck-if-I’m-letting-any-of-those-guys-hit-me” to an absolute terror across the court. Nice work.

Melissa Engler was probably one the only few out there who wasn’t winded didn’t sweat and wasn’t sore afterward, yet, was as active as any of us. I got to start working out with you. Great performance.

Maria Schneider brought her boyfriend to personally menace me the whole time. It was like he was devoted to my personal destruction. Of course, he succeeded far more than he failed.

Joanne Castner, sweet Joanne… yeah right – now we see the side of you that wants to inflict pain and punishment. Well done, Lass.

Kara Greenwald was darting along the top of trampolines barely making them under her feet as a rain of dodgeballs fell all around and grinning the entire time.