summer 2012

Like Connor, Gwen is excited about theidea of GFfQ, and programs like it, becominga regular part of the quidditch community andperhaps a summer-long, annual event. “I thinkit’s a great way for less athletic quidditch playersto get in shape and be supported while doingso,” she says. “In addition, there are a lot of veryknowledgeable players who are doing GFfQ andthey are very helpful when one needs advice.” nThe mixed tournamentBY LEAH SUMMERVILLE FARRARQuidditch is growing quickly. There are over 500 teams now recognized by the IQA, and more are forming everyweek. Though the majority of these teams are still college-aged, a marked and significantly growing minority arehigh school teams. One of the clearest signs of the growing popularity of quidditch with the high school populationwas the addition of a high school division to World Cup V, held on Randall’s Island this past November.The expansion of quidditch to high schoolsis wonderful for both the current state andthe future of the sport. Experience playing onhigh school teams will increase the talent offuture quidditch players, add vibrancy and furtherdepth to the sport’s culture, and will helpsustain quidditch’s popularity. However, a newconversation has sprung up as high school teamsincrease in numbers—one centered around theincreasing frequency of high school and collegeteams playing against each other in mixed tournaments.Of the thirteen tournaments listed onthe IQA calendar for the month of April, ninehad only college and/or community teams registered,one was a high school tournament, andthree had at least one high school team registeredto play. Though college-only tournamentsmay still be predominant, mixed tournamentsare a developing phenomenon.Probably the most significant reason for thegrowth of mixed tournaments is the relativegeographic scarcity of teams at both the highschool and college level. Without enough highschool teams in the area, entering college tournamentsmay be the only way for high schools toget game time. Likewise, if a college tournamentneeds enough teams to fill the pool play brackets,then allowing interested local high schoolteams to enter makes sense. Whether or notmixed tournaments are appropriate, however, is adifferent conversation. Mixed tournaments helppromote the community nature of quidditch,and they can foster some wonderful friendshipsand mentorships across age boundaries. Conversely,some feel that the dangers of havingyoung adults and adolescents play against eachother and older players in a rough, full-contactsport very much outweigh the benefits.The geographic issue is one that JeffersonDedrick understands. Jefferson is the captainand co-founder of the WEQL Griffins HighSchool Quidditch Club, a predominantly highschool-aged community team from Allegany,NY. So far, Jefferson’s team has only played inmixed tournaments. Unfortunately, the Griffinsdon’t have the opportunity to play high schoolteams on a regular basis. According to Jefferson,there are only two established high schoolteams in Western New York; one team is formingand there is one team in Central New York.Given distances of an hour or more between theGriffins and the other established teams, theyhaven’t really played each other outside of a fewmixed tournaments. Fortunately, all the highschool teams do plan on playing in their firsthigh school-only tournament in May.Danny Mendelson’s team, the BriarcliffNearly Headless Nicolas Cages, from BriarcliffManor, NY, has a bit more experience in thehigh school bracket. Briarcliff played in the highschool division at World Cup V, and has hosteda predominantly high school tournament, theBriarcliff House Cup. “There are plenty of highschool teams in our area,” Danny says, “butI honestly think it’s more fun to play collegeteams. It gives you something to look forwardto when you graduate. I also think that playingcollege teams really benefits your team becauseyou’re, in most cases, playing a more advancedteam and you have to play really hard to keepup with them.”Having to play harder against a college teamis an assertion that Jefferson shares. “If you’rea high school-level team, and you’re lookingto play against college teams competitively, it’snot something you can do once a month,” Jeffersoninsists. “You have to be always willing toimprove yourself, your game, and your peers…you have to be able to pick yourself up off theground after someone three years older than youoverpowers you, spins around you, or runs pastyou at a crucial part of the game. If you’re goingto play at a higher level, you’re being held at ahigher standard, and you have to live up to that.”Of course, that ‘higher level’ is the cause ofconcern for many about the potential dangersinherent in mixed tournaments. “The main argumentI’ve heard against mixed tournaments,”Danny says, “is the tackling aspect. To be honestit’s mostly from the parents of players on thehigh school teams that are nervous about sendingtheir kids off to play older people.”Given the age difference between college andhigh school players, parents’ concerns aren’t illfounded;particularly if the high school teamhas 8th graders on the roster, as some teams do.Most players on high school teams range in agefrom 13 to 18 years, while college players are frequentlyin their twenties. With such a large gapin the physical size and maturity between theyoungest and oldest players, it is easy to see howyounger players could potentially face injury.However, Jefferson is adamant that the fullcontactnature of quidditch shouldn’t be, andisn’t, an overwhelming concern. “When we goon the pitch as high schoolers playing [against]college [teams], we expect to take and dish outjust as hard of hits and as fierce of playing as theother team.”Though Jefferson does say that college playersare “obviously a little stronger and a little fasterthan [high school players], we try our hardest.I’ve never got any complaints from teams, nordo I think that any of them have ‘taken it easy’because we’re high schoolers.”Confidence doesn’t mean that care shouldn’tbe taken, however; something that both Jeffersonand Danny insist is important to successfulmixed play. Jefferson is careful to speak to otherteams about the age gap when necessary. Duringthe Blue Devil Invitational, the 8th grader onJefferson’s team wanted to start, so as captain hewent over to the other team’s captain before thegame and “pointed out that she was 13, and theywere, you know, 10+ years older than her.” Thegame—and age difference —went without issue.However, while Mendelson agrees that communicationis the key, he is a bit more reservedabout the issue of tackling. “I think [tackling]can be a concern,” he admits, though he doesn’tthink it should be an impediment. “At our tournament[Briarcliff ’s Second Annual HouseCup] we’re telling the college players that theycan tackle just as long as they’re safe and awarethat they might be playing teams that aren’t asused to having their faces meet the dirt... Playersjust need to be smart about how they playand play safely. As long as that happens, thereshouldn’t be anything wrong with a mixed tournament.”Communication, like Jefferson and Dannymention, could potentially answer many of theproblems inherent in the age-physicality gap.Certainly, as long as younger players and their58 Quidditch Quarterly • Summer 2012