Nontraditional Sports That Fill Room Nights

The US Quadball Cup 2023 is a big deal for the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board. More than 60 teams competed in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, April 15-16—filling valuable hotel room nights between spring break and upcoming summer vacations.

The two-day event is one example of the important role nontraditional competitions can play for CVBs and sports commissions. holding the event every two years. The next RFP cycle is expected to begin in 2024.

Quadball

Few sports are less traditional than Quadball, which rebranded last year to distance itself—for economic and social reasons—from its “Harry Potter” origins. Its springtime championship is coveted.

The Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board originally won the bid for the 2022 event but waited a year due to the omicron surge last spring. The Proving Grounds is a fitting name for the venue.

Despite being a relatively new sport, USA Quadball has done well to spread the game across the county. Pennsylvania will become the seventh state to host the US Quadball Cup after Florida, New York, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Vermont—where the sport took off at Middlebury College.

More than 1,200 athletes competed on club and college teams outside of Philadelphia last week.

Beyond athletes holding brooms as they play, Quadball is unusual in myriad ways. It is a cross between basketball, rugby, and dodgeball.

Additionally, it is mixed-gendered and takes special care when it comes to diversity and inclusion.

Read the full story here.

Photo Credits: The Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board