Balle Molle Queer Softball

What Balle Molle Queer Softball does

Balle Molle Queer Softball (BMQS) is a nonprofit recreational softball league based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, created by and for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Founded organically in Spring 2023 as a single team within an existing Montreal league and formally incorporated as an independent league in March 2024, BMQS now operates 14 teams split into Division A and Division B, with scheduled games on Saturdays (1pm-7pm) at Parc Sir-Wilfrid-Laurier and optional Monday evening drop-in practices. The league is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, an Organizational Committee, and a Care Committee, and operates under a formal Community Agreement covering anti-racism, anti-ableism, anti-classism, gender diversity, and respectful communication.

The organization monetizes through tiered annual membership fees ($110 standard, $70 BIPOC/AALANA, $75 reduced for financial assistance) covering the full season, with e-transfer payment and a publicly disclosed question-answer mechanism for verification. Additional revenue is generated through the Annual Solidarity Raffle + BBQ fundraiser, whose proceeds are split entirely among three external community organizations (Connecting Humanity, RÉSEAU/NETWORK, AGIR Montréal). The technology footprint is intentionally minimal: Google Forms for registration, Google Calendar for scheduling, Discord for community engagement, and active social media presence (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok). There is no proprietary software, no app, no AI/ML capabilities, and no paid headcount — the organization is entirely volunteer-run.

BMQS serves members who face discrimination, violence, and systemic obstacles in mainstream sports, particularly trans participants, and frames its value proposition around safer, inclusive community space, skill-level-appropriate play for all experience levels, and active visibility at events including Montreal Pride and Lesbian Visibility Day. The customer base is a single horizontal segment (2SLGBTQIA+ community members in the greater Montreal area), with no enterprise clients, no B2B channels, and no geographic expansion beyond Quebec. Ownership is a nonprofit member-elected board structure with no parent company, private equity, or venture capital backing.

Name

Balle Molle Queer Softball

Legal name

Balle Molle Queer Softball

Website

https://bmqs.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Balle Molle Queer Softball is a volunteer-run, nonprofit recreational softball league in Montreal serving the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, founded in 2023 and operating 14 teams across Division A and B with tiered equitable membership pricing and year-round community events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Amateur Sports League

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Sport-Specific Amateur Leagues & Circuits (Non-Professional) (MPAKACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE), Sports Community Relations & Grassroots Program Management (MPAKAKAJ)

Keywords

• Recreational softball league
• Queer community sports
• 2SLGBTQIA+ recreation
• Nonprofit sports organization
• Inclusive amateur softball

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BMQS operates a non-profit queer recreational softball league for 2SLGBTQIA+ community members in Montreal, offering a full season of scheduled Saturday games across two divisions, optional Monday evening drop-in practices, registered teams with captains, and recurring community events (Season Kickoff BBQ, Annual Solidarity Raffle, Pride participation). Membership is sold at tiered annual rates with reduced fees for BIPOC/AALANA players and players needing financial assistance, and the league is supported by a Care Committee, a Board of Directors elected by members, and a Community Agreement governing inclusion and respect.

Product overview

Balle Molle Queer Softball (BMQS) is a recreational softball league offering a unified community-driven sports experience. The core product is the queer softball league itself, with 14 teams organized into Division A and Division B competing in scheduled games on Saturdays. Supporting offerings include drop-in practices on Monday evenings, seasonal events (Season Kickoff BBQ, Annual Solidarity Raffle, Pride participation, Lesbian Visibility Day), an online registration system with tiered pricing, and Care Committee support services. The league emphasizes fun over competition and welcomes all skill levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Queer Softball League Season Membership Recreational softball league membership created by and for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Montreal, offering a full season of organized games, practices, and community events, with tiered pricing for standard players, BIPOC/AALANA players, and players needing financial assistance.
• League Teams (Division A and Division B) 14 active teams organized into Division A and Division B, providing the playing unit in which registered members compete as part of the BMQS season.
• Monday Evening Drop-in Practices Optional Monday evening practices from 6:30pm–8:00pm on a drop-in basis, free and open to all community members.
• Season Registration System Online registration via Google Forms with tiered annual pricing (Standard $110, BIPOC/AALANA $70, Reduced $75) covering the full season of play, a captain's kit for each team with safety equipment, game balls, and score sheets.
• Care Committee Support Services Confidential support services for members needing help, handling complaints while respecting confidentiality, with scope including community agreement violations and member safety concerns.
• Season Kickoff BBQ Season launch event featuring free food, hot dogs (including vegan options), and stations to try different aspects of softball.
• Annual Solidarity Raffle & BBQ Annual fundraiser event combining BBQ and raffle, with 100% of proceeds split between Connecting Humanity (eSims for Gaza), RÉSEAU/NETWORK (Indigenous community organizations), and AGIR Montréal (LGBTQIA+ with immigrants and refugees).

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA): The umbrella organization coordinating LGBTQ+ amateur softball across North America, including annual championships (Gay Softball World Series). BMQS is a member-style grassroots league analogous to the local member leagues under NAGAAA's structure, making it a directly comparable organizational counterpart at a much smaller scale.
• Team DC: An umbrella LGBTQ+ sports organization in Washington, DC that coordinates multiple queer sport leagues (softball, kickball, volleyball, running, etc.). Comparable to BMQS in mission and community-building orientation, but operates as a federation of leagues rather than a single-sport organization.
• Federation of Gay Games: An international federation that organizes the multi-sport Gay Games event every four years, with softball as one of the included sports. BMQS participates in the broader LGBTQ+ sports ecosystem that the Federation of Gay Games anchors; they overlap on audience, mission, and inclusion philosophy.
• Softball Canada: The national governing body for softball in Canada, whose rules BMQS explicitly follows (with inclusivity modifications). Comparable as the institutional context for the sport BMQS plays, though Softball Canada is the mainstream governing body rather than a community-specific league operator.

Direct peers

• Hotter Than July (DC): A long-running LGBTQ+ softball tournament and league program in Washington, DC, organized under the broader Team DC umbrella. Directly comparable as a queer-community softball program with tournament and seasonal league formats targeting the same 2SLGBTQIA+ participant demographic.
• San Francisco Gay Softball League (SFGSL): A long-established LGBTQ+ amateur softball league in the San Francisco Bay Area running multiple divisions and seasonal play for the queer community. Directly comparable to BMQS in target audience and core product, though at a larger and longer-tenured scale.
• Sin City Softball League: An LGBTQ+-focused amateur softball league based in Las Vegas operating seasonal play, multiple divisions, and community fundraising events. Directly comparable to BMQS in product (recreational queer softball), season structure, and member-funded nonprofit model.

Regional players

• Pride Sports UK: A UK-based organization that supports LGBTQ+ participation in sport, including policy advocacy, inclusion training, and connections to local queer sports groups. Comparable in mission and grassroots-community-development focus, but operates in a different geography (UK rather than Canada) and at an advocacy-federation level rather than as a direct league operator.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/166894469587509
• Instagraminstagram.com/bmqs.mtl
• TikToktiktok.com/@bmqs.mtl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bmqs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Balle Molle Queer Softball