By Naomi Kruh
Staff Writer
To the dismay of many “Harry Potter” fanatics, the game of quidditch only seems realistic in the world of Hogwarts.
Costa junior Sarah Kennedy founded the Quidditch Club last year. The club plays the game of q uidditch on weekends and volunteers within the community.
“I thought our school needed a quidditch team,” Kennedy said. “It is something that people could do if they weren’t involved in a varsity sport but still wanted to play a sport and have fun.”
According to Kennedy, she first became interested in quidditch after reading the “Harry Potter” novels and seeing the growth of the sport at the collegiate level. After discovering numerous colleges that have quidditch teams, she recruited a team for Costa.
“I like the fact that it is different than most Costa clubs,” junior Quidditch Club Secretary Marisa Nwoke said. “It is way less stressful than most clubs, and we have fun meeting lots of new people all while playing quidditch.”
The original game is meant to be played with children flying on brooms in the sky, but the club has taken an alternative approach in order to play the game in the muggle world. Instead, each player runs with a broom between its legs and tries to score several points by throwing balls through hula hoops.
“It’s kind of like soccer but you are playing with a broom between your legs,” Kennedy said. “It’s fun because it is unique, whimsical and actually really good exercise. It’s a really exciting way to spend an hour on the weekend.”
Each team consists of seven players, three chasers, two beaters, a keeper and a seeker. The chasers’ jobs are similar to an offensive player in soccer. They take the ball, known as a quaffle, and try to score by getting the ball through one of the three hoops. The beaters on the other hand are defensive players and try to prevent the other team from scoring. The keeper’s job is to block any of the opposition’s attempts at scoring a goal.
“My favorite position to play is beater,” sophmore Andrew Welch said. “If anyone on the offense gets close to scoring, I just peg them with a dodgeball.”
In order to end the game, the player known as the seeker must catch the snitch. The snitch in the “Harry Potter” novels and movies is a little gold ball, but in the club’s games, the snitch is a person dressed in yellow. The team that catches the snitch is awarded 30 points toward its score.
“I’m usually the snitch, so the seekers try to catch me,” publicity chair junior Sean Okita said. “I attach a string around a ball at the end of my shirt, and they try to grab it. Once they catch the snitch, the game ends.”
On game days, the club members gather at Hermosa Valley Park. For many members, it is a time where they can relieve any stress that they have.
“What I like most about the club is the games,” member junior Maddie Horn said. “They are fun and allow you to take a break from your homework and just have a fun time with friends.”
The club also hopes to offer community serivce opportunities by having club members play with Manhattan Beach Middle School students after school to teach them the game.
“I think it is a great way for the club to put ourselves out in the community,” member junior Trace Demarest said,
There are not very many high schools in the area with their own quidditch team, so the club only plays, against one another. The club’s main focus is to teach new members how to play and how to work as a team as well as getting students interested in the club.
“Hopefully in the next year or so we can play, advance and participate in the regional competitions,” Kennedy said.
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