What do you get when you combine crash mats, dodgeballs, vortex and a couple of gyms full of Year 9 and 10 students and a class of Year 12 PE students as leaders? Chad Factor of course (PE department version of MAYHEM)!

Over the last two Wednesday afternoons, two Chad Factor tournaments have taken place. One featured a competition among Year 10 classes and the other between Year 9 classes. Both gyms were used to accommodate four teams playing at once.

The Chad Factor tournament came about as an idea from a group within the Year 12 Physical Education class who needed to plan and then implement a physical activity event. They had to organise everything from gear management, instructions on rules and tournament format, to gathering information on student ability so that the teams were fair when creating the draw. They were then kept busy by giving instructions, encouraging students, selecting players for awards whilst maintaining control and management of the 90+ students!

Physical Education teacher Bridget Salkeld was pleased with the way her Year 12 students stepped up into a leadership role. The amount of planning the students did was evident in how successful the tournaments were. They worked together well and each carried out their individual roles effectively. On reflection there are a few things the Year 12's recognised as areas needing improvement; however were satisfied that their aims were met.

As an onlooker I loved the way the Year 9 students built a team spirit through interaction with their leaders! I witnessed chanting, stomping and a rather half-hearted Mexican wave! There was nothing half-hearted about the action however. Students running, throwing, ducking, weaving and diving on mats to secure the vortex and dodgeballs.

The game itself has the overall aim of getting all of the opposition ‘out’ by hitting them with dodgeballs below shoulder height. If you are hit you take your place on the seats at the side. You can catch a ball on the full, like normal dodgeball rules, to eliminate the player who threw the ball at you. If you get your hands on a vortex and throw it to hit the opponents' basketball backboard all your eliminated players come back on court to re-join the game.

Strategies were used to protect the student with the vortex to help them get closer to the backboard, or trying to gain territorial position to dominate space.

Best part about Chad Factor for me, was seeing smiling, red, sweaty faces of the junior students, proud faces of Year 12 students, relaxed faces of staff and a somewhat relieved face of Bridget that it all went smoothly!

Two fantastic afternoons. Thanks 12 PED for all you did to make a super event for our junior students.