Photo: Brooke McCarthy/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Harry Potter fans can get the chance to play the series' top sport Quidditch thanks to a camp from the sport's local league and team.
Major League Quidditch and the Boston Forge, Boston's team in the MLQ, teamed up to host a workshop for local college students looking to learn more about the sports on Sunday in East Boston. The workshop featured an introduction to the sport, drills for each position, lessons on strategy, and a scrimmage between participants.
The sport itself is almost identical to the version seen in the Harry Potter novels, minus the magic. It features the same four positions—chaser, beater, keeper, and seeker—and follows the same rules. Instead of flying on a broomstick, players run with one between their legs. The golden snitch is instead replaced with a person, who has a yellow flag that needs to be collected to win the game.
Tyler Beckman has been playing the sport for years and told WBZ's Brooke McCarthy the sport combines aspects of rugby, dodgeball, and lacrosse and is a very physically demanding sport.
"It takes a lot more [physical fitness] than you think," Beckman said. "A lot of people just think it's a Harry Potter sport."
MLQ commissioner Ethan Sturm said Quidditch may seem crazy the first time someone plays it, but many people grow to love the sport.
"What I always say about quidditch is you just need to come out and see it once," Sturm said. "Very few people watch a game of quidditch and don't come away at least interested in it."
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MLQ plans to host more workshops ahead of the tryouts for its 16 teams later this year.
WBZ's Brooke McCarthy (@BrookeWBZ) reports.
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