ARLINGTON, Va. — Fans of the Harry Potter books or movies know the game of Quidditch, but it seems the game has jumped off the big screen and onto local athletic fields.
On Saturday in Arlington, the Washington Admirals were taking on the Boston Night Riders in a three-game Quidditch series. The games were held at the fields by the Thomas Jefferson Community Center.
The teams are part of Major League Quidditch (MLQ). The Washington Admirals are in their third season. Erik Morlock is the 鈥渒eeper鈥� for the Admirals. He said his position is similar to a goalie, but the keeper also plays offense.
The MLQ has 16 coed teams across the United States, including one in Canada. Currently, the league only plays in the summer, but Morlock said that could change.
Harry Potter fans Rejoice! Major League Quidditch being played in Arlington. Third season for Washington Admirals.
— Kathy Stewart (@KStewart海角精品黑料)
Quidditch team that gets the ball from the snitch (guy in yellow) gets 30 points. 10 points for getting pink volleyball through hoop.
— Kathy Stewart (@KStewart海角精品黑料)
Major League Quidditch game on Saturday in Arlington between Washington Admirals and Boston Night Riders. League teams are co-ed.
— Kathy Stewart (@KStewart海角精品黑料)
鈥淚t鈥檚 a really crazy mix of, kind of, basketball and with a little bit of rugby,鈥� said Morlock. 鈥淚t鈥檚 unlike anything else; it鈥檚 really unique.鈥�
And, yes, the players are running around carrying a broomstick between their legs.
Melissa Smith, a player for the Admirals, says she鈥檚 so used to having the broomstick that it seems unnatural not to have it in her hand. She鈥檚 a junior at the University of Maryland where she also plays in a college Quidditch program.
She鈥檚 a 鈥渂eater鈥� and uses a dodge ball to stop the 鈥渃hasers,鈥� from the other team, from scoring. There are three hoops on each side of the field. Ten points are awarded to the team that gets the deflated volleyball through one of the hoops. Another way to score is getting the ball from the waist band of the so-called 鈥渟nitch.鈥� The team that gets the ball gets 30 points. But the 鈥渟nitch鈥� only comes out late into the game.
Morlock said that Quidditch started in Middlebury College in Vermont some 10 years ago and has since then really taken off at college campuses. There are also Quidditch programs at the University of Richmond and the University of Virginia.
鈥淭his is a full contact sport, so there will be tackling,鈥� said Erin Mallory, one of the three referees. She admits she grew up as a Harry Potter fan and a sports fanatic, playing soccer and basketball. Mallory found Quidditch when she went to college at the University of Maryland.
鈥淚t鈥檚 was the perfect meld of my nerdiness and my athletics. And, it kind of grew while I was in school. So, it was very cool to be part of the growing phase of it.鈥�
Morlock said he can see the sport moving into the professional level, “especially once people see what it鈥檚 about.”
“I think a lot of people come in with connotations of Quidditch as a bunch of nerds running around on brooms.” said Morlock. “To be fair, there is a fair amount of that. But no, it is a very legitimate sport.鈥�
