The Future Is Now

Perhaps today—on the eve of the 2017 European Games in Oslo, Norway, in the midst of the Major League Quidditch and Quidditch Premier League seasons—it is difficult to remember that quidditch was started by college freshmen. It is difficult to remember how college students organized and traveled across the country to the very first tournaments. It is difficult to remember that quidditch in the United States was almost exclusively played by college students until 2013. 

On Thursday, June 29, US Quidditch (USQ) announced that college and community teams would compete in separate divisions at regional and national championships beginning in the 2017-18 season. It was an exciting surprise from USQ—probably the best news since Alex Benepe and Alicia Redford departed the organization in 2015. It shows that USQ is thinking about a wide range of important issues including safety, liability, fairness, morale and marketing. It indicates that USQ is not satisfied with the status quo and is willing to take a big leap of faith.

As many of my old readers and social media followers know of course, I have been one of the loudest advocates for a college community split. I personally did not think this day would come until next summer or beyond. I was somewhat disengaged, even disillusioned, and I definitely was not alone. I am relieved and excited that USQ acted now but I also know that this is going to be an extremely complicated process. This is the toughest challenge that we have faced yet and we need to get it right. With that in mind, I wanted to carefully consider what the future looks like for college teams and community teams in the United States. 

College: A New Beginning
All of the sudden, the 2017-18 season is very interesting again and most of that intrigue comes from the brand new college division. Although Texas State is perhaps the early favorite, there is that exhilarating feeling that the national championship in the college division is up for grabs. It is the same feeling that made the 2012-13 season and World Cup VI so special. Back then, teams like Texas, UCLA, Baylor, Bowling Green and Emerson dared to dream because anything was possible in the absence of Middlebury. The team with much more experience and all the advantages was gone. Now that the best all-star community teams are also out of the picture, college teams can once again think big and shoot for the moon. And maybe that's what convinces an athletic recruit to stick around for another tournament or an average backup to spend extra hours in the gym.

Think about it. In less than 10 months, 21 new individuals somewhere out there right now will get to call themselves national champions. There will be school newspaper articles, victory celebrations, congratulatory tweets, social media posts, shoutouts from famous alumni and local media features. There will be much greater name recognition for the team on campus and dozens of new faces at tryouts in the fall. On a smaller scale, similar things will happen for college teams that win regional championships or make dramatic runs to the Final Four or Elite Eight. As younger, inexperienced players get a taste of success on the national stage, up-and-coming programs gain momentum for the next season. 

So get excited! The 2017-18 season and beyond now offers incredible opportunities for college teams. I can't make any guarantees but I am definitely more likely to invest my time and energy in starting a team at Williams now. Even if I am not immediately successful, I will be closely following the drama from afar. With all the twists and turns, it is sure going to be fun to watch.

Community: Two Paths
There is much more to figure out about the future for community teams. The community division at nationals is fairly straightforward. It has kind of been done before with the Bat City Showcase and it is likely to produce many great games again. There are multiple strong title contenders from across the country. It will feel smaller and different but it will still be intense and rewarding. I think most community teams realize that. 

Community divisions at regionals on the other hand are by far the biggest question mark for the upcoming season. Most regions only have enough community teams for a small tournament. To make these regionals worthwhile for community teams, USQ's staff and gameplay volunteers need to start a dialogue now with players and coaches. USQ should propose unorthodox tournament formats, discuss shortening the community competition to one day and even allow community teams in the smallest regions to go elsewhere. For example, Great Lakes community teams should probably attend the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship in the suburbs of Pittsburgh or the Midwest Regional Championship in Madison, Wisconsin. 

On the other side of the table, community teams have to accept that regionals are going to be very different. Instead of a large two-day event with pool play and bracket play, most community teams are probably going to play a double round-robin. It will be more like the regular season in Major League Quidditch or qualification for the FIFA World Cup in soccer. Community teams will travel long distances to play two or three matches each against their closest rivals. It is not perfect but it is not the worst thing in the world. 

So there are two paths forward for community teams. First, community teams could stay involved with USQ, buying membership, attending regionals and working out the kinks together.  Second, community teams could abandon USQ and create their own cheaper alternative tournaments. I think the first path is thankfully much more likely and while I understand some of the motivation, I think the second path would be a terrible mistake.

Community teams need USQ and USQ needs community teams. USQ gives community teams legitimacy, certainty and structure. Are the best all-star community teams really going to rely on individuals to organize a national championship year after year? That is incredibly risky. What if no one steps forward one year? 

USQ is a professional organization that is known and respected by many other sports governing bodies and city tourism boards. When USQ lists a community team on its website or invites a community team to its national championship, that means something. It carries weight and presents more opportunities for official recognition by the media, government, business and civil society. Without a doubt in my mind, community teams that stick with USQ are more likely to secure sponsorships, get field space and attract new recruits in the long run.

Of course, community teams are indispensable for USQ too. Community teams introduce new strategies, recruit new athletes, provide experienced referees, develop future stars for Team USA and mentor college teams. Throughout the 2017-18 season, community teams will still entertain thousands of spectators with evenly-matched, down-to-the-wire games. Most importantly, community teams show that quidditch is dynamic and popular even beyond college campuses. 

So don't get me wrong. I think community teams are important and I think the future is bright for community teams too. Especially as MLQ becomes more structured and more closed, USQ community teams allow any group of friends to get together and rise through the ranks to the highest levels of the sport. I expect the number of community teams to continue to increase and I hope to see crosstown rivalries and local derbies soon, as well as larger and more interesting regional championships. Finally, and this is my final wish, can we start calling them club teams now?