USQ

USQ Update

USQ Update

US National Team & USNT Developmental Academy Application Now Open

by US Quidditch | November 30, 2020

Applications for the US National Team and USNT Developmental Academy are now open through March 1, 2021. The USNT expects to compete in a 2021 IQA Continental Game.

PHOTO BY: MIGUEL ESPARZA

The US National Team (USNT) will continue to utilize a standing team model in preparation for the 2021 IQA Continental Games. Due to the state of COVID-19 in the US and the risk it presents to players, the USNT will not be hosting training camps or any in-person tryouts during the 2020-21 USQ season. The application form and supporting documents/footage will be the only method in which to try out for the USNT and the USNT Developmental Academy (USNTDA).

The next round of drop/adds from the USNT roster and the 2021 USNTDA class will be released in early May. The application is due March 1. During the application process, the coaching staff may request supplemental video footage of the applicants completing specific, timed workouts or drills to compensate for the lack of quidditch in the US in 2020. These requests will take into consideration access to equipment and other parties (including safety concerns) that may be necessary to complete the requests.

Athletes will be able to apply for both the USNT and USNTDA via the same application.

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

The requirements outlined below apply to both USNT and USNTDA applicants unless otherwise noted. 

While the IQA has not updated their eligibility requirements for the upcoming IQA Continental Games, we are currently working under the assumption that they will remain the same as they were for the recent IQA Pan-American Games. Every National Governing Body (NGB) or Emerging Area may set their own criteria for who can compete on their team, however, at a minimum, athletes must:

  • Be at least 16 years old by June 30, 2021.

AND at least meet one of the following requirements:

  • Hold citizenship
  • Have lived in the country for at least three years
  • Have played quidditch only in the nation
  • Have played in the nation (and not their nation of citizenship) for at least the last international season

The additional national team player eligibility requirements for USNT athletes are as follows:

  • Be 18 years of age or older at the time of the event
    • This overwrites the IQA rule of 16 years
  • Must hold a valid passport or passport card at the time of the event

USNT applicants must meet at least one of the following requirements:

  • Be a US citizen
  • Have lived in the US for at least three years
  • Have played quidditch only in the US
  • Have played officially in the US during the prior Major League Quidditch (MLQ) season and/or the prior USQ season
    • For the 2020-21 season, this requirement will be waived due to COVID-19

USNTDA applicants must meet at the following requirements:

  • Been a registered college student at an accredited US college or university during Fall 2020 or Spring 2021
    • For the 2020-21 season, registration during the Spring 2019 and/or the Fall 2018 semester will also be acceptable
  • Must hold a valid passport or passport card at the time of the event

APPLICATIONS

Any athlete that meets the aforementioned requirements is eligible to try out for the USNT and/or USNTDA. In order to apply, applicants must be willing to agree to the necessary waivers and provide written commitment to various requirements:

  • US Quidditch Code of Conduct
  • US Quidditch Unlawful Harassment Policy
  • USNT Certificate of Accuracy/Release of Liability
  • USNT Video and Photo Release
  • US Quidditch National Team Fundraising Policy
    • In the event I am chosen for and accept a roster spot on the USNT and/or USNTDA, I agree to participate in fundraising efforts for the benefit of the USNT and/or USNTDA.
    • OR
    • In the event I do not want to participate in fundraising efforts, I understand the USNT and/or USNTDA will not pay for any portion of my kit, travel, food, etc. in relation to the USNT and/or USNTDA.
  • US Quidditch National Team Practice Policy
    • In the event that I am chosen for and accept a roster spot on the USNT and/or USNTDA, I agree to make an active effort to attend as many USNT practices as my financial state and distance from said practices allow. I will also make a concerted effort to be at all USNT tournaments at least one week in advance to participate in on-site training.

All applicants for the USNT and USNTDA are required to submit three unedited recordings of official USQ or MLQ games in which they have played by March 1 at 11:59 pm ET. Fantasy games, mercenary games, or games against official teams deemed unofficial will not be accepted. The footage must meet the below requirements:

  • Footage will only be considered valid if the game took place during the prior USQ season, prior MLQ season and/or the current USQ season.
    • For the 2020-21 season, footage will be accepted from the following seasons: USQ spring 2019, 2019 MLQ season, 2019-20 USQ season
  • The email should be sent to:
  • The subject line of the email must be “LASTNAME_USNT Video Submission.” 
  • All videos must be sent as either a YouTube, Facebook, Google Drive, or Dropbox link via the body of the email. 
  • The body of the email must also include the athlete’s name, position(s), gender, their USQ seasonal team (if applicable), their MLQ team (if applicable), and the address of assumed residency for the summer during which the IQA Continental Games will take place.
    • Additionally, in the body of the email, athletes are required to provide timestamps of when they were on pitch and a description of the play that takes place during each timestamp.

During the application process, the coaching staff may request supplemental video footage of the applicant completing specific, timed workouts or drills to compensate for the lack of quidditch in the US in 2020. These requests will take into consideration access to equipment and other parties that may be necessary to complete the requests.  

 

  

PERFORMANCE REVIEW AND CUTS

The USNT standing roster and the USNTDA class are both evaluated formally on an annual basis, but athletes may be added or released at the discretion of the USNT coaching staff. The following criteria are taken into consideration each time the USNT coaching staff reviews player performance:

  • USNT practice and tournament attendance/participation
  • Film submission
  • Workout/practice Snapchats
  • Communication with leadership
  • Adherence to USNT policies
  • Participation with a USQ and/or MLQ team
  • Player performance
  • Attitude and public persona
  • Cohesiveness and interaction with teammates

ROSTER SELECTION

Due to COVID-19, the below dates may change for the 2020-21 season.

The USNT will not be hosting training camps during the 2020-21 USQ season.

  • March 1: USNT and USNTDA application closes. All supplementary materials due by 11:59 pm ET.
  • April 25: After evaluation of US Quidditch Cup performances, athletes with standout performances receive standing team roster offers.
  • Early May: The approximately 25-person IQA roster is announced.

Once the 2020-21 application process closes on March 1, the USNT head coach and USNTDA head coach will meet with their appointed coaching staffs and scouts to discuss applicants. There will be cross-communication between the two staffs. The USNT coaching staff—with the USNT head coach having the final say—will then select a roster of athletes to be eligible for USNT tournament consideration likewise, the USNTDA coaching staff will select their next USNTDA class. The USNT and USNTDA have no obligation to hit a minimum or maximum number of players at any point. No athlete on the USNT standing roster is guaranteed play time or a tournament roster spot at any point during their time on the USNT standing roster. While there are designated periods for mass adds and cuts, the USNT head coach and the USNTDA head coach may add or cut a player at any point they deem necessary.

Given the lack of a 2020 MLQ season and the lack of events to scout during the 2020-2021 USQ season, the coaching staff may ask scouts to review submitted footage in addition to asking them specifics about what they recall of applicants and their performances in past seasons.

25-PERSON ROSTER

Prior to a tournament in which the USNT will compete, the USNT head coach meets with his appointed coaching staff and scouts to discuss the approximately 25-person roster. The USNT coaching staff—with the USNT head coach having the final say—then selects a roster of approximately 25 athletes from the standing team roster to be eligible to compete in the upcoming USNT tournament. Alternates are rotated in at the USNT coaching staff’s discretion, should a member of the approximately 25-person roster become incapable of or ineligible for attendance at the upcoming tournament. At no point is a member of the 25-person roster guaranteed a spot on the 21-person roster or play time.

21-PERSON ROSTER

The following tournament roster rules are expected to be enforced at IQA events:

  • Teams may have a maximum of 25 players on their tournament roster.
  • For each day of the tournament, coaches may select up to 21 players to include on that day’s roster.
    • For the 2019 IQA Pan-American Games, rosters were permitted to be changed game-to-game, it is unclear on if this will be permitted during the 2021 IQA Continental Games.
  • The roster may be edited up until eight hours before the first game of the day, at which point it must be submitted to the IQA Gameplay Department.
  • Players not included on that day’s roster will have entry into the tournament but cannot enter the player area during a game.
  • At no point is a member of the 21-person roster guaranteed play time.

ROSTERED ATHLETE REQUIREMENTS

In addition to meeting the aforementioned player eligibility requirements, adhering to the signed policies and exhibiting the actions and attitude of a role model within the community, USNT and USNTDA athletes are expected to complete workout requirements set by the coaching staff and attend closed training camps.

While training camps will not be held during the 2020-21 USQ season, USNT and USNTDA athletes should expect to participate in an on-site, week-long training camp at the IQA Continental Games location, following suit with what was done for the 2018 IQA World Cup and 2019 IQA Pan-American Games.

No athlete on the USNT standing roster is guaranteed play time or a tournament roster spot at any point during their time on the USNT standing roster. While there are designated periods for mass additions and cuts, the USNT coaching staff may add or cut a player when they deem necessary. Scouts may be consulted in this scenario.

Keep an eye on the USNT Facebook, USNT Twitter, and the USQ Instagram for year-round updates for the USNT and USNTDA. For questions, email USNT Coordinator Amanda Dallas at amanda.dallas@usquidditch.org.

The USNT and USNTDA are seeking a number of new volunteers, including a USNTDA coordinator and assistant coach and a USNT social media assistant. To learn more, check out the Volunteer with USQ page.