The Bustling World of Broomball: Inside the American Broomball Alliance
About The American Broomball Alliance
The American Broomball Alliance, formerly USA Broomball, was founded in 1999 to promote and develop the sport of broomball across the country. The organization is based out of the Twin Cities, the broomball hot bed of the world with more teams and players than anywhere else in the country. The American Broomball Alliance runs tournaments throughout their winter season, culminating with a national event each spring. Across the US, there are over 1,000 adult broomball teams. “Our job is to promote the game. The hot bed is definitely in Minnesota, but we promote the sport in every state we can. We have hosted our Nationals in Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Ohio to name a few,” Al Stauffacher, Governor of the American Broomball Alliance shares.
The Game
Broomball is very similar to ice hockey, as it’s played on an ice rink with similar strategies and rules. Instead of skates, players wear a type of tennis shoe with rubber traction to slide across the ice. A broomball stick is called a ‘broom’ and features a small triangular head to hit the ball across the ice into a larger 6×8 foot net.
The barriers to entry are low for those interested in broomball. “If you’re an athlete and just love to get out and play sports, broomball is pretty adaptable. It’s just coordination and athletic ability, so if you have ice, you can play it anywhere. It’s also not a big investment equipment-wise,” Stauffacher says.
Events
Annually, the American Broomball Alliance runs about a dozen events across the nation. The organization runs a state tournament in Minnesota, as well as invitationals in recurring annual locations in Las Vegas, NV, Syracuse, NY, and Indiana. The group is always looking to expand and try new venue locations to grow the sport in future seasons. The ABA National Championships are scheduled a year in advance.
Nationals
The 2022 ABA National Championships were successfully held from April 21-24 at Augsburg Ice Arena in Minneapolis. The event was sold out with 50 teams and was the first National Championship since the pandemic. The successful Nationals showed that broomball was coming back stronger than before and will only continue to expand. Teams who would like to compete are invited to register for Nationals each year.
The 2023 National Championships location was recently announced with Nick Kleva and his South Bend team hosting the 2023 ABA Nationals at the Compton Ice Center, home of the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Currently an open RFP for Nationals in 2024 and 2025 as well as various 2023 ABA Invitational Events are open and can be obtained via request from the ABA.
Broomball Nationals Past Sites:
- Omaha, NE
- Oxford, OH
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Fargo, ND
- Duluth, MN
- Blaine, MN
- Minneapolis, MN
- Rosemount, MN
- Richfield, MN
Past World Tournament Sites:
- Blaine, MN USA
- Vancouver CAN
- Ottawa CAN
- Regina, SK CAN
- Italy
- Austria
How to Get Involved
For those who would like to get involved in playing broomball, contact the friendly faces at the American Broomball Alliance. Their team can help place new players in the right area and find out where the closest league is located. “Many athletes get exposed at the college club level. There are a lot of pickup games in popular broomball areas. Those interested can go online and check out where their nearest college or broomball league is,” Stauffacher advises.
What The ABA Needs From Venues
For the ABA’s Invitational events, the group simply needs one regular sized hockey rink. For National events, the ABA requires a multi-rink complex for 50 registered teams to compete.
What Makes a Successful Event for the ABA?
“For me, it’s about participants having fun and coming back to play again if it’s their first time. I always say it’s one of those sports that can be competitive on the ice, but afterwards you can go and hang out with the other team. It’s a great sport for cardio, making friends, and meeting new people,” Stauffacher shares. For the ABA, athletes return thanks to a love of the game and the lively atmosphere the organization provides.
Accolades
2019: Champions of Economic Impact Sports Event: American Broomball Alliance with Twin Cities Gateway hosting the 2018 World Broomball Championships
To learn more, check out the American Broomball Alliance’s Playeasy profile here.
