If you told my ten-year-old self that in nine years I would be watching people play quidditch, I would have called you delusional as I turned back to whatever Harry Potter book I was reading at the time. Yet, here I was, standing on a soggy green field llluminated by LED lights, awaiting the arrival of the UBC Quidditch Thunderbirds Sport Club who had invited me to watch their practice. Moments later, Austin Wallace, the club lead, arrived and greeted me.
“So are you ready to play?” He asks me and I instantly respond with a laugh. His face, however, tells me he is serious.
“I wasn’t really expecting to…” I explain, gesturing to the tote bag slung across my shoulder, heeled boots, and scarf that would definitely be a tripping hazard.
“You have to try. Even if you don’t actually play, you have to test out the equipment,” he insists.
My childhood obsession with Harry Potter is enough to push me to agreement. I put my bag down, and follow Austin onto the field where he hands me my “broom” (a small PVC pipe that I hold between my legs). As we “fly” around the field, he tells me about the UBC quidditch club, and why he is passionate about being a part of it.
Inspired by the sport played by characters in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series, quidditch emerged as an offical sport in 2005. Today, it is played across the world competitively. UBC’s quidditch branch was founded in 2010, making it a relatively new addition to the thunderbird family. Currently, UBC Qudditch fosters two branches: One, the UBC Thunderbirds Sport Club (UBC TSC); and the other, the UBC Quidditch Club. The UBC TSC is the student-only competitive team with mandatory practices and montly fees. Currently, they are ranked number one in Canada, and hope to win a national championship on April 2nd/3rd in Victoria. Austin explains that despite being a competitive sports team, the UBC TSC still has a chill atmosphere. “You can’t take yourself too seriously when you are on a broom,” he notes.
The UBC Quidditch Club is the AMS counterpart to UBC TSC, with a mix of UBC graduates, novice players, and those who cannot make the commitment for TSC. Attendance is not mandatory, and they often host social events like the annual Yule Ball. Austin ensures that regardless of atheletic ability, anyone is welcomed to come play for the UBC Quidditch Club.
The game itself involves two opposing teams with seven players on each. At the end of each teams’ side of the field, hoops of varying heights stand. The goal is for the chasers on each time to score by throwing the quaffles (volleyballs) through the opposing teams hoops, worth ten points a goal. Keepers stand on each end of the field, protecting the hoops (like a goalie in soccer). In case you were already wondering, yes, the sport does involve bludgers. If you are hit with a bludger (a dodgeball) by the opposite teams’ beaters, you must “dismount” from your broom and run back to your hoop to get back in the game. And, of course, who could forget the snitch? At one point in the game, an impartial player dressed in yellow and wearing a tennis ball in a sock on their shorts will run around the field until caught by one of the seekers, awarding that team thirty points. As most things, the game is easier seen than explained, so check out this video to get a clearer picture!
After grasping the basic rules of the sport, I ask Austin how he got involved. He tells me that he was reluctant to join at first but, once he did, there was no turning back.
“I’ve always been moderately athletic, but had never found my niche: I couldn’t skate well enough for hockey, I was too small for football, and I didn’t have the coordination for [other sports]. Quidditch was immediately my sport,” Austin explains.
Another reason to love quidditch? It is the only organized full-contact, co-ed sport in the world. Jk Rowling would be proud, as the Harry Potter version of Quidditch also allows for all genders to play against one another. In addition to being co-ed, quidditch also encourages transgender players to play as their identified gender, making it incredibly progressive. Austin points out that this is his favourite thing about quidditch, that it “welcomes people of all capabilities, backgrounds, and identities.”
If you are looking for a new sport to play, UBC Quidditch should definitely be at the top of your list! The team meets for practices on Tuesdays at 7:30am and Friday at 6:30pm on the turf baseball field on campus. They also meet at the rugby field next to the UBC Tennis Centre on Thursdays at 5:30pm and Sundays at 2pm. New players are welcomed to all practices! Bonus: players on the competitive team get TSC-only access to the Birdcoop Gym at 7pm on Saturdays.
If, like me, you are more of an observer, come support UBC Quidditch at their next tournments this Saturday (Feb. 4th) at SFU and February 18th at UBC. On March 18th, they will be hosting day one of the Quidditch Conference of the Northwest (QCON) for a spectator friendly event with teams from all across BC and Washington attending! To RSVP to this event, click here.
Also be sure to check out the UBC Quidditch website and Facebook to learn more, and also their schedule for upcomming tournaments.
Big thanks to Austin and the team for letting me watch their practice! Be sure to check them out, my fellow UBC muggles, and witness some real Harry Potter magic.