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How to Play Quidditch in the City That Never Sleeps!

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In celebration of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child opening on Broadway, Time Out chatted with Mary Kimball, Events Director at US Quidditch, about the sport of Muggle quidditch and its presence in New York City! This is a particularly exciting time for US Quidditch with the always exhilarating US Quidditch Cup, which just took place on April 16 and 17, and the recent release of the Team US roster to compete at the IQA World Cup in Florence, Italy, from June 30 to July 2.

During its discussion with Kimball, Time Out focused on the use of brooms, an often confusing element in the sport. As further explained in our Muggle quidditch “Rules” section, brooms are used to denote if a player is able to contribute to the game. When hit with a Bludger, players must remove the broom from between their legs and are only able to re-enter play by tapping back in on their team’s hoops.

Kimball explains that this is an important aspect to focus on, but she never feels any absurdity playing with a broom.

I find that I’m concentrating so much on not dropping the broom between my legs that I don’t feel silly at all. If you do drop the broom, you have to go tag your team’s hoops to be eligible to play again, so you’re really focused on keeping it there.

For any New Yorkers keen to get involved, Kimball encourages looking into the multiple community and collegiate teams spread throughout the city that compete in fantasy tournaments throughout the season.

Moreover, for the more competitive players, there is Major League Quidditch (MLQ) team the New York Titans. Made up of 16 teams from across the United States and Canada, major league players will have the chance to compete against some of the top teams in North America in the race for the title of Benepe Cup champion. Last year, the Titans lost 120*–90 to the New Orleans Curse in the consolation bracket of the MLQ Championship, an outcome they will surely try to improve this season.

Inspired to join a quidditch team in New York or the United States? Be sure to check out US Quidditch for further information.