Imagine a sport involving seven positions, six hoops, and five balls all in one game. That sounds crazy, right? Well, it does exist, and it is called Quidditch.
PAUSE. Did I really just say Quidditch? Indeed, I did. You may have heard of Quidditch from J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. In her books, the sport is played by wizards on flying broomsticks. We obviously cannot fly on broomsticks in real life, so how can Quidditch be made into a real sport?
The International Quidditch Association (IQA) explains the rules nicely:
“Three chasers score goals worth 10 points each with a volleyball called the quaffle. They advance the ball down the field by running with it, passing it to teammates, or kicking it. Each team has a keeper who defends the goal hoops. Two beaters use dodgeballs called bludgers to disrupt the flow of the game by “knocking out” other players. Any player hit by a bludger is out of play until they touch their own goals. Each team also has a seeker who tries to catch the snitch. The snitch is a ball attached to the waistband of the snitch runner, a neutral athlete in a yellow uniform who uses any means to avoid capture. The snitch is worth 30 points and its capture ends the game. If the score is tied after the snitch catch, the game proceeds into overtime.”
You basically take the sport right from the book, but instead of flying on broomsticks, you run around with pvc pipe between your legs! The co-ed, contact sport of Quidditch mixes elements of Rowling’s vision with sports like rugby, dodge ball, and tag in order to make it applicable to us “muggles.” It can be dangerous, but is also one of the most fun sports that you will ever play. I promise!
However, the most amazing thing about Quidditch to me is the community that has been built around the sport. Schools and communities around the world have joined the IQA by creating their own Quidditch teams. There are multiple tournaments throughout the year, including the Quidditch World Cup, where teams who qualify come from around the world to compete against each other for the title of World Champions. I have not yet been to the Quidditch World Cup, but I have watched a few tournaments and boy, is it a sight to see! Even though the teams are competing against each other, they still interact with each other as if they are family! There is so much love and friendship woven throughout the Quidditch community, and it is something so beautiful to see. Through Quidditch, you can make life-long friends from around the world. I believe that the bond between Quidditch players is something stronger than any other sport could create. It is something that you could never learn in a classroom, and I encourage everyone to look into watching (or playing in) a real Quidditch game at some point. You won’t regret it!
~Heather Brody
Their sport may come from a fictional book series, but these Quidditch players aren’t messing around.
