Things happen for a reason.
While it was a devastating blow for the Concordia men’s basketball team to lose forward Jonathan Dresner to injury, it was a blessing in disguise for the rest of Quebec’s basketball community.
Four months ago, Dresner and long-time friend David Levine launched a website appropriately named Qball.ca, dedicated entirely to basketball in the province of Quebec. It covers both men’s and women’s teams at all levels. The site, impressively equipped with flash introductions and mellow tunes to further enhance your experience, is the result of years of disappointing exposure.
“It’s frustrating, especially in comparison to the States who have media coverage from high school teams to the NBA,” commented Dresner. “In Montreal, the talent is there, and not many people know about it.”
Featuring player diaries, video highlights and interviews, as well as advice from respected players themselves, the website not only gives players a chance to keep up with their former teammates playing abroad, but also grants fans access into the basketball community.
While having their team’s game highlights posted for all to see is rewarding, a player’s most coveted award is being selected as “Qballer of the week”. Every week, Qball picks one player based on performance, giving him or her their due recognition; recognition that for years has gone under the radar due to apathy in Quebec.
Prior to his injury, Dresner had to divide his time between his studies, his team, and his website. His business partner eased the workload by helping maintain the site until March, when the basketball season comes to a close. Ironically, since his injury (that sidelined him for the rest of the season) Dresner has actually been closer to the game than ever before.
Both Dresner and Levine invest over 40 hours a week assuring the site is updated, entertaining, and fulfills their promise to put Quebec basketball on the map. With people registering daily, the site has reached over 1,000 members, including regulars who keep Qball going. “We have about 400 people spending 15-20 minutes a day at the site, which tells us that people are liking what they see,” stated Dresner.
But don’t expect Qball to turn into Qsports just yet. Before the site expands, Dresner hopes to find interested advertisers and sponsors to ease the financial pressures of the website. Until then, he’s happy doing it for the players and fans; putting Quebec on display for the rest of the world to admire.
