Yes, Quidditch, the sport from the book and movie series Harry Potter.
Club sports provide a route for athletic students to engage in the Baylor community in competition with each other and schools from around the country. The clubs range from familiar to foreign sports.
But one club team on Baylor’s campus shines in its uniqueness: Baylor Quidditch.
While the lack of flying broomsticks is evident, the rest of play functions remarkably like it would in the series. There are catchers, beaters, keepers and even a seeker to chase a “golden snitch” attached to a player that is chased around the field at the end of Quidditch games. All while holding PVC pipes between their legs.
Baylor Quidditch was established in 2011 and since then, the sport has attracted many students to this unique competitive community. As of now, the team is made up of 26 students.
Savannah Senger is a senior psychology and biology major, and the president of Baylor Quidditch.
“I joined Baylor Quidditch when I was a freshman,” Senger said. “I found it during Late Night, which is when Freshman go out and find organizations. I went out, and I was a little bewildered. I tried it out and it was really fun.”
Interestingly enough, Baylor isn’t the only school around that offers this unique sport. Baylor Quidditch is a traveling team.
“We travel to every tournament, which we have about once a month, and we host our own tournament in January,” Senger said. “The biggest school right now in Quidditch is UT, who won nationals last year. We play schools like Texas A&M and Sam Houston State. There’s also schools not in Texas like LSU and Mizzou.”
Baylor might not be the only school around to play Quidditch, but it certainly is one of the most successful. Senger said they even traveled as far as Florida for Quidditch Nationals.
“We’ve made it to nationals every single year since the team was established except for one,” Senger said said.
She spoke highly of the bond that she and the team have made over her course of being a part of Baylor Quidditch.
“[The club is] based on making friendships and making sure people are always there to help out,” Senger said. “After every tournament, we go out for a team dinner and each person tells what their best play and worst play was during the tournament. It’s not so much about the game, it’s about sitting and eating and talking about our troubles and successes. We do that every tournament.”
Fans of the Harry Potter series will be happy to know that another way the Quidditch team builds its community is through “House Games.” Students are sorted into four “Houses” from Harry Potter when they join the team, creating a sort of “small group” within the team, and also fostering healthy competition between the team.
“We always like to say ‘Quidditch team is family,’” Senger said with a smile. “Even though it’s a strange sport, we always try to make everyone feel included in something.”
Photos provided by Baylor Quidditch
