USQ Starts Season with Welcome Weekend

After Major League Quidditch (MLQ) had a successful summer season, Muggle quidditch is back again not only for MLQ but also for US Quidditch (USQ). USQ started the 2021–22 season with a three-day event called Welcome Weekend. The event was held on September 17–19.

Welcome Weekend was a virtual event. Attendees participated through Zoom after they filled out a form and received the link. All programs were livestreamed on Twitch. Select panels should have appeared on YouTube this week, but most of them are still available to watch on Twitch.

On Friday, September 17, the event started with welcome session “The Road to Nationals” with USQ Executive Director Mary Kimball. It continued with “Training New Leaders in 2021,” where Mary Kimball also appeared together with USQ Member Services Team Lead Rhianna Horner, USQ Director of Events and Partnerships Laura Porth, and USQ External Events Manager Elizabeth Barcelos.

Saturday, September 18, started with the panel “Get to Know Your Regional Coordinator” with USQ regional coordinators. It was for players to learn more about their regional coordinators and regions and how they can help teams have a successful season. After that, there was a game night.

On the last day, Sunday, September 19, the small group sessions were created. It was an opportunity for players to meet others and have conversations. Part of the program included small group sessions for BIPOC players, LGBTQIA+ players, and players with underrepresented genders (such as those who could have participated in Take Back the Pitch).

These sessions were followed by a film review with veteran player Serena Monteiro. After that was the panel “Rules Review and Gameplay Policies,” designed to help players refresh their knowledge of the rules and to discuss the new changes that will start this season. The last panel was “Officiating and Snitching: Back to the Pitch,” which was about refereeing. The weekend ended with a closing session with Mary Kimball.