I submitted the following essay for the Common Application. I applied early decision to Williams College in western Massachusetts and I found out last weekend I was admitted. That's where I will be for the next four years and I am very excited to start the next chapter in my life. As far as I know, Williams does not have a quidditch team right now. I picked Williams for its intimate community, small class sizes, academic opportunities and picturesque setting. I would love to start a team but I just don't know yet if it is possible. Next fall will be overwhelming and only time will tell. For now, I wanted to share this essay as a thank you to the sport and the community.
When I first found out about real-life quidditch in sixth grade, I naturally had a lot of questions. How did the golden snitch work? Did they have flying broomsticks? I remembered reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone back in kindergarten. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had frightened me, but I had liked quidditch, the high-flying magical game in the wizarding world.
I was always an avid sports fan, rooting for my hometown Philadelphia teams and delighting in a wide range of more obscure sports every four years during the Olympics. But quidditch? I dusted off my hard copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, only intending to re-read the quidditch chapter. I ended up racing through the first book and I jumped into the second. And the third. And so on.
Equipped with my newfound love of Harry Potter and my insatiable curiosity about real-life quidditch, I persuaded my parents to take me to the Quidditch World Cup in New York City. The wizarding world was only two hours away on the New Jersey Turnpike. On a crisp November morning, my dad and I boarded a BoltBus. It wasn’t quite the Hogwarts Express, but it delivered me to a small park along the Hudson River bursting at the seams with energy.
The sights and sounds of the Quidditch World Cup reverberated from a small corner of Hell's Kitchen in an exuberant and chaotic celebration of a young sport. Forty-six teams and hundreds of players sported homemade jerseys, painted with names like Potter and Dumbledore across the back and numbers like pi and infinity. Commentators blended improv comedy with play-by-play. Snitches, neutral players dressed from head to toe in bright yellow, evaded capture by climbing chain-link fences and darting into Manhattan street traffic. I settled into a plastic folding chair beside one of the four oval pitches, watching match after match and deciphering the labyrinthine rules of the game.
At that point, I was only a twelve-year-old spectator, but I sensed an infectious passion around this new, progressive, co-ed sport with roots in the wizarding world and children’s literature. I looked out at an intricate game with multiple balls and positions coming together in a masterpiece of teamwork and strategy. Beyond anything else, I wanted to share quidditch with others. I wanted quidditch to be accepted and celebrated as a spectator sport, not some forgotten, short-lived fad of the so-called Harry Potter generation.
In the six years since that day, I have thrown myself into a world of quaffles, bludgers, snitches and broomsticks. I have written a blog called The QuidKid with more than 110,000 views, organized three full-fledged college quidditch tournaments in my hometown and directed media relations for the semi-pro Major League Quidditch. At subsequent Quidditch World Cups, I have coordinated an editorial team of twenty or more twenty-somethings to write pages and pages of website content. I am not a quidditch player, nor a quidditch coach. I market the sport. I defend, preach and champion quidditch.
Throughout all the years, I have felt incredible support and encouragement from the quidditch community. Hundreds of college-aged individuals have looked at me, some kid from the Philadelphia suburbs, as a smart and eloquent writer, a capable and dynamic leader and a thoughtful and funny person. I have learned to engage with something bigger than my own bubble of a school or town. And every day, I have pressed on with my sometimes quixotic mission to bring a whimsical, fringe sport to football fans and bookworms alike.
So, how does the golden snitch work? Why do they hold broomsticks between their legs? Who are the best teams and players in the country? And do the players really fly? I would be thrilled to talk to you about quidditch and maybe, if I can really convey the liveliness and spirit of the sport, I will see you at the next big game.
Friday, December 30, 2016
Thursday, August 25, 2016
The 9:00 P.M. Phone Call and More at the 2016 MLQ Championship
The 9:00 PM Phone Call
I was sitting in a booth with my uncle at Angelo's Pizza, looking out the window into a hot and humid world of strip malls. The 2016 MLQ Championship had finished just an hour or two before and the Boston Night Riders had triumphed over the Austin Outlaws to win their second consecutive title. It was a fantastic weekend of games and storylines, highlighted by the semifinals run of the hometown League City Legends and made possible by an exceptional group of people.
Up to that point, my contributions to the overall success of the weekend were relatively small. Sure, I got a blue polo and manned the merchandise and ticket booths. But, compared to my baseline normal for quidditch tournaments—running around frantically coordinating writers or typing out my own articles or directing the Keystone Cup—I had a pretty calm weekend for better or worse. I got to watch games with my uncle and sell snacks like I was a stadium vendor and live tweet the finals. Nevertheless, I generally like being very busy because it gives me some sense of purpose and I was trying to sort out my thoughts on the weekend on Sunday night.
Then, as I finished my third slice of Angelo's specialty pizza, my phone started to buzz in my pocket. It was an unknown number from Boston, Massachusetts. My mind started to race. Before I left for to the restaurant, I sent out a press release to the Boston Globe, sharing that the Boston Night Riders won the MLQ Championship. It was one of maybe two hundred press releases I submitted to major news organizations over the course of the summer as the Media Outreach Coordinator for MLQ. Of course, 95 percent of the time, I never hear back from the media outlet and life goes on. I had been courting the Boston Globes, the Washington Posts and the New York Times of the world for most of the summer without success. But could it be?
It was loud in the restaurant but I heard it clear as day. I was speaking to a reporter from the Boston Globe. I rushed outside into the parking lot so I could hear. I answered a couple of questions about the rules of the game, the mission of the league and the history of quidditch in Boston. I promised to find more sources for the reporter to talk to. And that was that. I was terrified that I had accidentally slipped and given some embarrassing quote that would make the rest of the quidditch community collectively groan the next morning. For the rest of the night, I obsessively googled "Boston Globe quidditch" every twenty minutes, waiting for the article to pop up online.
Early Monday morning, I was at the William P. Hobby Airport, sitting down for a breakfast taco near my gate when my Google search produced what I was looking for. I read it through twice and I smiled like an idiot for the next few minutes. Mission accomplished. With a great event team, an undefeated champion and a lot of luck, Major League Quidditch made it into the Boston Globe.
The Radford Plate? The Homel Shield?
At the MLQ Championship, the battle for the Benepe Cup was a gripping contest involving the league's top teams. Boston, Austin, Indianapolis, League City and Los Angeles were all somewhat in the race for the league title at some point during the weekend. The games between these teams provided the most suspense of the weekend and played a direct role in determining the outcome of the tournament. The best-of-three finals series, especially, treated the crowd to an intense back-and-forth between superbly talented teams.
But what about the rest of the league? On the one hand, there was no shortage of fantastic games between the next tier of teams. San Francisco and Kansas City dueled in two close, compelling matches. New Orleans bested Washington and Salt Lake City and advanced late into Saturday, giving Indianapolis a real scare. Even Detroit held New York within striking distance for a while. Behind Boston and Austin, there was quite a lot of parity. For the most part, each team was a competitive and polished representative of its metropolitan area.
Unfortunately, the rain delay left something to be desired. Because of the weather, no consolation games were played among the middle-of-the-road teams. And some players seemed happy about that. That was most troubling for me. Teams spent lots of money and time to get to League City and for whatever reason, some players didn't want to play almost assuredly well-matched consolation games? Maybe I just don't get it, but I wanted to propose a new structure for consolation matches borrowed from the World Rugby Sevens Series.
To start, Rugby Sevens is kind of like quidditch. Games are physical and short, broken down into two halves of seven minutes. Tournaments are contested over a two-day weekend and teams play multiple games each day. There is a preliminary round on Saturday and an elimination round on Sunday. There is also a gap between the best teams and the rest of the field in Rugby Sevens. The small island nation of Fiji is the two-time defending World Rugby Sevens Series champions. More recently, Fiji thrashed Great Britain by a score of 43-7 in the gold medal match at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Before Fiji, New Zealand dominated all competition, winning 12 out of the first 15 World Rugby Sevens Series.
That's why Rugby Sevens tournaments award more than one trophy. Meet the Cup, Plate, Bowl and Shield. The Cup is the first prize, presented to the champion of the tournament. After a preliminary round, the top four teams at a Rugby Sevens tournament compete for the Cup. The next four teams duke it out for the Plate. The four teams after that play for the Bowl. And the last four teams battle for the Shield. I created mock-up of this with seeding from Saturday at the MLQ Championship here.
It's a smart and workable model for Major League Quidditch. It gives the next best quidditch cities more opportunities to play close games against teams with equal ability. If the Benepe Cup is seemingly out of reach, the Radford Plate or the Homel Shield gives coaches something to motivate their players with. Additional trophies provide more teams with something to shoot for and celebrate. More teams will be taking the silverware back to their hometown quidditch community, generating new energy and bringing more publicity around the sport.
Minor League Quidditch
Before players and volunteers boarded planes and descended on League City, Texas for the 2016 MLQ Championship, my longtime friend and former colleague in quidditch media Andy Marmer published Where MLQ Went Wrong in 2016 on the Quidditch Post. Marmer argued that the expansion of Major League Quidditch to the southern and western United States for the 2016 season was ultimately unsuccessful. Marmer wrote that the geographic stretch of the league had overextended players and volunteers and suggested that the league should have expanded to smaller northeastern and midwestern cities like Philadelphia, Raleigh, Richmond, Chicago, Minneapolis and St. Louis.
Make no mistake, there were bumps in the road along the 2016 season and every MLQ staffer would love to have more volunteers, but MLQ's southern and western expansion was exactly the right step forward. Any other move would have been disastrous for the league.
Among the original eight teams, Boston has widened the gap, leaving only the Indianapolis Intensity anywhere near realistic striking distance. Without the addition of Austin, the spectators and players in League City would have missed out on a best-of-three finals series for the ages. In truth, most of Marmer's expansion cities are a clear cut below MLQ standards. On paper, sure, Chicago and Philadelphia are big cities, but they were passed over in the beginning for a reason. The quidditch scene in Chicago and Philadelphia is just much smaller than the typical MLQ city. I would say that very few of Marmer's expansion candidates could support a full 21-player roster. Maybe Minneapolis? Toronto? The rest of Marmer's expansion cities would probably produce a shell of a roster and give the league headaches all season. The number of out-of-snitch-range games would go up and the margin of victory in blowouts would soar into the hundreds.
Without any doubt in my mind, the additions of the South and West Divisions have raised the overall level of play in MLQ. Each expansion city brought enthusiasm, teamwork and talent to Hometown Heroes Park. And besides maybe the Phoenix Sol, every expansion city at the MLQ Championship clearly justified itself as a smart and worthy addition to the league. During the offseason, MLQ picked the eight next best cities for quidditch in North America and each of those cities by and large delivered. 57 percent of games at the MLQ Championship were within snitch range. There are very few other cities (maybe Miami, Minneapolis or Philadelphia) that could have stayed within snitch range of a middle-of-the-road MLQ expansion team like the Kansas City Stampede or even a lower-tier MLQ expansion team like the Phoenix Sol.
In short, MLQ stayed true to its mission by expanding to Texas, California and more. Aiming to be the highest level of quidditch in North America, MLQ picked the best cities possible with the most experienced, talented and committed players. MLQ wants to be respected and consumed by the wider quidditch community and selecting the best cities available was the only way to further that goal.
Marmer's expansion cities are minor league quidditch cities in my opinion. And who knows? Maybe in three to five years, once MLQ has addressed some problems and grown comfortable with sixteen teams, a second division with Philadelphia, Richmond, Raleigh and the rest of them could be possible. Someday, I would love to compete as a player in a European soccer-style promotion and relegation system between two sixteen-team flights. But that's way off into the future. For now, let's celebrate the 2016 MLQ regular season and the 2016 MLQ Championship.
Jack McGovern is a Media Outreach Coordinator for Major League Quidditch. The views and opinions expressed on The QuidKid do not represent the views and opinions of Major League Quidditch.
I was sitting in a booth with my uncle at Angelo's Pizza, looking out the window into a hot and humid world of strip malls. The 2016 MLQ Championship had finished just an hour or two before and the Boston Night Riders had triumphed over the Austin Outlaws to win their second consecutive title. It was a fantastic weekend of games and storylines, highlighted by the semifinals run of the hometown League City Legends and made possible by an exceptional group of people.
Up to that point, my contributions to the overall success of the weekend were relatively small. Sure, I got a blue polo and manned the merchandise and ticket booths. But, compared to my baseline normal for quidditch tournaments—running around frantically coordinating writers or typing out my own articles or directing the Keystone Cup—I had a pretty calm weekend for better or worse. I got to watch games with my uncle and sell snacks like I was a stadium vendor and live tweet the finals. Nevertheless, I generally like being very busy because it gives me some sense of purpose and I was trying to sort out my thoughts on the weekend on Sunday night.
 |
| Photo by Matt Dwyer |
It was loud in the restaurant but I heard it clear as day. I was speaking to a reporter from the Boston Globe. I rushed outside into the parking lot so I could hear. I answered a couple of questions about the rules of the game, the mission of the league and the history of quidditch in Boston. I promised to find more sources for the reporter to talk to. And that was that. I was terrified that I had accidentally slipped and given some embarrassing quote that would make the rest of the quidditch community collectively groan the next morning. For the rest of the night, I obsessively googled "Boston Globe quidditch" every twenty minutes, waiting for the article to pop up online.
Early Monday morning, I was at the William P. Hobby Airport, sitting down for a breakfast taco near my gate when my Google search produced what I was looking for. I read it through twice and I smiled like an idiot for the next few minutes. Mission accomplished. With a great event team, an undefeated champion and a lot of luck, Major League Quidditch made it into the Boston Globe.
The Radford Plate? The Homel Shield?
At the MLQ Championship, the battle for the Benepe Cup was a gripping contest involving the league's top teams. Boston, Austin, Indianapolis, League City and Los Angeles were all somewhat in the race for the league title at some point during the weekend. The games between these teams provided the most suspense of the weekend and played a direct role in determining the outcome of the tournament. The best-of-three finals series, especially, treated the crowd to an intense back-and-forth between superbly talented teams.
But what about the rest of the league? On the one hand, there was no shortage of fantastic games between the next tier of teams. San Francisco and Kansas City dueled in two close, compelling matches. New Orleans bested Washington and Salt Lake City and advanced late into Saturday, giving Indianapolis a real scare. Even Detroit held New York within striking distance for a while. Behind Boston and Austin, there was quite a lot of parity. For the most part, each team was a competitive and polished representative of its metropolitan area.
 |
| Photo by Matt Dwyer |
To start, Rugby Sevens is kind of like quidditch. Games are physical and short, broken down into two halves of seven minutes. Tournaments are contested over a two-day weekend and teams play multiple games each day. There is a preliminary round on Saturday and an elimination round on Sunday. There is also a gap between the best teams and the rest of the field in Rugby Sevens. The small island nation of Fiji is the two-time defending World Rugby Sevens Series champions. More recently, Fiji thrashed Great Britain by a score of 43-7 in the gold medal match at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Before Fiji, New Zealand dominated all competition, winning 12 out of the first 15 World Rugby Sevens Series.
That's why Rugby Sevens tournaments award more than one trophy. Meet the Cup, Plate, Bowl and Shield. The Cup is the first prize, presented to the champion of the tournament. After a preliminary round, the top four teams at a Rugby Sevens tournament compete for the Cup. The next four teams duke it out for the Plate. The four teams after that play for the Bowl. And the last four teams battle for the Shield. I created mock-up of this with seeding from Saturday at the MLQ Championship here.
 |
| Photo by Matt Dwyer |
Minor League Quidditch
Before players and volunteers boarded planes and descended on League City, Texas for the 2016 MLQ Championship, my longtime friend and former colleague in quidditch media Andy Marmer published Where MLQ Went Wrong in 2016 on the Quidditch Post. Marmer argued that the expansion of Major League Quidditch to the southern and western United States for the 2016 season was ultimately unsuccessful. Marmer wrote that the geographic stretch of the league had overextended players and volunteers and suggested that the league should have expanded to smaller northeastern and midwestern cities like Philadelphia, Raleigh, Richmond, Chicago, Minneapolis and St. Louis.
Make no mistake, there were bumps in the road along the 2016 season and every MLQ staffer would love to have more volunteers, but MLQ's southern and western expansion was exactly the right step forward. Any other move would have been disastrous for the league.
 |
| Photo by Matt Dwyer |
Without any doubt in my mind, the additions of the South and West Divisions have raised the overall level of play in MLQ. Each expansion city brought enthusiasm, teamwork and talent to Hometown Heroes Park. And besides maybe the Phoenix Sol, every expansion city at the MLQ Championship clearly justified itself as a smart and worthy addition to the league. During the offseason, MLQ picked the eight next best cities for quidditch in North America and each of those cities by and large delivered. 57 percent of games at the MLQ Championship were within snitch range. There are very few other cities (maybe Miami, Minneapolis or Philadelphia) that could have stayed within snitch range of a middle-of-the-road MLQ expansion team like the Kansas City Stampede or even a lower-tier MLQ expansion team like the Phoenix Sol.
 |
| Photo by Matt Dwyer |
Marmer's expansion cities are minor league quidditch cities in my opinion. And who knows? Maybe in three to five years, once MLQ has addressed some problems and grown comfortable with sixteen teams, a second division with Philadelphia, Richmond, Raleigh and the rest of them could be possible. Someday, I would love to compete as a player in a European soccer-style promotion and relegation system between two sixteen-team flights. But that's way off into the future. For now, let's celebrate the 2016 MLQ regular season and the 2016 MLQ Championship.
Jack McGovern is a Media Outreach Coordinator for Major League Quidditch. The views and opinions expressed on The QuidKid do not represent the views and opinions of Major League Quidditch.
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Departing Players Database 2016
The Departing Players Database lists players who will not be returning to their most recent USQ teams from the 2015-16 season for the new 2016-17 season.
Northeast
QC Boston
Ethan Sturm
Sheldon Bostic
David Fox
Tufts
Ben Pfander
Greg Bento
Hannah deBaets
Mari Fromstein
Jordan Anderson
Rochester United
Eric Wasser
Rochester
Lisle Coleman
Anna Parker
Jack Venuti
Guntis Runtins
Eugene Rohrer
RIT
Matthew Niederberger
Andrew Hollenbach
SUNY Geneseo
Patrick Damon Bouge
Kelsey Colberg
Patrick Shea
Layna Gray
Brianna Nelson
Kayleigh Stumbaugh
Syracuse
Chris Rothery
Kelsey West
Gus Castillo
Michael Merwin
Greg Brazis
Nick Schnurr
Sam Bailey
Ben Bussman
Laura Hossenlopp
Emerson
Griffin Conlogue
Leeanne Dillmann
Austin Mohn
Jez Insalaco
Zac Conlogue
Steph Breen
Hofstra
Adam Kwestel
Jaime Colon
Mike Iadavaia
Elissa Salamy
Warriors
Ricky Nelson
Andrew Zagelbaum
Gabe Obregon (to Richmond Spiders)
Michael Pascutoi (retired)
Colleen O'Mara
Macaulay
Luke Espina
Jennifer Freund
Aaron Wiliams
Mid Atlantic
Maryland
Ben Tunick
Isabella Newton
Liz Eveling
Jacob Knippel
North Carolina
Chris Champitto
Emma Troxler
Courtney Reynolds
Kyle Bullins (only fall semester)
Richmond
Abby Hegarty
Brendan O'Connor
John Clikeman
Dan Waddell
Josh Lawrence
Katie Rothert
Tim Binns
Garrett Fundakowski
George Mason
Ben Mertens
Jonathan Milan
Olivia Bascle
Brendan Fribley
Arielle Flax
DCQC
Carlos Metz
James Hicks
Jimmy Pritz
Patrick Rardin
Max Miceli
Philly Honey Badgers
Isobel Rennie
Elaine Zhou
Jason Rosenberg
Zak Hewitt
Rae Lemashov
Great Lakes
Michigan
Andrew Axtell
Matt Oppenlander
Dylan Schepers
Zach Schepers
Christopher Rock
Benjamin Griessmann
Lisa Lavelanet
Maddy Novack
Meaghan O'Connell
Matthew Oates
Andre Grosse
Michigan State
Jim Richert
Ian Hoopingarner
Jacob Heppe
Isaak Willard
Rachael Firehammer
Grand Valley State
Gabe Unick
Holly Crevier
Tyler Nagy
Isaac Schipper
Ohio State
Matt Eveland
Julie Fritz
Brien Povlika
Bowling Green
Daniel Daugherty
David Hoops
Kendall Kuhn
Noah Cochran
Mike Gallagher
Alex Closson
Sara McCullough
Meredith Taylor
Pari Yost
Katie Milligan
Emily Dick
Kaitlin Richard
Southern Indiana*
Cole Musgrave
Shane Ritz
Wooster*
Matt Loberg
Charlotte Tierney
Colin Omilanowski
Indiana
Gabriel Johnson
Corey Cockrum
Kristen Recker Argyres
Midwest
Kansas
Shane Bouchard
Nathan Cyr
Courtney Chediak
Brian Kessler
Wisconsin
Alexander Blass
Peter Svihra
South
Florida's Finest
Sean Snipes
Justin Goodman
Adam Treichel
Nick Zakoske
Richard Crumrine
Sarah Simko
Florida State*
Annabelle Blevins
Jared Bufkin
Billy Mauer
Ben Pifer
TJ Taylor
Jamin Weeks
Southern Storm*
Anderson Breeland
Tyler Hemerly
Christa Kelly
Ray Taylor
Miami
Kashi Anand
Bridgette Foster
Bernie Berges
German Barrios
Southwest
Texas A&M
Sam Keegan Adlis
Chris Beck
Katie Stewart
Cody McKenzie
Gulf Coast Gumbeaux
Shelby Newcomer
Dylan Greenleaf
Melissa White
Heather Burg
Loyola New Orleans
Etefia Umana
Steen Gergen
Eric Jurgeson
Keevy Narcisse
Gabe Garza
Jake Gomrick
Sian Hairston
Tyler Steele
Tulane
Josh Mansfield
Rachel Ayella-Silver
West
Arizona State*
Tyler Ortiz
Los Angeles Gambits*
Richard Arreola
Matthew Ziff
Lost Boys*
Margo Aleman
Tiffany Chow
Anteater Quidditch*
James Luby
Santa Barbara Blacktips*
Brian Vampola
Elisabeth Ingeberg Jorstad
USC*
Remington Conatser
Ryan Parsons
Nicte Sobrino
Crimson Elite
Kristin Jakus
Dakota Briggs
Jensen Morgan
Dan Hanson
UCLA
Badal Chandra
Michael Binger
Nicole Remsburg
Kevin Horn
Devin Pearson
Duran Alison
Ryan Seaton
Roger Thompson
Northwest
*Denotes reporting by the Quidditch Post's 2016 Free Agent Database.
Northeast
QC Boston
Ethan Sturm
Sheldon Bostic
David Fox
Tufts
Ben Pfander
Greg Bento
Hannah deBaets
Mari Fromstein
Jordan Anderson
Rochester United
Eric Wasser
Rochester
Lisle Coleman
Anna Parker
Jack Venuti
Guntis Runtins
Eugene Rohrer
RIT
Matthew Niederberger
Andrew Hollenbach
SUNY Geneseo
Patrick Damon Bouge
Kelsey Colberg
Patrick Shea
Layna Gray
Brianna Nelson
Kayleigh Stumbaugh
Syracuse
Chris Rothery
Kelsey West
Gus Castillo
Michael Merwin
Greg Brazis
Nick Schnurr
Sam Bailey
Ben Bussman
Laura Hossenlopp
Emerson
Griffin Conlogue
Leeanne Dillmann
Austin Mohn
Jez Insalaco
Zac Conlogue
Steph Breen
Hofstra
Adam Kwestel
Jaime Colon
Mike Iadavaia
Elissa Salamy
Warriors
Ricky Nelson
Andrew Zagelbaum
Gabe Obregon (to Richmond Spiders)
Michael Pascutoi (retired)
Colleen O'Mara
Macaulay
Luke Espina
Jennifer Freund
Aaron Wiliams
Mid Atlantic
Maryland
Ben Tunick
Isabella Newton
Liz Eveling
Jacob Knippel
North Carolina
Chris Champitto
Emma Troxler
Courtney Reynolds
Kyle Bullins (only fall semester)
Richmond
Abby Hegarty
Brendan O'Connor
John Clikeman
Dan Waddell
Josh Lawrence
Katie Rothert
Tim Binns
Garrett Fundakowski
George Mason
Ben Mertens
Jonathan Milan
Olivia Bascle
Brendan Fribley
Arielle Flax
DCQC
Carlos Metz
James Hicks
Jimmy Pritz
Patrick Rardin
Max Miceli
Philly Honey Badgers
Isobel Rennie
Elaine Zhou
Jason Rosenberg
Zak Hewitt
Rae Lemashov
Great Lakes
Michigan
Andrew Axtell
Matt Oppenlander
Dylan Schepers
Zach Schepers
Christopher Rock
Benjamin Griessmann
Lisa Lavelanet
Maddy Novack
Meaghan O'Connell
Matthew Oates
Andre Grosse
Michigan State
Jim Richert
Ian Hoopingarner
Jacob Heppe
Isaak Willard
Rachael Firehammer
Grand Valley State
Gabe Unick
Holly Crevier
Tyler Nagy
Isaac Schipper
Ohio State
Matt Eveland
Julie Fritz
Brien Povlika
Bowling Green
Daniel Daugherty
David Hoops
Kendall Kuhn
Noah Cochran
Mike Gallagher
Alex Closson
Sara McCullough
Meredith Taylor
Pari Yost
Katie Milligan
Emily Dick
Kaitlin Richard
Southern Indiana*
Cole Musgrave
Shane Ritz
Wooster*
Matt Loberg
Charlotte Tierney
Colin Omilanowski
Indiana
Gabriel Johnson
Corey Cockrum
Kristen Recker Argyres
Midwest
Kansas
Shane Bouchard
Nathan Cyr
Courtney Chediak
Brian Kessler
Wisconsin
Alexander Blass
Peter Svihra
South
Florida's Finest
Sean Snipes
Justin Goodman
Adam Treichel
Nick Zakoske
Richard Crumrine
Sarah Simko
Florida State*
Annabelle Blevins
Jared Bufkin
Billy Mauer
Ben Pifer
TJ Taylor
Jamin Weeks
Southern Storm*
Anderson Breeland
Tyler Hemerly
Christa Kelly
Ray Taylor
Miami
Kashi Anand
Bridgette Foster
Bernie Berges
German Barrios
Southwest
Texas A&M
Sam Keegan Adlis
Chris Beck
Katie Stewart
Cody McKenzie
Gulf Coast Gumbeaux
Shelby Newcomer
Dylan Greenleaf
Melissa White
Heather Burg
Loyola New Orleans
Etefia Umana
Steen Gergen
Eric Jurgeson
Keevy Narcisse
Gabe Garza
Jake Gomrick
Sian Hairston
Tyler Steele
Tulane
Josh Mansfield
Rachel Ayella-Silver
West
Arizona State*
Tyler Ortiz
Los Angeles Gambits*
Richard Arreola
Matthew Ziff
Lost Boys*
Margo Aleman
Tiffany Chow
Anteater Quidditch*
James Luby
Santa Barbara Blacktips*
Brian Vampola
Elisabeth Ingeberg Jorstad
USC*
Remington Conatser
Ryan Parsons
Nicte Sobrino
Crimson Elite
Kristin Jakus
Dakota Briggs
Jensen Morgan
Dan Hanson
UCLA
Badal Chandra
Michael Binger
Nicole Remsburg
Kevin Horn
Devin Pearson
Duran Alison
Ryan Seaton
Roger Thompson
Northwest
*Denotes reporting by the Quidditch Post's 2016 Free Agent Database.
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Interview with USQ Membership Director Eric Schnier
From the college community split survey to the new program for next season, US Quidditch's Membership Department has been busy! I wanted to talk to Membership Director Eric Schnier, who was hired to replace Katie Stack in January, about the last six months and his goals for the future.
It hasn’t actually been around 170, it’s been a little lower than that. During the 2014-15 season, we had 161 official teams, versus 173 in 2015-16. While it’s not a huge growth year-to-year like we had between 2011-12 and 2012-13 (a 28-team growth), the league is still growing. As for how we can reach those milestones, our whole strategic plan was created for growth and stability. The league has significantly improved in quality of reffing, quality of events, etc. in the past few years. I think it’s important that, before we expand by 75 teams between seasons, we are capable of handling that many teams and new players.
How would you describe the membership department when you took over in January? How would you describe the department today?
I think the Membership Department was in good shape when I took over. Katie’s work for the league can’t be understated. While the overall projects the department is working on are still the same (refs, snitches, regional coordinators, rules, youth quidditch, etc), I’ve done a lot of work in redefining goals for the department so that new progress can be made, particularly for referees and snitches.
Last week, US Quidditch released a strategic plan update and a college/community split survey. Why now? Did the results from the 2015-2016 season influence the timing?
Believe it or not, they didn’t. The timing for the college/community split has been based on the focus group polling USQ did last summer and the strategic plan that resulted from them. I was hired in January and starting work on this split was one of my first projects, before any Spring regionals. Obviously, we weren’t working in a vacuum, unaware of what was happening this season, but the experiences of this past season only reinforced what we already knew.
Which questions on the college/community split survey are you watching most closely? Why? When will the results be published?
The most important ones are probably the questions about members’ ideal timelines for the split. I think we can hammer out as many of the details as we want and put together a fleshed-out proposal, but if we make the change a year early or late, the split won’t be as effective as it needs to be. Look for a summary of the results to be released in the coming weeks.
What will be the Membership Department's role as US Quidditch continues with the college/community split process? What issues or problems do you anticipate?
The role will essentially stay the same. Both divisions of the league will get the same services and attention from USQ. As a league, there’s no preference for collegiate or community teams, so both divisions will be using the same rulebook, which means they can use the same certification standards for refs and snitches. The regional coordinators will be working with all their teams in both divisions, like they already do. It will mean more work in keeping things organized between the two divisions, but I don’t anticipate any significant issues.
In the strategic plan update, US Quidditch passed over separating divisions for now. Does US Quidditch or the Membership Department have any responsibility to less competitive unofficial quidditch teams?
Yes and no. On one hand, USQ wants to grow quidditch as a sport and make it as big and as good as it can be, which means we want to be in contact with unofficial teams and we want to understand what we can do that would make them more interested in joining the league officially. On the other hand, we have to prioritize work on programs for the benefit of our current member teams. As much as I’d like to work with everybody who plays quidditch, officially or not, we need to make sure that our focus remains on current member teams.
For the first time, certified snitch runners were compensated at Quidditch Cup 9. What feedback did US Quidditch receive from snitches, refs and players? What's the future of snitch runner compensation?
The snitches loved it! Refs and players didn’t really provide significant feedback one way or the other, but all of the snitches, whether they were certified or not, were happy to have the opportunity to be compensated. This coming season, certified snitches will be compensated in all official games, which I think will lead to more people attempting certification. Using a certified snitch for every official game won’t be mandated this year, but whenever a certified snitch does an official game, compensation will be required. USQ events will also primarily use certified snitches. Snitch team is currently working on overhauling the snitch certification process so that being certified is more of an accomplishment than it has been in the past.
The number of official member teams has hovered around 170 for the past four years. Do you see this as a problem? Why has membership growth slowed? How can you get to 250 official member teams? 500 official member teams?
Quidditch is more and more expensive for players today. Are there any changes to grants or sponsorships on the horizon? Can US Quidditch use grants to achieve specific goals with regions or demographics?
I think a lot of the increased cost of quidditch has come as the sport is becoming more “legitimate.” While a few years ago, it wasn’t uncommon to see teams wearing homemade t-shirt jerseys, using homemade brooms and hoops at tournaments, or playing without cleats or gloves, these have all been replaced by professionally made alternatives. This is a good thing, as the professional equipment is a higher quality, and creates an all around more legitimate feel to our events, but it has increased costs. Not to say that USQ costs haven’t also increased, but I think proportionately, USQ costs have been much more stagnant than what teams/players are willing to pay for uniforms, equipment, and travel to tournaments. As USQ costs have risen, however, so too has the sum for our team sponsorship grant.
What accomplishment are you most proud of during your tenure at US Quidditch?
So far, I think it’s just been managing the transition from Katie to me to be as smooth as it was. Aside from that, I’ve addressed several issues within our volunteer base to revitalize them and make sure everybody understands their roles, what is expected of them, and what to do when issues arise. The Membership Director oversees the most volunteers in the league, and I met with each one of them one-on-one within the first month of my tenure. I plan to do that again as the season kicks off. Most of the work I’ve done thus far is going to be being implemented in the coming weeks and months, so outside of the snitch compensation plan and the new rulebook, there’s fewer tangible things to point at.
What are your long term goals for the Membership Department? What will the Membership Department do on average day in three years?
The biggest goal is in continued growth, but also stabilization, of the league. Building self-sustaining referee and snitch programs, for one. Three years from now, I hope we aren’t working on releasing major changes each offseason, but rather can devote more time to things like community outreach and multiple levels of youth quidditch that will really push the envelope in legitimizing and solidifying quidditch as a sport for years to come.
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
MLQ Week One Review
The second season of Major League Quidditch is underway! Despite the rescheduling of the series in League City, the opening weekend of Major League Quidditch proceeded in Kansas City and San Francisco, introducing the quidditch community to four of the league's newest franchises. The road teams finished 6-0, mostly affirming preseason season predictions. But the matches were not without drama, highlighted by the Kansas City Stampede's accidental snitch catch in the second game against the Austin Outlaws. On the West Coast, the San Francisco Argonauts outscored the Salt Lake City Hive in average quaffle points per game, but thanks to two game-winning snitch catches, walked away with three losses.
Entering the season, I was not sure whether Major League Quidditch would deliver competitive matches every weekend. The best teams in the league are experienced, athletic and cohesive units, capable of running away with games. With many expansion teams in new cities, I was watching carefully to see what teams like Kansas City and San Francisco produced on the field. I am a strong believer that a league is only as strong as its weakest link and any semblance of rising inequality between teams could become a problem for Major League Quidditch going forward. After the opening weekend, I am encouraged. Even Austin, a South division favorite and title-contender, faced a scare in their second game of the season. As the season marches on, I can only hope for more weekends with close calls for the favorites.
Kansas City Stampede vs. Austin Outlaws
Despite an undefeated record, Austin and its all-star cast of former World Cup champions and Team USA veterans have some adjustments to make. At times during the second game especially, Austin's half-court offense looked cautious and uninspiring. I would like to see a quicker pace from the South favorites with more fast breaks. Sure, Austin might commit a couple more turnovers, but more often than not, their experience, athleticism and chemistry will put ten points on the scoreboard.
Speeding the game up and getting into the open field is only part of the answer. A perfect fast break provides an adrenaline rush beyond the satisfaction of a successful half-court possession. It's a way to assert dominance and demoralize opponents. All the greatest teams have done it. Sometimes, moments from fast breaks live forever in the memory of the quidditch community, as when Stephen Bell lobbed a half-court pass to an airborne Simon Arends for an alley-oop at World Cup 8. While Bell can rush up and down the field, Michael Duquette and the beaters bear most of the responsibility for the pace of gameplay. In the past, Duquette has thrived in chaos, freeing up space for his chasers and keepers to show off their talents. I think Austin could benefit from being less surgical and more free-flowing, having confidence that a chaotic environment will separate the contenders from the pretenders.
Additionally, Austin has to integrate new faces into the lineup. Nothing energizes a group of quidditch veterans like a younger phenom. Last year, breakout stars like Teddy Costa and Lindsay Marella boosted their teams to the finals at MLQ Championship Weekend. I saw too many of the same old faces on the field at the same time for Austin. For example, Stephen Bell and Augustine Monroe should rarely, if ever, play on the same line. Like last year's Boston Night Riders, Austin ought to spread the veterans out and mix and match them with the younger players. At tryouts, the captains and coaches of Austin saw at least something from every single player on the roster today. If they experiment, the team's leaders will eventually find a place where the lesser known players can show their hidden talents. Please, give me some new names to write about!
On to Kansas City now, where there are some newer names to write about. At this point, Adam Heald should be a household name in the quidditch community. Heald, a tall, lanky keeper in the mold of former Team USA keeper Zach Luce, has clocked many minutes for the University of Kansas over the past few years. As a ballhandler, Heald is a patient, skilled passer and a slippery driver. However, for Kansas City, Heald's best moments happened around the hoops. When he jogs into the keeper zone, Heald becomes a weapon, giving his team a large target for alley-oops. Like Washington Admirals chaser Darren Creary, Heald enjoys a height advantage and good hands. In the blink of an eye, a Hail Mary pass can turn into ten points. If better all-around teams like Austin ease into a half-court game against Kansas City, Heald will be ready to make something out of nothing.
Otherwise, Kansas City also benefits from a speed advantage over similar middle-of-the-table teams. Whether it's Hai Nguyen or Hayden Applebee, Kansas City can catch better teams off guard with a quick cut and pass to the goal. In the first series of the season, Kansas City only showed glimpses of their offensive potential. Mostly, Austin's defense clogged up the middle and out-muscled Kansas City's chasers on the perimeter. But as they run more drills and develop more plays, Kansas City's offense will become more crisp and more dangerous.
San Francisco Argonauts vs. Salt Lake City Hive
I hate to disappoint but I do not feel comfortable analyzing the West's first series at this point. I will return to both San Francisco and Salt Lake City once I have more time and video.
Jack McGovern is the Media Outreach Coordinator for Major League Quidditch.
Entering the season, I was not sure whether Major League Quidditch would deliver competitive matches every weekend. The best teams in the league are experienced, athletic and cohesive units, capable of running away with games. With many expansion teams in new cities, I was watching carefully to see what teams like Kansas City and San Francisco produced on the field. I am a strong believer that a league is only as strong as its weakest link and any semblance of rising inequality between teams could become a problem for Major League Quidditch going forward. After the opening weekend, I am encouraged. Even Austin, a South division favorite and title-contender, faced a scare in their second game of the season. As the season marches on, I can only hope for more weekends with close calls for the favorites.
 |
| Ginger Snaps Photography |
Despite an undefeated record, Austin and its all-star cast of former World Cup champions and Team USA veterans have some adjustments to make. At times during the second game especially, Austin's half-court offense looked cautious and uninspiring. I would like to see a quicker pace from the South favorites with more fast breaks. Sure, Austin might commit a couple more turnovers, but more often than not, their experience, athleticism and chemistry will put ten points on the scoreboard.
Speeding the game up and getting into the open field is only part of the answer. A perfect fast break provides an adrenaline rush beyond the satisfaction of a successful half-court possession. It's a way to assert dominance and demoralize opponents. All the greatest teams have done it. Sometimes, moments from fast breaks live forever in the memory of the quidditch community, as when Stephen Bell lobbed a half-court pass to an airborne Simon Arends for an alley-oop at World Cup 8. While Bell can rush up and down the field, Michael Duquette and the beaters bear most of the responsibility for the pace of gameplay. In the past, Duquette has thrived in chaos, freeing up space for his chasers and keepers to show off their talents. I think Austin could benefit from being less surgical and more free-flowing, having confidence that a chaotic environment will separate the contenders from the pretenders.
 |
| Ginger Snaps Photgraphy |
On to Kansas City now, where there are some newer names to write about. At this point, Adam Heald should be a household name in the quidditch community. Heald, a tall, lanky keeper in the mold of former Team USA keeper Zach Luce, has clocked many minutes for the University of Kansas over the past few years. As a ballhandler, Heald is a patient, skilled passer and a slippery driver. However, for Kansas City, Heald's best moments happened around the hoops. When he jogs into the keeper zone, Heald becomes a weapon, giving his team a large target for alley-oops. Like Washington Admirals chaser Darren Creary, Heald enjoys a height advantage and good hands. In the blink of an eye, a Hail Mary pass can turn into ten points. If better all-around teams like Austin ease into a half-court game against Kansas City, Heald will be ready to make something out of nothing.
 |
| Ginger Snaps Photography |
San Francisco Argonauts vs. Salt Lake City Hive
I hate to disappoint but I do not feel comfortable analyzing the West's first series at this point. I will return to both San Francisco and Salt Lake City once I have more time and video.
Jack McGovern is the Media Outreach Coordinator for Major League Quidditch.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
MLQ Season Preview
The second season of Major League Quidditch is finally here! All sixteen teams are ready and opening weekend matches begin this weekend in League City, Kansas City and San Francisco.
Blast from the Past and Into the Future
For longtime quidditch players and fans, the Austin Outlaws are more than just a blockbuster summer alliance between the city's premier community teams. With seven players from the University of Texas squad at World Cup VI, the Austin Outlaws are a long-awaited reunion. More than four years ago now, Texas romped to the title as the greatest team in the short history of quidditch. Soon after, the team dissolved with several graduates forming Lone Star Quidditch Club and Augustine Monroe sticking around to lead Texas to two more championships. At the time, quidditch pundits assumed that Monroe would inevitably join Lone Star, ending the all-star community team's World Cup woes and establishing a reign of invincibility. Everyone always believed Lone Star would be the first community team to win a national championship.
Now, the biggest names from Lone Star and Texas Cavalry have united, entering the season as the odds-on favorite to win the South. But the national quidditch landscape has changed markedly. In January, Quidditch Club Boston flew into Austin and left as the consensus number one. Then, they did it again in Columbia, breaking the hearts of Lone Star in the semifinals. Today, many of the same names are back on the roster and revving up for the season with the defending champion Boston Night Riders. Yes, the Austin Outlaws enter Major League Quidditch as an underdog. That much is clear. But how will they handle it?
If history lends any clues, the Austin Outlaws are happy to let their northeastern counterparts carry the weight of expectations. For three years in a row, Augustine Monroe and Texas knocked off the consensus number one team at World Cup. Of course, many of those players from Texas A&M and Lone Star who suffered agonizing losses year after year will also be wearing the blue and black. Peddled by quidditch writers like me, the narrative about Lone Star has been a cruel and unfair burden over the years. The eleven Austin Outlaws who have played for Lone Star now have a chance to flip the script.
Barring something out of the ordinary, both the Boston Night Riders and the Austin Outlaws will win their divisions without dropping a game. And when both teams arrive in League City, the Boston Night Riders will still be the favorites. There's not much the Austin Outlaws can do until then. Simply put, they need to ease into the routine of summer practices and get comfortable playing the long game. Then, and only then, can the Austin Outlaws deliver the Benepe Cup for the Southwest.
The Flour City Blossoms in the North
Last spring, when the inaugural eight franchises were announced, every city made sense except Rochester. Major League Quidditch located teams in two national capitals, a city that never sleeps and at least two self-proclaimed Titletowns. With a population of only 200,000 and no major professional sports teams, Rochester seemed out of place.
But at the time, something was beginning to happen in Rochester. For years, on the periphery of the Northeast region, the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology competed regularly in a back-and-forth, crosstown rivalry. The teams and players from Rochester were mostly overlooked and failed to break through onto the national stage until World Cup 8. In Rock Hill, a supersized University of Rochester, bolstered by Shane Hurlbert, Kyle Savarese and Alyssa Giarrosso from RIT, became the first Northeast team to beat a Southwest powerhouse, Baylor University.
Since then, the same group of players has mostly stuck together, climbing each new mountain and surpassing expectations every time. Finishing with a winning record in the closely contested North, the Rochester Whiteout battled through tight games, working out of the kinks. Shane Hurlbert blossomed into a star, demanding our attention by leading the league with an eye-popping 32 goals. By the fall, Rochester United, clad in stylish new uniforms, traveled far and wide with short rosters, impressing with nonstop goal scoring. Skipping the Bat City Showcase, Rochester United zeroed in on the national championship and ended up in the championship game. Yet again, Rochester United reached higher, forcing overtime and pushing their regional rivals to the limit.
So where do the Rochester Whiteout stand now? Heading into their second season of Major League Quidditch, they are the favorites in the North, right? Well, not so fast. Once again, the North looks to be an haven of top-to-bottom competitive quidditch. While the Boston Night Riders, Austin Outlaws and Los Angeles Guardians are all heavy favorites in their divisions, the North lacks a clear frontrunner. If you want snitch range games and close series, the North is the place for you. The Rochester Whiteout are not the only group of players coming off a successful US Quidditch season. Of course, Ball State University, which finished higher than any other college team at the national championship, sends many players to the Indianapolis Intensity and Bowling Green State University, which reached the quarterfinals, feeds into the Cleveland Riff. And for the second year in a row, that's the three-way race at the top of the North: Rochester, Indianapolis and Cleveland.
With the season nearly upon us, each team must be asking; how will the North be won? First off, each team has at least one game-changing male beater. The trio of Kyle Savarese, Tyler Walker and Max MacAdoo leaves no team vulnerable in today's world of hyper-aggressive beating. In the chaser game, I am hard pressed to find a depth advantage. The easy answer perhaps, lies with the seeking game. The Indianapolis Intensity boast the services of two Team USA seekers: Jeff Siwek and Jason Bowling. But I am not sure that seeking will be decisive. Remember, Sam Roitblat, seeker for the Cleveland Riff, performed superbly for Team USA two years ago at the Global Games. More importantly, as I wrote above, I do not see any seeker beating mismatch.
From what I can tell, Shane Hurlbert separates the Rochester Whiteout from their division rivals. Hurlbert, a clear first team All-American this past season, has always played with a chip on his shoulder. Hurlbert's rise to the top has been powered the old fashioned way: an indefatigable hunger to be the best. Every time I submitted my ballot for the Eighth Man rankings, I knew that Hurlbert would be checking where his team was ranked. In the online quidditch community, Hurlbert is always one of the first voices to attack a college/community split. I get the sense that winning a community team national championship would not be satisfying for Hurlbert. He wants to leave no doubt. While some community teams might take next year's US Quidditch season less seriously, Hurlbert and Rochester United will assuredly be back in title contention. Hurlbert is a competitor and if I am playing in the North, I want him on my team. No team has found a foolproof answer for Hurlbert yet. The goals, the assists and the snitch catches will keep multiplying and that's why I like the Rochester Whiteout to eke out first place in the North.
Jack McGovern is the Media Outreach Coordinator for Major League Quidditch.
Blast from the Past and Into the Future
For longtime quidditch players and fans, the Austin Outlaws are more than just a blockbuster summer alliance between the city's premier community teams. With seven players from the University of Texas squad at World Cup VI, the Austin Outlaws are a long-awaited reunion. More than four years ago now, Texas romped to the title as the greatest team in the short history of quidditch. Soon after, the team dissolved with several graduates forming Lone Star Quidditch Club and Augustine Monroe sticking around to lead Texas to two more championships. At the time, quidditch pundits assumed that Monroe would inevitably join Lone Star, ending the all-star community team's World Cup woes and establishing a reign of invincibility. Everyone always believed Lone Star would be the first community team to win a national championship.
Now, the biggest names from Lone Star and Texas Cavalry have united, entering the season as the odds-on favorite to win the South. But the national quidditch landscape has changed markedly. In January, Quidditch Club Boston flew into Austin and left as the consensus number one. Then, they did it again in Columbia, breaking the hearts of Lone Star in the semifinals. Today, many of the same names are back on the roster and revving up for the season with the defending champion Boston Night Riders. Yes, the Austin Outlaws enter Major League Quidditch as an underdog. That much is clear. But how will they handle it?
 |
| Photo by Jessica Jiamin Lang |
Barring something out of the ordinary, both the Boston Night Riders and the Austin Outlaws will win their divisions without dropping a game. And when both teams arrive in League City, the Boston Night Riders will still be the favorites. There's not much the Austin Outlaws can do until then. Simply put, they need to ease into the routine of summer practices and get comfortable playing the long game. Then, and only then, can the Austin Outlaws deliver the Benepe Cup for the Southwest.
The Flour City Blossoms in the North
Last spring, when the inaugural eight franchises were announced, every city made sense except Rochester. Major League Quidditch located teams in two national capitals, a city that never sleeps and at least two self-proclaimed Titletowns. With a population of only 200,000 and no major professional sports teams, Rochester seemed out of place.
 |
| Photo by Jessica Jiamin Lang |
Since then, the same group of players has mostly stuck together, climbing each new mountain and surpassing expectations every time. Finishing with a winning record in the closely contested North, the Rochester Whiteout battled through tight games, working out of the kinks. Shane Hurlbert blossomed into a star, demanding our attention by leading the league with an eye-popping 32 goals. By the fall, Rochester United, clad in stylish new uniforms, traveled far and wide with short rosters, impressing with nonstop goal scoring. Skipping the Bat City Showcase, Rochester United zeroed in on the national championship and ended up in the championship game. Yet again, Rochester United reached higher, forcing overtime and pushing their regional rivals to the limit.
 |
| Photo by Jessica Jiamin Lang |
With the season nearly upon us, each team must be asking; how will the North be won? First off, each team has at least one game-changing male beater. The trio of Kyle Savarese, Tyler Walker and Max MacAdoo leaves no team vulnerable in today's world of hyper-aggressive beating. In the chaser game, I am hard pressed to find a depth advantage. The easy answer perhaps, lies with the seeking game. The Indianapolis Intensity boast the services of two Team USA seekers: Jeff Siwek and Jason Bowling. But I am not sure that seeking will be decisive. Remember, Sam Roitblat, seeker for the Cleveland Riff, performed superbly for Team USA two years ago at the Global Games. More importantly, as I wrote above, I do not see any seeker beating mismatch.
 |
| Photo by Jessica Jiamin Lang |
Monday, May 9, 2016
Depth Perception from Home
The weekend of April 16th and 17th was just another busy weekend for me. My AP tests were quickly approaching and I worked hour after hour, reading American history and practicing calculus problems. I was determined and laser-focused, aiming to prove myself to anyone and everyone who stopped and looked. Yet, in the back of my mind, five years of memories floated around. My eye-opening trip to World Cup IV, situated among the skyscrapers and traffic of Manhattan. My thrilling journey as junior reporter for the Florida Quidditch Conference at World Cup V. The optimism of World Cup VI, as the quidditch community celebrated a flawless champion, a likable Cinderella and warm weather. And more recently, teaming up with so many amazing people and flooding the official website with recap articles at World Cups VII and VIII. Five years of airports, hotels, restaurants and parks flashed by as I leafed through textbook pages from my bedroom.
Now eventually, by Sunday night, I tuned into the Livestream and watched Quidditch Club Boston vanquish Lone Star Quidditch Club in the semifinals and squeak past Rochester United for the championship. Without being on the ground in South Carolina, I feel like I have lost my place at the table of quidditch historians, but as the season ended, I had one big takeaway from gamefilm and livestreams.
Three years ago, depth was the key to success. At World Cup VI, Texas' legendary squad was absurdly talented from top to bottom. Since then, Texas A&M, Lone Star Quidditch Club, Texas and Texas State have hurled line after line of athleticism and physicality at each other in an annual war of attrition for the national championship. Non-Southwest teams watched from the sidelines in awe. How could a Northeast or Mid-Atlantic team ever assemble a more complete 21-man roster? The quidditch community largely accepted that the Southwest dominated interregional play because of overwhelmingly greater depth.
A couple weeks ago, QC Boston and Rochester United (and to a lesser degree, Ball State) dismantled the doctrine of depth. Both finalists boasted a skillful supporting cast, but like never before, they both worked with a short bench for the regular season and World Cup 9. Sometimes, two or three superstar players carried them to glory. The Northeast and Great Lakes finally triumphed over the Southwest not with a better second or third line, but with a better first line. While Lone Star recycled through equally talented lines, both Northeast finalists grouped their best players on a single dynamic, cohesive line.
Arguably, the current trend away from depth began last year, when Augustine Monroe and Michael Duquette dispatched the top-to-bottom most skilled team, Lone Star. Either way, depth almost seemed like a competitive disadvantage at World Cup 9. I'm not quite sure yet whether the new star-powered reality is good or bad for the sport. Of course, some professional sports like basketball emphasize superstars over depth and the NBA is doing fine the last time I checked.
But why has depth become less important? Perhaps, the advancement of hyper-aggressive beating has diminished the physicality of the chaser game, enabling star players to stay on the pitch longer. Or maybe the return of pool play allowed star players to rest on Saturday and save energy for bracket play. Or maybe the best players have more and more experience, justifying disproportionate minutes and transforming the lower end of the depth charts into cheerleaders. Maybe community teams, which sometimes struggle to maintain a full roster, are to blame. All of the above?
Anyways, I think that the current climate of quidditch favors short benches and superstars for the foreseeable future. For this and many other reasons, community teams seem the best prepared to fight through close matches and emerge victorious from major tournaments. However, I want to see how quickly the Southwest adapts. I do not honestly know if Southwest college teams have the talent the take down seasoned all-stars from Boston or Rochester or Los Angeles. From where I stand, Southwest community teams have two options. Shift towards Northeast-style hyper-aggressive beating and embrace shorter benches OR double down on depth and physicality.
The fast-approaching Major League Quidditch season will likely give us a better idea about the importance of depth in today's quidditch. As all sixteen teams set their sights on the defending champion Boston Night Riders, I will be watching how teams like the Austin Outlaws and Los Angeles Guardians approach the challenge ahead in League City, Texas.
Three years ago, depth was the key to success. At World Cup VI, Texas' legendary squad was absurdly talented from top to bottom. Since then, Texas A&M, Lone Star Quidditch Club, Texas and Texas State have hurled line after line of athleticism and physicality at each other in an annual war of attrition for the national championship. Non-Southwest teams watched from the sidelines in awe. How could a Northeast or Mid-Atlantic team ever assemble a more complete 21-man roster? The quidditch community largely accepted that the Southwest dominated interregional play because of overwhelmingly greater depth.
A couple weeks ago, QC Boston and Rochester United (and to a lesser degree, Ball State) dismantled the doctrine of depth. Both finalists boasted a skillful supporting cast, but like never before, they both worked with a short bench for the regular season and World Cup 9. Sometimes, two or three superstar players carried them to glory. The Northeast and Great Lakes finally triumphed over the Southwest not with a better second or third line, but with a better first line. While Lone Star recycled through equally talented lines, both Northeast finalists grouped their best players on a single dynamic, cohesive line.
Arguably, the current trend away from depth began last year, when Augustine Monroe and Michael Duquette dispatched the top-to-bottom most skilled team, Lone Star. Either way, depth almost seemed like a competitive disadvantage at World Cup 9. I'm not quite sure yet whether the new star-powered reality is good or bad for the sport. Of course, some professional sports like basketball emphasize superstars over depth and the NBA is doing fine the last time I checked.
But why has depth become less important? Perhaps, the advancement of hyper-aggressive beating has diminished the physicality of the chaser game, enabling star players to stay on the pitch longer. Or maybe the return of pool play allowed star players to rest on Saturday and save energy for bracket play. Or maybe the best players have more and more experience, justifying disproportionate minutes and transforming the lower end of the depth charts into cheerleaders. Maybe community teams, which sometimes struggle to maintain a full roster, are to blame. All of the above?
Anyways, I think that the current climate of quidditch favors short benches and superstars for the foreseeable future. For this and many other reasons, community teams seem the best prepared to fight through close matches and emerge victorious from major tournaments. However, I want to see how quickly the Southwest adapts. I do not honestly know if Southwest college teams have the talent the take down seasoned all-stars from Boston or Rochester or Los Angeles. From where I stand, Southwest community teams have two options. Shift towards Northeast-style hyper-aggressive beating and embrace shorter benches OR double down on depth and physicality.
The fast-approaching Major League Quidditch season will likely give us a better idea about the importance of depth in today's quidditch. As all sixteen teams set their sights on the defending champion Boston Night Riders, I will be watching how teams like the Austin Outlaws and Los Angeles Guardians approach the challenge ahead in League City, Texas.
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Joining Major League Quidditch
Readers of The QuidKid,
I am thrilled to announce that I have accepted the position of Media Outreach Coordinator for Major League Quidditch.
After closely watching the trial season, I am confident that Major League Quidditch provides a unique opportunity to grow the sport of quidditch. I greatly admire the work already done by Amanda Dallas, Ethan Sturm and all of Major League Quidditch's volunteers and I believe that I can help. I want to create an environment where quidditch shines brightest. I envision Major League Quidditch as a beacon for our sport, attracting media outlets, sports fans and families alike to parks across the country. I am ready, Major League Quidditch is ready and I believe the quidditch community is ready to take our sport to the next level.
I will also remain the Tournament Director of Keystone Cup Quidditch and the sole contributor of The QuidKid. Once again, I am joining the Marketing Department of Major League Quidditch effectively immediately. This is our shot and I can't wait to get started!
Jack
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