By: Bobby Segovia
“Snapchat had this little snippet on ESPN, and it was just a bunch of people dunking on each other with brooms between their legs. I was like ‘ oh I gotta know what that’s about’. “
Texas State senior , now the Coach and captain of the University’s team, David Avilla, is not the first person to see people running around with PVC pipe brooms between their legs and be intrigued. 6 Large hoops, people throwing dodgeballs and volleyballs, what is this sport?
Quadball (formerly and widely known as Quidditch)
The magical and previously fictional game from the pages of J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter, has become a worldwide practice. Born in 2005 as a recreational activity in Virginia for students to try and recreate a game from their favorite book series, Quadball had grown into an international sport played by thousands all over the globe, according to U.S Quadball. The sport has thrived right here in San Marcos, with the team ranking top 5 in the country.
How does it work?
Quadball is a chaotically unique game on paper, but in practice yields strategy and competition that rivals your favorite sports.
The game is free flowing and is most compareable to soccer, as it has two ends and the balls can change hands quickly
The Offense
There are 3 hoops at each end of the Quadball field , the Chasers , offensive players, look to score by throwing volleyballs, known as Quaffles, through any of the 3 hoops, counting for 10 points. Keepers are also apart of the offense, having the same ability to score, but they are permitted to stick their hands through their own hoops in order to block shots while other players cannot. All players must keep a PVC pipe “broom” between their legs at all times while playing or while be out of play.
The Defense
Beaters, are the defensive players, their objective is to hit or “beat” the opposing players, by throwing dodgeballs called Bludgers. Just like in dodgeball if a player is hit with a Bludger, they must take their broom out from under their legs and run back to their center hoop and “tag up” by touching the hoop, only then are they allowed to return to play
The Unique
The last position is called the Seeker. In Harry Potter the seeker is in charge of finding the Golden Snitch , a tiny flying gold ball, in Quadball the premiss is surprisingly similar. The Snitch is a neutral person ,now called The Flagrunner, they are hired on like a referee. They tuck a tennis ball inside a sock in the back of their shorts, The Golden Snitch, the seekers from each team then must wrestle and jostle with the Flagrunner in order to grab the Snitch , while the Flagrunner is actively defending it from them. A snitch capture counts as 30 points for the team.
Lastly, Quadball is co-ed and full contact, something you rarely see in sports today.
“I remember when I got hit for the first time I was terrified, I just laid on the ground and was like, ‘did that really just happen?’.” Says Co-Captain Catherine Hays, “Quidditch is really big on equality for men and women, so it’s nice to have guys not afraid to treat you like their equal.”
The Community
Here at Texas State Quadball, the community is as important to the team as the sport itself is. The team operates as a family, holding weekly team dinners, film sessions, and 3 practices a week the team spend a lot of time together. The uniqueness of the sport is what makes the bond so strong
“It takes a certain type of person to be interested in Quidditch,” Says team veteran and Texas State Senior Emmanuel Bustos, ” I think because of that, we naturally all get along so well.”
The community is what is spreading the game throughout the entire world, what started as a make believe game with a couple dozen college students in Virginia is conquering the world and only getting bigger.
“We are all embedded in each others lives,” Says Coach David Avilla “The Community is what makes quidditch so special.”
