Most people know quidditch from the Harry Potter franchise; wizards flying around on brooms, throwing balls through hoops and chasing a flying golden snitch. Fewer people may know of quidditch as a modernized sport played on college campuses nationwide. At first, this real life version can be played off as a bunch of nerds running around on brooms pretending to be wizards, but in reality it is a collection of club athletes playing a full contact co-ed sport.
Quidditch can best be described as “a deadly combination of dodgeball, rugby and basketball”, said Boston Riot captain, Louis Contino. When watching a match, this becomes apparent – someone gets tackled to the ground on almost every play, the players wear no padding or protective gear, and there are multiple balls flying across the field at any given time.
This YouTube video is probably the easiest way to show what I am talking about:
Harry Potter attracted a lot of these players to the game initially, but it is not why they have stuck around. Tufts University Tufflepuffs Captain, Hannah DeBaets described how she grew up with Harry Potter and was aware Tufts has a quidditch team when she arrived on campus, but was not initially seeking it out. She attended the activities fair her freshman year and was looking for another club when she someone asked her if she was interested in playing quidditch.
“When someone asks you if you want to play quidditch, you have to say yes”, she said. DaBaets, now a captain of the team and responsible for recruitment herself, explained that a key feature to attracting non-Harry Potter fans is getting people over the idea of it being nerdy.
Quidditch has grown since its inception in 2005 into an international game. There is even an international governing body responsible for developing the sport in various countries around the world. It has especially taken off here in the United States, there are 92 official teams registered with US Quidditch. Most of these are college teams, but there are several community teams that are not affiliated with universities at all.
The Tufflepuffs won the Northeast Regional Championship last weekend in New York. They, as well as several other Boston area teams, qualified for the World Cup in Rock Hill, South Carolina which will take place the weekend of April 11. Other Boston teams to qualify include QC Boston: The Massacre, Emerson College Quidditch, Boston University Quidditch, and the Harvard Horntails.
Visit US Quidditch’s website to find a match near you or get involved with a team.
Name: Breandan Haley
Team / Position: Tufts Tufflepuffs – Keeper
Major or Profession: Clinical Psychology
Favorite HP movie? 1st – “Sorcerer’s Stone”
How long have you been playing quidditch?
Two years
What other sports did you play other sports prior to quidditch?
Lacrosse
Why should quidditch be taken seriously as a sport?
The intensity of the sport grows every year as interest spreads across the country. However, a good portion of the fun of the sport stems from the origin of Harry Potter, a lot of players have their initial interest be in Harry Potter but then they become involved in the sport.
Do you find it difficult to play Quidditch, as is it seen as a widely unconventional sport by modern culture?
I do not find it difficult. My friends back home find it funny that I play a sport based on Harry Potter, but when they finally see the sport played, they see how much fun everyone has and the intensity it is played at and they want to be involved.
Name: Hannah DeBaets
Team / Position: Tufts Tufflepuffs, Captain – Chaser
Major or Profession: Biochemistry
Favorite HP movie? 1st – “Sorcerer’s Stone”
Which Hogwort’s House would you belong to? Ravenclaw
What other sports did you play other sports prior to quidditch?
Soccer and Field Hockey
Do you find it difficult to play Quidditch, as is it seen as a widely unconventional sport by modern culture?
No, I think it’s important to not worry about how silly you look, especially when it might deter you from doing something fun.
How has the sport grown since its inception in 2005?
It has become much more physical and a lot of different strategies have been developed. It’s still such a new sport that people are willing to try pretty much anything.
Craziest thing to happen on the quidditch pitch?
People have been known to jump through the hoop with the quaffle to score. It’s pretty cool. I’ve never witnessed it during a match but I have seen it done in practice before.
Name: Louis Contino
Team / Position: Boston Riot, Captain – Chaser
Major or Profession: Marketing
Favorite HP movie? Didn’t watch the movies or read the books
How long have you been playing quidditch?
Four years
How long did it take you to get used to running with a broom between your legs?
Only about two hours, it is not as hard as it looks. I can now run without holding on to the broom, it’s all about thigh clenching.
What other sports did you play other sports prior to quidditch?
Basketball, wrestling, MMA, Track & Field
Craziest thing to happen on the quidditch pitch?
One of my teammates threw up blood on the field from being hit too hard on a play by a defender.
Name: Emily Yumkas
Team / Position: Boston Riot – Chaser
Major or Profession: Marketing Communications
Favorite HP movie? None
Which Hogwort’s House would you belong to? Hufflepuff
How long did it take you to get used to running with a broom between your legs?
I assimilated pretty quickly when I started, we still used heavy wooden brooms and they‘d make my arm tired and bristles would give you broom burn.
Do you find it difficult to play Quidditch, as is it seen as a widely unconventional sport by modern culture?
I don’t find it difficult. People make fun, but I’m out here being active and having a great time with some great people.
Craziest thing to happen on the quidditch pitch?
Snitches used to do all sorts of crazy things. They’d change clothes, or spray silly string or hide in the stands. But now that the sport has grown, it’s taken too seriously to do that.
Name: Leeanne Dillmann
Team / Position: Emerson College Quidditch, Captain and Boston Riot, Coach
Major or Profession: Political Communications
Favorite HP movie? 3rd – “Prisoner of Azkaban”
Which Hogwort’s House would you belong to? Slytherin
How long have you been playing quidditch?
Four years
What other sports did you play prior to quidditch?
Soccer, track, fencing and I used to run cross country for Emerson.
Why should quidditch be taken seriously as a sport?
It’s a full contact sport and it’s gender neutral. Plus there is a lot of running and physicality involved.
How do you feel about Title 9 ¾?
It’s a great way to be inclusive and appeal to a wide variety of people.
(Title 9 ¾ is the gender equality rule stating that each team must have at least two players who identify as opposite genders on the field at any given time)
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