TEAM SPOTLIGHTS
Queensland Quidditch treading water By Andrea Hill
M
assive flooding in Queensland, Australia has left the state’s Quidditch League without a pitch and essential equipment. By the middle of January, the team’s practice space was underwater and hoops and balls were destroyed. The lost supplies represent six-months worth of labour and fundraising. “It’s kind of horrible,” said Nicola Caldwell, founder of the Queensland Quidditch League. “But we’re tough, we’ll get through it.” Among the League’s few remaining possessions are players’ homemade brooms. These were stored in Caldwell’s home, one of the only houses on its street that was not evacuated. Though the water came up to her doorstep, Caldwell’s residence was spared from extensive flood damage. Caldwell said that before the floodwaters hit, players dreamed of travelling to the 2011 Quidditch World Cup. Now, with so much money and effort needed to replace equipment, it is unlikely athletes will be able to afford the trip so soon. But Caldwell has not given up the dream. “We definitely want to go in 2012,” she said.
The Queensland League was born in August 2010 after Caldwell learned about Muggle Quidditch online. Using social media sites, Caldwell appealed to Harry Potter fans in the state and soon three teams were born. “It was insane,” Caldwell said. “The amount of response I got was overwhelming.”
Two community teams, the Privet Drivers and Whimsic Alleys, are composed mainly of college students. The third team, Dumbledore’s Army, consists of students from Miami High School. Until December, athletes practiced and scrimmaged every second Sunday. Some travelled up to an hour and a half by train to reach the practice field. Players also met to sell sausages in store parking lots to raise money for equipment and uniforms. Unfortunately, much of this money has now been lost. Caldwell said the League plans to start fundraising again in April at a pop culture convention in Brisbane where players will sell team badges and promote Quidditch as a sport. Cadwell said she hopes the League will eventually grow to include more teams from Queensland and other Australian states. But for now, she and the rest of the League have a long period of rebuilding ahead. n
Did you know? After the United States and Canada, Australia has the most Quidditch teams of any country in the world.
A look at Quidditch in California Bay
T
he Pacific School of Religion (PSR) Quidditch Team was founded in August 2008 by PSR alumna and current staff member Rev. Joellynn Monahan. However, the name quickly changed to the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) Quidditch League when more students from the GTU’s other seminaries wanted to join in on the fun. The league’s members are the graduate students, staff, family members and alumni. Besides regular season matches and scrimmages, the league also hosts special events like the annual fall season opening ceremony that includes a pregame oblivate ceremony to rid athletes of previous traumatic sport experiences.
By Kathryn Mudgway Monahan describes the league as “a model of interfaith, magical cooperation – students from many faiths, races, ethnicities, countries of origin, ages, genders, and sexual orientations play together.” If you’re in the California Bay Area and am interested in joining or even becoming a spectator during events, please contact GTU Quidditch League Commissioner “Constance Vigilant” (aka Rev. Joellynn Monahan) at jmonahan@psr.edu for more information. Quidditch enthusiasts from all over the world can enjoy search for the Graduate Theological Union Quidditch League on Facebook. n
The GTU Quidditch League. || P rovided
February 2011 • The Monthly Seer |16