The US Quidditch Annual Report for 2017-2018 Has Been Released
Having reached its 12th year of governing the sport, US Quidditch has released its 2017–2018 report covering the key updates, events, and observations from the previous year. The report covers the period between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2018.
The report makes particular mention of one of the main updates to the US Quidditch season, which was the splitting of collegiate and community-level quidditch. The split ensures that collegiate teams are able to play against teams at a similar experience level while community teams, often made up by more experienced players, are able to excel against more evenly matched teams.
The split was noted at US Quidditch Cup 11, with the University of Rochester taking home the collegiate crown and Texas Cavalry bringing it home in the community division.
The report makes a further celebration of the United States’ triumph at the International Quidditch Association World Cup held in Florence, Italy, earlier this year. In 2016, Australia beat the US to take home the gold, but the US easily took back the crown from fellow finalists Belgium, following an undefeated run at the cup.
This year also marks the final year of the previous three-year strategic plan and the beginning of a new one, which will continue on to 2021 and focuses on three key areas: retention, recruitment, and reach. The 2018–2019 season will still be under scrutiny, though, with US Quidditch eager to maintain the sustainable growth of the sport, strengthen trust in the US Quidditch brand, and ensure the stability of the organization.
With a referee certification program, coach certification program, and even a certification for tournament directors, the report notes the many development programs on offer to help develop players within the sport while ensuring high-quality standards. With 144 teams and 3,382 players, it is especially important that this is maintained throughout the sport to ensure that every team is able to benefit, whether they are at a US Quidditch tournament or a sanctioned event.
The report also remarks upon the various initiatives US Quidditch worked on throughout the year. Youth quidditch is one of the strategic priorities for US Quidditch for 2018–2021 since it is an effective way to ensure sustainable growth and interest from players. With a youth clinic in partnership with the San Diego Public LIbrary that took place during San Diego Comic-Con, and a Let the Kids Play campaign that raised $4,085 to provide hoops to high school and college teams, a greater number of younger players should be able to engage with and enjoy the sport.
You can check out the full report here!