The Eastern Michigan University Quidditch team traveled to New York City on Nov. 15 to participate in the International Quidditch Association’s fourth annual Quidditch World Cup.
The event represented 16 states, 46 teams, and over 757 players from all across the country and Canada. It featured a new and upcoming sport called Quidditch, based on the game from the popular Harry Potter novels by J.K. Rowling, that has found its way onto EMU’s campus.
The Flying Squirrels promote their Quidditch team through the meetings of the Harry Potter Book Club and Facebook.
Haley Brunson, a member of the team and minion, said she heard about the team at the book club toward the beginning of the year.
“I tried it, and liked it.” Brunson said. “I like being on the team. It has given me a place in college.”
Brunson said she would hardly leave her dorm room her first year, but because of the team she has been more outgoing and has gained more friendships.
“In a lot of ways, when we got to the World Cup we saw it as more of a real thing, a real sport,” Chad Brisois, an assistant on the team, said.
The EMU Flying Squirrels attended the Quidditch World Cup for the first time this year. Nate Gibson, the team captain, said Quidditch at EMU started at a Harry Potter Book Club meeting in winter of 2009. He said someone brought up the sport, and it took off from there. Now, the Flying Squirrels have 20 team members.
Gibson compares the game to rugby and soccer.
“There is a good amount of physicality in the game,” he said. “There is a lot of physical checking, passing and even kicking.”
The game includes all seven players carrying a broom between their legs.
The snitch will run around for 15 minutes and then be called back until the 20th minute to run in a designated area. The seeker’s job is to grab a tennis ball, which is at the bottom of a long sock that is tucked into the back of the snitch’s shorts.
The chasers handle the scoring-advancing volleyballs, known as quaffles, down the field by carrying or passing to other chasers and throwing them past the opposing team’s goalkeeper through three different vertical hoops.
The beaters and goalkeeper are the team’s designated defenders. The beaters throw dodgeballs, referred to as bludgers, to opposing chasers that cause them to stop instantaneously when hit.
The chasers then have to run back to their goals to continue play.
The Flying Squirrels keep things interesting, holding rankings within the team. The team has minions, managers and a captain. The minions are the assistants of the team and help with whatever is needed. The captain is in charge of running practices. The managers handle all the paperwork and set up games.
Gibson said the team was shocked at the overall competiveness the 2010 World Cup featured and has really learned to love playing the sport.
“It may be a little different,” Gibson said, “But it’s still as much fun.”
At this year’s World Cup, the team couldn’t find its way out of the first round.
“Our practices have picked up since (the World Cup),” Brisbois said. “We want to do it well. We want to be a team that gets noticed next year.”
To get more information on upcoming meetings and events of the Flying Squirrels, join their Facebook group, Flying Squirrels Quidditch Team.
