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Ten points for Gryffindors … er, Marquette!

By Jessie Bazan, Comm '14

The quidditch team gathers on Randall's Island, overlooking New York City, after a successful World Cup run.

Swooping and soaring, ducking and dodging, Harry Potter always seemed to have his way on the quidditch field. The sport, played in the massively popular books by J.K. Rowling, was made for young wizards who can fly and cast magic spells.

Now, thanks to some slight rule adaptations, Marquette muggles can join in the fun.

Real-life quidditch is a combination of rugby, basketball and water polo. Players hold brooms between their legs as they run down the field, avoiding errant bludgers (dodgeballs) as they aim to throw the quaffle (scoring ball) into one of three hoops. All the while, a seeker from each team searches for the snitch (third-party runner), whose capture signals the end of the game. Read a more in-depth explanation of the game on the International Quidditch Association's website.

Officially voted a club sport this year, Marquette's quidditch team is the brainchild of juniors Shane Anderson, Bus Ad '13, and Curtis Taylor, Arts '13, Bus Ad '13. What inspired them to bring such a unique sport to campus? Taylor says he was just "creeping on Facebook" when a quidditch video caught his eye.

"I thought it would be fun to do something like that on campus, with Harry Potter being done for good at this point, to just keep that fantastical world around," says Taylor.

The first step toward making Marquette quidditch a reality involved gauging interest and recruiting players. The team started with eight committed players and has since grown to 16. Chelsea Greco, Arts '14 and one of the original members, says word spread quickly about the new team this summer via Taylor's quidditch Facebook group. It also caught fire when advertised on the incoming freshmen page, so much so that half the team is first-years. Despite the big push for players, however, Taylor says he didn't accept just anybody.

"I would say 90 percent of the team is three-sport athletes from high school," Taylor explains. "I didn't really recruit anyone who was just into Harry Potter."

Then came the logistical challenge of getting equipment together. Before officially being named a club sport, the captains charged regular club dues so they could purchase uniforms, cleats, spirit wear and brooms. Looking back, the team's inaugural season was a huge success. They finished 20th at the national Quidditch World Cup in New York City, had the top-ranked offense of any school in the world and ended the season internationally ranked 11th out of 400 teams. While in New York, the team was interviewed by NBC, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal for its play, uniforms and, as Taylor puts it, "overall awesomeness." Watch for more Marquette quidditch action this spring, when the team hosts a tournament in Racine, Wis., in conjunction with "Harry Potter Day."