The air is getting warmer, the sun is starting to come out for more than two hours a day, and the birds are singing. It’s spring, the time of year when students emerge from the NAC to instead spend their lunch periods on the quad, soaking up the warmth they’ve been craving all winter. With this migration comes the reemergence of quad sports. In honor of this esteemed tradition, here’s why you should join in on the fun.

If you like to eat lunch on the quad on a warm day, you’re likely familiar with the group of people playing frisbee on a patch of grass near Baskerville. Bring a frisbee and/or a positive attitude, and they’ll be sure to welcome you into the game. The other side of the quad often hosts a game of volleyball, and there’s always more scattered groups or pairs throwing footballs, apples, and the occasional open yogurt around in all corners of the quad. The games are rarely organized or competitive, but they’re not supposed to be. A comment from Tappan Wearn (’28) really sums up the quad sport experience: “I like the vibes.” I think most people playing on the quad would agree.

Quad sports can be a great way to have fun with friends without needing to do so much pesky small talk. As Robin Farquhar (’28) remarks, “If there’s not a particularly interesting conversation that you’re having or you don’t have anyone to talk to, it’s just a good way to be with others while not putting too much social pressure on yourself.” After all, activity is a universal language that’s a whole lot easier to navigate than talking. 

There is something special about the lunchtime sport. There’s a freedom in, say, picking up a ball and passing it between yourselves that simply doesn’t happen with most regular sports. Marius Thuault (’28) compares the freedom of the lunchtime sport to something more official: “[during an official sport] I’m less there to have fun and more there to, like, do good.” An official sport, while still fun, is still constrained by rules that a lunchtime sport is not. When doing a lunchtime sport, nobody will care if you mess up, and nobody’s keeping score. When asked why they played, everyone I interviewed said that they played because of the good vibes, not because they wanted to get better or because they wanted to win.

If you want to play a quad sport yourself, you have a few options. Usually, most people would be happy to let you join a game they’ve started, but—if joining an existing group isn’t your thing—there are other ways to play. Mr. Tirado often gives out soccer balls at lunch, and you can always stop by Ms. Hesseltine’s room to pick up a frisbee, as well as books or board games. She reflects “I just really liked the idea that kids would be interacting with each other and not staring at their phones. So [since] frisbees are relatively cheap … I just was like, ‘oh, I’ll bring some Frisbees.’” If all else fails, of course there’s the purest method of lunchtime sport: picking up an object and throwing it to someone else. 

So when spring comes back in full swing, use it as an opportunity to get outside. It’s a great way to have fun in the sun, socialize, or maybe even learn a new skill—if you’re up for it. There don’t have to be rules, and you don’t even have to be good at it. It’s all about good people and good vibes.