Club Team Spotlight: Quidditch

By AMANDA CALLENDAR

On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays evenings on the Campus Rec turf field, the Club Quidditch team practices to improve their many skills. Among the team are the club officers, president Hallie Heizen, secretary Sheldon McClung and treasurer Shane Chamberlain. The co-captains of the team are Tino Bordone and junior Quinn Ogden.

Club Quidditch is a full contact and highly competitive sport that requires the abilities of tackling, throwing and catching. Their season is year-round and they compete against all colleges in the Mid- Atlantic regions but mainly face other teams here in Virginia. So far this season they have gone to tournaments and have had many matches. “I would have to say our game against JMU at W&M was our best,” Ogden said. “JMU always beats us but when we pulled the snitch to take them to overtime, and then pulled the snitch to win in overtime, everyone went nuts and it was truly a wonderful underdog victory.”

The community of Quidditch is continuing to grow and become more popular among many universities including the University of Mary Washington. The sport itself can be very aggressive and dangerous however the community of the sport is the opposite. “Most of the Quidditch community is so friendly it is very hard to have a rival but I would say JMU is our biggest one currently. Every time we play them it is always so heated and intense, I feel like that’s the only team that makes us play to our fullest potential,” Ogden said.

Contributing to the new popularity of this sport is that it is both challenging and fun. “Quidditch is a very unknown game but once you get to learn how to play, it is the most fun you will ever have with a sport,” said Ogden. “I would say it is a perfect combo between rugby, dodgeball, and basketball.”

Moving on with the rest of their season the team wants to continue improving their skills and shooting for the top. “We are a young team with a lot of potential for growth,” Ogden said. “Improving our image and holding our own is definitely a big goal. Next year we want to do well at regionals so we can qualify for the national world cup in the spring.”

There are currently no matches or tournaments set up for next semester, but they are currently in the works. Regardless, the Quidditch team will be back in action next semester and ready to compete.