🎉 Welcome to the 1st Annual Lavender Challenge! 🎉

Hosted by Minnesota Dodgeball, this is a 2-day queer and WTNB-centric dodgeball tournament in the Midwest!

The Lavender Challenge isn’t just about dodgeball—it’s about creating a safe, inclusive, and empowering space for queer, women, trans, and nonbinary (WTNB) players to compete, connect, and shine. This is your chance to be part of important and celebrate the athleticism and spirit of the queer community.

We’re dreaming big: we want this to be a flagship event where queer players from across the globe can come to Minnesota annually, show off their skills, and prove that queer dodgeball players can and will excel at the sport. Are you ready for the Challenge?

📅 Tournament Details Name: The Lavender Challenge - Year 1 Location: Jefferson Activity Center, Twin Cities, Minnesota Dates: Saturday, August 16 & Sunday, August 17, 2025 Applications Open: March 15th, 2025 at 12:00 PM 👋 Who Can Play? Players: All participants must identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community or the Women, Trans, and Nonbinary (WTNB) community. Allies: We love your support! Help us run the tournament by refereeing, setting up, or breaking down. This is your chance to uplift our community.

🏐 Divisions & Roster Requirements

• We’ll do our best to meet our target numbers and honor these team caps. However, depending on demand (or lack thereof) for specific divisions, Minnesota Dodgeball reserves the right to make adjustments as needed to ensure the best experience for everyone.
• All divisions require rosters to have a minimum of 7 players and a maximum of 8. With only 6 players allowed on the court at a time, this means every team must have at least one rotating sub. Saturday, August 16 (Single Elimination) 1️⃣ Open Foam (12 teams cap) 2️⃣ WTNB Foam (12 teams cap) *Note: This is not a women-only division. Trans men, trans women, and nonbinary players (including male-presenting individuals) are welcome. 3️⃣ Cloth-Remix Add-On (Optional) *Minnesota Dodgeball will draft players onto balanced teams. Cost: $15 ~ Sunday, August 17 (Double Elimination) 4️⃣ Mixed No-Sting (24 teams cap) *There must be 2 WTNB-identifying players on the court at all times. If your team cannot meet this requirement, you will play short-handed. **Note: WTNB players may be male-presenting. We trust our community to respect and care for each other.

💵 Cost $45 per division Cloth-Remix Add-On: $15 📜 Rulesets We’ll be using USA Dodgeball rulesets for all divisions (Foam, Cloth, and No-Sting). All players can familiarize themselves with the rules here: https://www.usadodgeball.com/rules 🏆 Prizes Custom 1st Place Medals for each division 2nd Place Medals Reimbursement: *Up to $45 for future queer-centered tournaments (or those led by majority queer-identifying teams/leaders). Limited to one player (no stacking - this means if you win multiple divisions, you only get comped $45). *Must be used within one year. Not available for cloth-remix winners.

🌈 Why This Tournament Matters The Lavender Challenge is more than just a competition—it’s a celebration of queer joy, athleticism, and community. By joining us, you’re helping to prove that spaces like this are not only needed but essential. Together, we can create a world where everyone feels seen, valued, and empowered through sports. Your support helps us elevate queer athletics and build a future where everyone belongs. Let’s make it happen! 💜

Ready to play? Mark your calendars for March 15th, 2025, when applications open! Let’s show the world what queer dodgeball is all about. 💜