History
Quidditch-for Wizards and Muggles?
Quidditch is a fictional wizard’s sport that originates from the famous Harry Potter novels by J.K. Rowling. Each game involves two teams of seven players who fly around the pitch on brooms, trying to score the most points for their team using four balls and six elevated ring-shaped hoops. The goal of each team is to score the most points. Points are scored by throwing the Quaffle through the opposing team’s hoops or by capturing the Snitch. The game ends when the Snitch is caught.
In 2005, students at Middlebury College developed an adaptation for Muggles (non-magical people). This new phenomenon quickly spread to other schools. Currently, there are more than 200 schools with their own teams, some who compete against each other.
Quidditch Spreads to UMass Amherst
On March 28th, 2008, Middlebury College came to Amherst College and played the Pioneer Valley’s first Quidditch Match ever. A UMass student, Matthew Drake, attended the game and was quickly enthralled. He e-mailed Alex Benepe, the commissioner of the Middlebury College League, asking for advice on getting a club started at UMass. Benepe sent him copy of the official rulebook and told Matthew that Maggie Henry, another UMass student, was interested in starting a Quidditch Club at UMass Amherst too.
After much discussion, Matthew and Maggie created a Facebook group, inviting everyone they knew to spread the word about Quidditch. The group was a hit, as many people joined almost instantly. The next step was hold a practice. The first practice was held on April 19th, with only six people attending. Players improvised their first game with 5 of the players against 1 keeper, using a lacrosse goal for scoring. Soon, Quidditch practices began meeting twice weekly, attracting many students who passed by the field. The group was gradually growing, thus letting Matthew and Maggie make the decision to turn Quidditch into an official registered organization at UMass Amherst. On May 20th, their request was approved, and UMass Quidditch was born.
Growth of the Club
The biggest growth for the club came on September 3rd, 2008 when the club had a table at UMass’ activities expo. With a prime position next to the entrance and a beautiful display, the club attracted many interested students. Over 100 students signed up for the mailing list wanting to hear more, and practice attendance soared. On September 6th, a few members of the club constructed some goals out of pvc pipe, hoola hoops, duct tape, and tent stakes. It quickly became regular to have full-sized games at practice.
On October 26th, UMass Quidditch played in the 2008 Intercollegiate World Cup at Middlebury College. Having not played with the full contact rules at practice, the club was eliminated from the tournament quickly after suffering two defeats at the hands of Emerson College and Ives Pond. However, there was still a success in that all 20 players that traveled to the cup had a blast and were able to have a chance to play.
First Time Hosting
On December 6th, 2008, UMass hosted their first Intercollegiate match by inviting Amherst College over. After some organizational trouble, Amherst brought two players. Not wanting to disappoint the crowd watching, UMass had 6 of their members play for Amherst and put on two games. UMass won both games 80-70 and 60-20, with the first game going into a sudden death round. The match was featured in The Amherst Wire online newspaper, and on the local TV station UVC-19.
The Future of UMass Quidditch
UMass is now preparing for future matches and hoping to do some traveling for the upcoming year. Plans are being made for fundraising and future events. Keep an eye out for more details on the “Events” page, or you can also use the “Contact” page to ask us for more details.
“And now [UMass Quidditch Club], let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.”
-Professor Dumbledore
