Athlete Grants

MLQ provides funding to athletes who lack the resources to pay for MLQ participation. Grants are available to qualifying athletes on a need and first-come, first-served basis as funds are available. Individual grants can be used for registration, travel, and other associated fees for MLQ events. Please check out the grant types and our FAQs below for more information on qualification and the process. Additional questions can be directed to inclusivity@mlquadball.com. MLQ franchise leadership has no influence or insight into the process.

  • Three athletes are selected—one per division—for the MAAP Grant, which covers the cost of one short sleeve jersey, a headband, and a pair of shorts and their player registration fee for one season. Selected athletes are those that embrace the entire MLQ experience—training, competition, and community involvement—and want to share it with others. Since so much time is spent preparing to compete than actually competing, it only makes sense to enjoy the entire process, and not just focus on the wins. Beyond competition, these players represent the values of MLQ—they’re innovative, respectful of others, and exhibit integrity and teamwork. They are ambassadors of the sport and active in their community.

  • The MAAP BIPOC Grant will be available to Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) who otherwise may not be able to afford to participate in the MLQ season. We understand that BIPOC experience more financial barriers to participation, and this is one way we are able to create more access. Applications will be reviewed (with names redacted) and selected by a committee composed of MLQ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Department volunteers.

    The number of grants available will be determined by off-season fundraising efforts. If awarded, and athletes’ registration fee will be covered for one season.

    If you are interested in contributing to the funding for this grant—either on a one-time or recurring basis—please fill out this form and MLQ will reach out to provide more information later this summer.

  • The MLQ TBTP Grant goes toward the participant fee for Take Back the Pitch.

    Take Back the Pitch is a showcase at MLQ Championship that challenges the current understanding of gender in quadball and opens opportunities for gender diverse athletes to play quadball out from under the scrutiny of misogyny, transmisogyny, and misdirected misogyny. Through The Gender Diversity Initiative, MLQ seeks to address the very real ramifications of sexism and transphobia for cis and trans women, non-binary folk, and trans men. Through the open-access Take Back the Pitch tournament, MLQ aims to highlight and lift up athletes that are overlooked by their teams and in the community on account of sex and gender, and give them the leadership opportunities, playing time, and diverse skill training they deserve all the time.

    Take Back the Pitch will take place on Monday, following MLQ Championship and is open to anyone who is not a cis male. All skill levels welcome.

FAQs

Additional questions can be directed to inclusivity@mlquadball.com. MLQ franchise leadership has no influence or insight into the process.

  • We will be operating under the following timeline:

    • May 12 - Applications close for MLQ MAAP and BIPOC grants

    • May 1-15 - Interviews conducted by MLQ People Operations and DEI, as needed

    • May 31- MLQ MAAP and BIPOC grant recipients contacted

    • July 1 - Applications close for MLQ TBTP Grant

    • July 5 - MLQ TBTP Grant recipients contacted

  • We are focused on athletes that lack sufficient resources to pay for MLQ participation. While there are some varying qualifications, all athletes selected will be expected to uphold the ideals of the league and serve as model athletes in all aspects of team involvement. This includes, but is not limited to, practice attendance, respectfulness to officials and teammates, general attitude, and willingness to align their actions with the betterment of the sport.

    For the MLQ BIPOC Grant, a recipient must be Black, Indigenous, or a person of color. For the MLQ TBTP Grant, a recipient must not be a cis male.

  • No! This is our only grant for which a recipient does not need to be an MLQ athlete.

  • The first step is to apply for a grant at the link above. You will fill out some basic information, and a member of the MLQ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team will evaluate your initial information and contact you to let you know if we need more information. If the initial evaluation indicates you are a potential candidate for a grant, may then schedule an interview. Post-interview, a member of the team will then contact you to let you know the outcome of the review. If a grant is awarded, our team will make arrangements for payment directly to you (the athlete).