The sport of Quiddich is not just for Harry Potter fans, says the head coach of the University of Guelph team.
Denver Staines, head coach of the University of Guelph Quiddich Club said the sport began as a way for Harry Potter fans to have fun and socialize but it has morphed into a legitimate sport, played in over 20 countries.
“Now we get people who come from a sport background— they have never seen the movies, never seen the books — they come just for the sport,” said Staines.
Competitive Quiddich is a full-contact co-ed sport. “It’s one of the only sports — I don’t know of any others — that do that,” said Staines.
At least two players of each gender must be on the pitch at all times for each team and non-binary players can represent the gender they identify with, said Staines.
"It's very inclusive," he said.
Rugby players tend to be successful Quiddich players, said Staines, as are soccer players and wrestlers.
“Pretty much any sport has some transferrable skills to Quiddich because it’s a big combination of all of them,” he said.
Staines admits there can be a stigma to playing the sport, which originated in the pages of a children’s book about wizards and witches playing on flying broomsticks.
“We definitely don’t get the numbers we want because some people are embarrassed that it’s a Harry Potter sport. That’s slowly decreasing as the sport is becoming more legitimate,” he said.
Last year, the Guelph Gryphons placed second at nationals held in British Columbia.
Sam Chomyc, beater captain for the Gryphons, said organized Quiddich began on campus seven years ago with hula hoops literally taped to tree branches to act as goals.
“For the last two years we have had two different teams because we have that much interest,” said Chomyc.
The Guelph Gryphons is the primary team within the University of Guelph Quiddich Club, while the second team — Royal City Quiddich — acts as a development team.
On defence, each team has a keeper, who acts as a goaltender, and two beaters who use red balls called bludgers to ‘knock out’ opposing players.
“There’s always going to be one person who doesn’t have one that is going try and get one, that’s a huge part of the dynamic of the game,” said Chomyc.
Three offensive players on each team, called chasers, try to score on one of the opposing team’s three goals with the white quaffle ball, said Chomyc.
“They are basically fighting for the one volleyball, trying to score with it,” she said.
Staines is in his third year coaching and this will mark his fifth year as a player.
Aside from coaching, Staines is also captain of the Gryphons.
He saw it in the orientation week guide in his first year and decided to check it out with his roommates.
“They ended up ditching, so I just went by myself and ended up falling in love with it,” said Staines.
Over the years, he has made many friends playing and notes the team is very close, with some members in relationships.
“There’s always a big after party after a tournament. For us, everybody on the team is super close friends,” said Staines.
Tryouts continue Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. on Johnston Green.
