From the Front Desk: Recruitment Season is Here
It’s officially go time for USQ teams, and that means this edition’s theme is recruitment.
But first, let’s talk registration. Membership opens Monday, Sept. 1. There will be some minor pricing shifts, but the overall model has changed to be more digestible. The quarterly concept was as confusing for some as the third dodgeball rules, so I’m working to simplify as much of the registration process as possible. The big headline? The first 100 collegiate players to register will get the $85 rate. Don’t sleep on it.
Now recruitment.
To support teams during one of the most critical parts of the year, we launched a revamped US Quadball Team 101 Guide, along with two new division-specific resources: the USQ College Recruitment Guide and the USQ Club Recruitment Guide. These are built from the wisdom of some of the most successful recruiting teams in the sport’s history and updated for the modern era. Retention guides are on deck next.
But we’re not stopping at these guides. We’re currently working with a few talented collegiate recruiters to set up seminars and Q&A sessions for USQ college teams this month. These sessions will become a regular feature each summer starting in 2026.
And for those of you keeping score at home: yes, the college growth department I teased in my first blog is officially rolling out next week. Expect a formal announcement and volunteer openings to go live soon.
Now hear me out: regardless of how you feel about Greek life, there’s one thing we can’t ignore. They’re the best recruiters in the college game. I’ve done recruitment for both a sorority and quadball, and I can say with full confidence that quadball can learn a lot. Sororities have been fine-tuning recruitment strategies for decades, and much of that playbook is highly transferable to a niche sport like ours. Here’s how:
Structured, Multi-Touch Recruitment Process
They don't just table once. They build campaigns.
Multiple events, multiple formats: Info sessions, bonding activities, volunteer events, casual hangs—quadball teams can do the same across fall and spring recruitment windows
Progressive engagement: Start broad (open practices), move more intimate (team dinner, movie night)
Clear call to action: Sororities make the "ask" clear: rush, accept your bid, pay dues. Quadball teams can clarify steps like “try out”, “join our team chat”, “register with USQ”
Roles and Ambassadors
Sororities have recruiters and bigs/littles in addition to the exec boards that are already common in collegiate quadball.
Have a designated recruitment lead who is in charge of welcoming and following up with new faces
Pair rookies with veterans. Create a “buddy system”. Teams like SHSU have done this and done it well
Visuals, Vibes, and Merch
Don’t be delulu. Branding matters.
Create aesthetic flyers, videos, and social content that show who your team is—not just what you do. While The Warriors have hung up our cleats, you can check out our Instagram for an example of this
Swag helps. Stickers, sunglasses, wristbands—anything that builds instant identity
Belonging Before Skill
You don’t have to be a top athlete to be part of quadball—just like you don’t have to be perfect to join a sorority.
Sororities are great at selling identity and community over specific skills. They make people want to be part of the vibe
Emphasize fun, inclusivity, and community over athleticism in the first few touchpoints. Competitive excellence can come later
Consider offering social-only memberships or a “friends of the team” track for those who just want to hang out. They often become future players, staff, or leaders
Data-Driven Follow-Up
Recruiting doesn’t end at the table. Follow-up is everything.
Collect contact info early and use it: texts, DMs, email invites
Create a Google Sheet with every name you meet and tag:
Came to table
Came to first event
Came to practice
Registered with USQ
Paid dues
Set reminders. Don’t let people slip through the cracks
Mission-Driven Recruitment
Use our values as a selling point.
Quadball is already a values-based sport. Lead with that
Highlight inclusivity, LGBTQ2IA+ pride, accessibility, and leadership
Consider making recruitment part of a service project or awareness campaign
While recruitment has been the headline this week, there’s plenty happening behind the scenes.
Events Director Christian Barnes and I have been pushing hard to finalize three outstanding 2025-26 event locations. It’s later than we’d like, and that is something we’re committed to improving moving forward. In future seasons, expect announcements much earlier and, ideally, in a single drop. For now, thanks for your patience as we work to right the ship. Next week, we’ll be rolling out Quadballfest locations and a number of our national qualifier hosts.
Officials tests are on the way and the majority of gameplay materials have officially made the move from Sports Engine to usquadball.org. There’s a lot more going on, but I’ve kept you long enough. Good luck to those with tryouts this weekend!
✅ Weekly Action Item
Mark Takajay has been a key contributor to marketing our sport the last two years, and he’s only getting started. You can see his work across Major League Quadball, University of Virginia’s Instagram, and more quadball accounts each day. Swing by his Instagram, @MightyTakMedia, give him a follow, and comment on one of his posts. More eyes on his channel = more eyes on our sport. A little bird also told me the content is about to really ramp up.