The Tenth Year #QuidditchTurns10
It’s been 6,700 days since Harry Potter was published and we were first introduced to the game of Quidditch. 724 weeks since the first film was released, which gave our first look on how it was played. And although Harry only played in nine matches of Quidditch, two of which he was injured in, in ten days it will be 10 years since the first game of Muggle Quidditch as it is known today was played at Middlebury College.
It’s always about fun. It’s about the fun of competing and getting together some guys and playing. I feel like the fun has been taken out of a lot of sports in general, so Quidditch is about returning to the fun – the simple pleasures of just running around on a field.” – Alex Benepe
Over the next week and a half, we’ll be counting back through history to that memorable first day, showcasing major news and developments that happened, interspersing it with quotes of love for the game as well as highlights. A game that Rowling created in her novels to infuriate passionate sports supporters, Quidditch has now expanded competitive spirit and inclusion to new and existing athletes.
The biggest change in Quidditch history is also likely to be footnoted to this year: Donte Quinine was hired as Executive Director, replacing CEO and Quidditch founder Alex Benepe, as well as COO (Chief Operating Officer) Alica Radford, who had a combined 17 years at the helm of US and international Quidditch. With announcements of the new Great Lakes region, US National Cup in Columbia, SC and Global Games 2016, Quidditch is sure to fly into its eleventh season.
This year’s major competitions were the European Games, which saw the number of nations that have competed in a tournament more than double to 16, and of course, US Quidditch World Cup 8. The University of Texas continued to hold the cup for the third year in a row with an excellent Snitch When It Mattered catch to win 120* – 90 over Lone Star QC. With only two teams having ever won a World Cup (now known as National Cup), the eleventh year of Quidditch seems sure to finally crown a new champion.
*language warning for soundtrack in video*
The world is a better place for Quidditch, whether everyone begins to realize it is a completely different matter. This first decade has not been perfect. How could anything brand new be? It has pushed the limits of what it means to be a nerd, an athlete, a good citizen, and even a fan. There are people of all genders working together in a way even Title IX couldn’t foresee. And most importantly, it is honestly just so much fun.
We are so thrilled to travel back through the years to where it all began. What are your biggest Quidditch highlights?