Quiditch comes to college campuses, minus magic
The hottest 'sport' on many university campuses is ripped right from the pages of 'Harry Potter'
Michael Vasquez
Issue date: 10/29/10 Section: News
Quidditch is part soccer, part basketball, part dodgeball, and all fantasy or at least it used to be. The hybrid game was invented by author J.K. Rowling and, until recently, only played by the imaginary broom-flying wizards of her popular Harry Potter novels.
These days, a version for us lowly humans or "muggles," in Potter terms is popping up at more than a dozen college campuses in Florida alone.
"I can't tell you if there's flying or not, that's a secret," joked University of Miami quidditch player Ally Levy.
Truth be told, there are brooms, but no gravity-defying co-eds. Instead, students run around with a broom tucked between their legs.
"You have to keep one hand on it at all times because we're simulating flight," explained University of Miami quidditch organizer Alex Locust. "If you take both hands off, you 'fall.'" Potter fans have always been a fervent bunch. Five years ago, students at Vermont's Middlebury College invented this new brand of quidditch, and the game took off faster than, well, a real flying broomstick. There are now more than 500 active quidditch teams worldwide including teams in Brazil, New Zealand and Colombia.
In Florida, most of the nearly 30 quidditch teams that have registered with the International Quidditch Association a "magical nonprofit organization" that governs this fast-growing sport are colleges. But there's also a smattering of high schools including North Broward Preparatory School in Coconut Creek and Western High School in Davie.
"Now we're starting to get adult teams who are interested in joining," said the IQA's Alicia Radford. "Whatever age groups want to play quidditch, we will adapt."
Both the University of Miami and Florida International University have launched quidditch clubs this semester. In the most eagerly anticipated match since Slytherin vs. Gryffindor, UM will take on FIU in December.
Quidditch players typically grew up reading Harry Potter, and relish the experience of playing even a scaled-down version of a game they dreamt about as children.
These days, a version for us lowly humans or "muggles," in Potter terms is popping up at more than a dozen college campuses in Florida alone.
"I can't tell you if there's flying or not, that's a secret," joked University of Miami quidditch player Ally Levy.
Truth be told, there are brooms, but no gravity-defying co-eds. Instead, students run around with a broom tucked between their legs.
"You have to keep one hand on it at all times because we're simulating flight," explained University of Miami quidditch organizer Alex Locust. "If you take both hands off, you 'fall.'" Potter fans have always been a fervent bunch. Five years ago, students at Vermont's Middlebury College invented this new brand of quidditch, and the game took off faster than, well, a real flying broomstick. There are now more than 500 active quidditch teams worldwide including teams in Brazil, New Zealand and Colombia.
In Florida, most of the nearly 30 quidditch teams that have registered with the International Quidditch Association a "magical nonprofit organization" that governs this fast-growing sport are colleges. But there's also a smattering of high schools including North Broward Preparatory School in Coconut Creek and Western High School in Davie.
"Now we're starting to get adult teams who are interested in joining," said the IQA's Alicia Radford. "Whatever age groups want to play quidditch, we will adapt."
Both the University of Miami and Florida International University have launched quidditch clubs this semester. In the most eagerly anticipated match since Slytherin vs. Gryffindor, UM will take on FIU in December.
Quidditch players typically grew up reading Harry Potter, and relish the experience of playing even a scaled-down version of a game they dreamt about as children.
is a member of the 
Be the first to comment on this story