The soccer and table tennis-inspired sport made the two-time FIFA Women’s Player of the Year its first woman brand ambassador to accelerate Teqball’s growth in the States.
Like many of us stuck at home in 2020, U.S. Soccer legend Carli Lloyd discovered new DIY avenues for fitness and entertainment. After seeing David Beckham, Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, and other global stars on social media playing the new soccer and table tennis-fused sport Teqball, she invested in her own backyard set-up.
While rehabbing the first surgery of her career, a knee scope, the two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion created new ways to train using her Teqball table — flipping up one side for solo training at her New Jersey home. As the sport continued to explode globally and Lloyd completed her incredible playing career last fall, a partnership with the brand seemed like a logical next move.
“I discovered Teqball pretty organically and mostly through social media,” Lloyd shared with Boardroom. “Seeing some of the world’s greatest soccer players using it for their training only heightened my awareness. I had to check it out for myself, and now it’s one of the fastest growing sports in the world.”
Teqball USA made the two-time FIFA Women’s Player of the Year their first female ambassador earlier this year. Lloyd got her first taste of live competition while attending the recent USA Teqball Tour Los Angeles Finals on the beaches of Santa Monica, featuring mens and womens teams from all over the world.
“I’ve been a big soccer tennis fan for training throughout my career,” Lloyd added. “Juggling and soccer tennis work on important aspects of your game, especially vision, awareness and touch. Incorporating Teqball into your training, whether at parks or with your clubs is another opportunity for players to get more touches on the ball and work different areas of their game.”
Although Lloyd is new to Teqball in an official capacity, she has a clear vision for the future of the sport and how she can help develop its brand in the States and globally.
“Over the next few years, we are trying to make a real push for inclusion in the LA28 Olympics,” LLoyd said. “People really need to understand what the sport is all about. Loads of players who haven’t been able to make it in the soccer world can use Teqball as another avenue if they’ve just finished college to play professionally.”
Lloyd plans to help further the sport’s presence by creating a Teqball club in her home state of New Jersey, where she can mentor young athletes learning the game as well as generate new fans locally, regionally and nationally. She will continue to attend tournaments across the country to meet top players and support the sport through continued marketing and social media content.
And for those wondering, a comeback to the pitch seems unlikely for now.
“My days of touching the ball are pretty slim these days, but I’ve got a Teqball table in my backyard and this summer there will definitely be some fun and competitive tournaments at home,” Lloyd said.
The USA Teqball Tour Los Angeles Finals is available to rewatch on ESPN3 now and will air on ESPN2 in the coming weeks.
Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.
