By Sean Wardwell

HTXgeek Editor

At first glance, it looks like a cross between soccer, volleyball and rugby, with elements of basketball and tag. Players ram into each other trying to throw a ball through rings set at either end of the field while someone in a yellow shirt races to avoid everyone.

Plus, they all have sticks between their legs.

Quidditch, the wizard sport from JK Rowling’s wildly-popular Harry Potter series, has crossed over into the muggle world. Drawing fans of both the books and people looking for a different kind of exercise, the sport now boasts several teams here in Houston.

“It’s different. The more you play, the more invested you get and the more fun it becomes,” said Brian Stevens, a 24 year-old Rice alumni who serves as that team’s coach. “You have athletic people who are really intense and those that never played sports. They come together.”

A history of inclusiveness

While the world was first introduced to the idea of Quidditch in 1997, when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was first released, it didn’t develop into a team sport until 2005 at Middlebury College in Vermont. The sport now has nearly 1,200 teams globally, according to the International Quidditch Association.

Of course, some adaptations had to be made. The game takes place firmly on the ground, and rather than being a magical golden ball, the snitch is a neutral player. But, like the books, , each side sports seven members – three chasers, two beaters, a keeper and a seeker – and points are scored when the chasers throw a ball called a quaffle through one of three rings set up at either end of the pitch. Points are also scored when the seeker manages to catch the snitch.

The rules, published by the International Quidditch Association, exhibit an attitude of inclusiveness not found in many other team sports. For example, a match must have at least two players per-side who identify as a different gender than at least two other players. Furthermore, the rules state the association.”… accepts those who don’t identify within the binary gender system, and acknowledge that not all of our players identify as male or female. We welcome people of all identities and genders into our league.”

However, the co-ed nature of the sport doesn’t mean anyone gets easy treatment.

A physical game

“It’s exciting and it is rough,” said Jessica Henson, who serves as the Rice team captain. “Because I’m a girl and kind of small, I tend to get thrown around a lot by the bigger dudes who like to play the snitch.”

“You wouldn’t expect that out of of a sport that comes from nerd culture,” she continued. “But, you get out there and you get knocked down. But you get up and you give as good as you get.”

Other players confirmed how rough the game could get.

“I didn’t expect to get injured every game. That’s become my new accolade but that’s what makes it fun,” said University of Houston player Kelby Brooks. “It was much more physically aggressive than I anticipated.”

“A lot of people don’t realize the intercollegiate level is very physical – very athletic and competitive,” said Texas State University Team Captain Jordon Parisher, who came to Houston from San Marcos on Oct. 5 for a tournament at Rice University. “A lot of the time, I’d say 80 percent of students that compete at the intercollegiate level have an athletic background, like varsity-level from high school.”

All of this is compounded by the fact that the entire game is played with a stick between the player’s legs.

“It’s not as much of a problem as you’d think it would be,” said Rice seeker Thomas Loughlan. “It definitely takes getting used to but the more you run around the easier it gets.”

Loughlan said that because there’s no Quidditch store, players embrace a DIY aesthetic when finding equipment.

“As far as balls, it’s basically volleyballs and dodgeballs. For brooms, we usually use PVC pipe wrapped in duct tape,” he said.

A blending of cultures.

“Originally, I was looking for something fun and athletic. I do have a nerdy side to me, so Quidditch is a natural calling,” said Parisher.

Other players said that pairing of fandom and a desire for activity is what got them into the sport.

“I played soccer, basketball, softball. I was not good at most of them,” joked Henson, who also said she enjoys Pacific Rim and Supernatural. “I got here and found a sport I both love and I’m good at. I’ve been a massive Harry Potter nerd since it’s inception”

I was always interested in Harry Potter, but it’s more about getting better at the sport. It really attracts a great group of people,” said Rice Quidditch President Kiara Aguirre.

Recently, the Rice team participated in the Quidditch World Cup, held in Kissimmee, FL. Additionally, the teams had the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando to themselves for the night.

More information can be found at the International Quidditch Associations website, including contact information for Houston-area teams, can be found at the International Quidditch Association’s website.

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