Club quadball at the University of Missouri was established in 2012 and consists of about 26 co-ed members, led by three coaches dedicated to training and competing in high-paced tournaments year-round. The club participated in its first tournament of the season, the Trick or Beat Tournament in Chicago on Oct. 12, winning three out of four of their matches. 

“I like to say that quadball is a mix of basketball, dodgeball and rugby,” said Head Captain Lauren Smith. “There’s a lot of translatable skills, and tackling often helps if you’ve played football or other contact sports.”

The club holds practices on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays from 3 to 5 p.m. at Stankowski Field, starting with a team run followed by calisthenics and stretching. Afterward, beaters, whose role is to disrupt the opposing team by knocking them out using clubs and chasers,  try to score goals split off for separate drills before reconvening for a half scrimmage and finishing with conditioning. 

“We’ve got set defenses, or we have set offenses as well, so it’s just rotations,” said Miles Himmelmann, club member. “When the ball goes somewhere, you know what your rotation is and that helps you get stops or find goals.” 

The club allows potential members to join each semester, providing opportunities for MU students. With practices and events held throughout the year, participants can engage with the team and gain firsthand experience in quadball. 

“I joined the club because my older brother played, so he’s been trying to get me to come out to practice,” Himmelmann said. “I [said] no, and then in the second semester I came out to a practice. I just had so much fun. I kept going out.”

The sport requires agility, teamwork, and strategy, with players working together to score points while evading bludgers, another term for dodgeballs. They defend the goals and coordinate complex plays in a fast-paced, full-contact environment.

“You have your chasers, you have your beaters,” club member Rachel Rader said. “Chasers are offensive, and then your seeker, that’s like Harry Potter. That’s who gets a snitch, and basically, the snitch comes out halfway through the game, but it’s all about ball control.” 

The club strives to make sure everyone can play the sport, regardless of finances. They provide grants to any member in need of handling their dues. The dues consist of $50 every semester and in order to compete in tournaments, players must get an $85 U.S. Quadball membership.

Club quadball actively promotes themselves by getting their name out during Welcome Week at MU in Speakers Circle. This occurs during the first week of school. The club continues to spread awareness by reaching out to people through advertisements on social media.

“[Recruitment occurs] because we play such a niche sport, we don’t get people coming into college to have played it before,” said Smith. “So, going hard on recruitment is really important every year.”

The club engages in year-round team bonding activities, including extended road trips during tournaments. These trips involve hours of travel, overnight stays at hotels and group meals at restaurants. Members spoke of the team’s family-like dynamic and how much time they spend together. 

Beyond team exercises, quadball is a sport where one must use physics to their advantage. The players must constantly run, change direction and grapple with opponents for the ball. There is a level of difficulty in quadball that allows for players to adapt and grow through their experience with it. 

“I’ve definitely learned that I have older people rooting for me and that everyone’s looking out for each other in the best way possible,” Rader said. “We all want each other to get better, which is really rewarding and nice to see coming from sports where that wasn’t always the case.”

Club Quadball involves both physical play and mental fortitude, as players must engage in continuous strategic thinking, rapid decision-making and precise coordination across all positions. The sport calls for sharp reaction times, focus and pushing players to adapt quickly while working with teammates. 

“No other sport is comparable,” Himmelmann said. “You’re running around the field doing your own thing, while there’s an entirely different game happening, and then it’s your job to control the other game with the dodge balls and stop scores are created.”

The club accommodates a variety of playing styles and body types, with each player bringing their own strengths onto the field. This allows for a range of different approaches to the game, where players can adapt and find their role within the team. Team members said  that quadball suits all body types, emphasizing the importance of using individual strengths. 

Club Quadball played in its last tournament of the semester at Columbia for the Missouri Loves Company Tournament on Saturday, Nov. 16. 

“It’s hard to describe it to people, because it’s basically every sport ever, all at once,” said Rader.

Edited by Michael Stamps | mstamps@themaneater.com

Copyedited by Claire Bauer and Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com

Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com