US Quadball open practice in North Hollywood emphasizes accessibility

The Lost Boys drew newcomers to NoHo Rec Center for an open practice from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday at 11430 Chandler Boulevard in Los Angeles, asking only for athletic clothes and water. The setup was built to lower the usual barriers to entry in quadball, especially for players who want to see the sport before committing to a roster spot or a league schedule.

The event listing framed the session as low risk and no stakes, with room for first-timers to learn the sport and for returning players to brush up on skills they already had. Anyone with questions was directed to Amanda Bortner, turning a calendar item into a direct point of contact for newcomers trying to figure out where they fit in Los Angeles quadball.

That approach fits the way US Quadball has tried to present the sport since the name change from quidditch in July 2022. US Quadball says it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2010, while also tracing quadball itself to Middlebury College in 2005, where Xander Manshel and Alex Benepe helped create a mixed-gender contact sport built from rugby, dodgeball and tag. For a sport still explaining itself to new players, a stripped-down open practice can do as much work as a formal tryout.

The Lost Boys have used that access point to build more than a team. Local listings describe the club as a Los Angeles group that competes locally, regionally and nationally, while another page says its goal is to spread quadball across Los Angeles and Southern California. A past event listing went farther, describing the club’s social reach beyond the pitch with pool days, game nights and lunch outings, the kind of off-field structure that helps keep new players attached after the first session.

US Quadball’s current season calendar places the North Hollywood practice inside a broader summer pattern of pickups and local events, with similar casual sessions listed in New York City and Arlington, Va. The same calendar also showed a July 4 to 5 Beach Bash at Dockweiler Beach in Los Angeles, reinforcing that the sport’s public face this summer has been built around entry points rather than pressure. In North Hollywood, the message was clear: walk in with water, shoes and curiosity, and the rest can be learned on the broomline.