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After taking home the gold at the IQA World Cup in 2023, the United States National Team (USNT) program underwent a number of changes on both the staff and player sides.
With a full USQ season in the books since the IQA World Cup, the coaching staff has had a chance to evaluate players across the country at both USNT training camps and regular season tournaments. We’ve also seen players and staff step away from the program over the past 12 months, with new and talented individuals stepping in to take their place. Below, we outline those changes across both the USNT and the USNT Developmental Academy (USNTDA).
ROSTER UPDATES
Claire Olmstead stepped down from the USNTDA. Andrew Steinberg, Kawena Abrigo, Chanun Ong, and Sena Morimoto were released from the program.
Kasye Bevers has been promoted from the USNTDA to the USNT.
Julia Baer, Henry Baer-Benson, Kaci Erwin, Rachel Heald, Kobe Kendall, Augustine Monroe, and Tyler Trudeau have stepped down from the USNT. Serena Monteiro was released from the USNT.
The USNT has two additions in this cycle, Ally Manzella and Emma Vasquez from Boom Train.
The USNTDA has 10 new additions:
Lauren Smith (Mizzou Club Quadball)
Shane McConaghie (Virginia Reunited)
Ryan Mehio (Creighton Quadball)
Riley Usami (Creighton Quadball)
David Avila (Texas State Quadball)
Shakthi Kodeswaran (Brandeis Quadball)
Neil Peterson (Michigan Quadball)
Janessa Duce (Mizzou Club Quadball)
Alyssa Villalba (UTSA Club Quadball)
Jason Wu (Middlebury Quadball)
You can view the full roster for USNT and USNTDA here. The coaching staff plans to do another round of evaluation following the completion of the current MLQ season.
STAFF
Amanda Dallas will be stepping down as USNT Manager. The program has welcomed Hanna Reese as the new manager for the USNT program.
“This program would not be what it is today without Dallas’ involvement. She helped transform the USNT from an all star team into a reputable program other national teams look to as an example and was pivotal to the establishment and success of the USNTDA,” said USNT Head Coach Michael Parada.
Reese has been an involved member of the Quadball community in the Carolinas since 2013. She has held leadership positions in Carolina Heat, Southern Storm, Palmetto Phoenix of the Southeast quadball summer league, and Terminus Atlanta. Most prominently, Reese has held the position of manager for MLQ’s Charlotte Aviators since the team’s inception. She was key to the creation of the team and its acceptance into MLQ.
“The requirements of the USNT manager role can be very challenging and demanding. The manager must work well with a multitude of personalities, have great organizational and communication skills, and thrive in a competitive athletic environment. Hanna Reese is easily the best candidate to fill this role and anyone that has had the opportunity to work with her would agree,” Dallas said.
Parada will continue in his role as the USNT head coach. Jackson Johnson and Ethan Sturm will also continue in their roles as USNT assistant coaches.
As previously announced, USNTDA Head Coach Azeem Hussain has retired. Dallas, who served as an assistant coach for the DA in Richmond and as USNT Manager since 2017, will move into the role of Interim USNTDA Head Coach for the remainder of 2024. Intent on finding a replacement for Dallas, applications are open for two USNTDA assistant coaches.
“This will be my last season with the USNT/DA program,” noted Dallas. “I’ve enjoyed my time with the program over the years and am excited to bring my 12 years of Quadball experience to the table as the Interim USNTDA Head Coach for the rest of 2024.”
Dallas is one of the most tenured coaches in Quadball and has a comprehensive resume that includes various coaching roles for the USNTDA, New York University, the New York Titans, The Warriors, and Creighton University.
“The goal is to bring on two assistant coaches this summer who will work with us to prep for and will attend and coach at Quadball Nations Cup. After that, the goal will be to find a head coach for the USNTDA for 2025 and beyond–whether that be a promotion of one of the assistant coaches or an external hire,” Reese said.
QUADBALL NATIONS CUP
In December, the International Quadball Association announced they would not be hosting an IQA Pan-American Games in 2024. The next event for our program will be the Quadball Nations Cup where the USNTDA will compete for the title this fall.
A new kit and other merchandise to support the athletes will drop later this summer. We have launched our first fundraiser, the USNTDA Donation Cart, and will be holding additional fundraisers in the coming months. The final roster will be announced later this summer.
For additional questions on the USNT program, please email national.team@usquadball.org. More info on the USNT and the current members and staff can be found here. You can support the USNTDA via our donation cart for Quadball Nations Cup.
Photo Credit: Eric Irish