MLQ Next Up: Youth Quadball Camp
JULY 19, 2022
When you think of the future of quadball, what comes to mind? At MLQ, we think of the next generation of players.
MLQ is excited to present MLQ Next Up: a youth day camp designed to teach and cultivate the future generation of quadball players while educating youth on the value of hardwork, sportsmanship, and how to lead a healthy, fit lifestyle. The pilot for the camp will be held in Summer 2023 in Maryland with league partner Visit Howard County.
Over the past several years, youth programming has been an existing gap in the sport’s community that we were itching to fill. We spent countless hours brainstorming how to bring quadball to a broader, younger audience.
“Youth camps and other sporting opportunities are one of the best possible ways to generate exposure to quadball but creating a youth sport product doesn’t happen overnight. It takes significant time, energy, and research,” said MLQ Commissioner Amanda Dallas.
Dallas has been toying with the idea of a quadball day camp for a few years now. When COVID brought the 2020 MLQ season to a halt, the league was granted a year to focus on the development of MLQ growth initiatives. We created a number of project teams, one of which was focused on the formation of a youth summer camp.
“Making quadball more accessible to younger audiences is something people in the community often talk about but rarely act on. We feel that if quadball and MLQ are to grow and expand, we need to fill this gap that exists in our community,” said Tate Kay, MLQ Events Project Manager and a member of the MLQ Youth team.
There is little infrastructure currently in place for youth quadball, so our first step was to determine the best way to introduce the sport to younger age groups.
“The current version of the sport is complex. Even in a broken down, youth-friendly version, you need more time than event demos or birthday parties can offer. We thought to ourselves: how much time do we feel is needed to teach youth this sport, how can we provide this instruction in an uninterrupted format? And, most importantly, how do we create a fun, low-key environment?” Dallas said.
The answer was clear: a week-long day camp format.
The MLQ Youth team felt this approach would allow participants to learn and experience the sport in a lower pressure, lower commitment environment than one would encounter in a traditional league format.
In addition to determining the means by which we present our product, we also wanted to make quadball easier to learn, safer, and more welcoming to youth of all ages and backgrounds. In April 2021, MLQ introduced the MLQ Youth Rulebook.
“The MLQ Youth Rulebook works to reduce the physicality and more precarious elements in the sport while still providing competitive and engaging gameplay that all ages can enjoy. We’re excited to see the new ruleset on display at this upcoming camp, and will hope to use it to hone and develop the rulebook for future use,” said Joshua Mansfield, MLQ Gameplay Manager and lead for the MLQ Youth Rulebook.
The week-long summer camp model will pilot in Howard County, Md. in summer 2023 as a partnership with Visit Howard County.
“Howard County has been a phenomenal MLQ Championship partner for the last two seasons. We can’t wait to work with them on this next endeavor,” Dallas said.
Howard County is already home to an extensive slate of award-winning youth summer camps and activities. As mentioned by Dallas, the county is also no stranger to quadball, having hosted both US Quadball and MLQ events. They are also the host of the 2022 MLQ Championship, taking place next month at Troy Park.
“I’m so excited to see the youth program come to life. It is the next big step in the growth of the sport, and I can’t wait to see a new generation to love the sport and grow with it!” said MLQ Youth Coordinator Lexi Bedell.
Over the next few years MLQ hopes to expand our camp offerings not just in our pilot city but across our franchise locations. If you’re interested in getting involved with MLQ’s youth programming as either a city partner, sponsor, volunteer, or staff member, you can email us at youth@mlquidditch.com.