The ‘muggle’ (non-magical beings) version of quidditch has gained immense popularity ever since it was first introduced by author J.K. Rowling in the Harry Potter fantasy novel series.

    The way that quidditch works is that there are three Chasers who attempt to score points by throwing the quaffle (a volleyball) into hoops by either throwing, kicking, or passing it down the field. The Keeper is the player who tries to defend the goal hoops. The two Beaters on each team try to ‘knock out’ other players by throwing dodgeballs at them. Then there’s the seeker, whose main goal is to attempt to catch the snitch.

    The snitch is a ball attached to the waistband of the Snitch-Runner, who tries to avoid capture whist wearing a yellow suit. The snitch is worth 30 point and is what officially ends the game.

    There are over 170 quidditch leagues in America alone, mainly consisting of college and university teams. Some of the ones we are most familiar with are at College Park (Maryland Quidditch), Johns Hopkins University (Hopkins Hallows), and West Virginia University (West Virginia Mountaineers).

    The University of Maryland team even won the USA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship in 2013.

    These teams are founded by the US Quidditch, which is the governing body for the sport. This sport “empowers all genders to compete together,” according to their website. The organization’s core values are stated clearly on their website that they “provide competitive opportunities for every level of athlete,” “strive to be a leader in gender inclusivity for all age groups,”  “create meaningful community partnerships,” and more.

    Quidditch teams are treated just the same as other sports like football and even has the same hype. Every month there is a referee of the month, there are championships, merchandise, and even specific workouts players can do to further their quidditch playing abilities.

    “I think the idea of playing quidditch is really interesting since it’s such an out-of -the-box sport that it gets a lot of attention,” says junior Kristen Dibastiani, “I would even consider playing it.”