Queen’s varsity players bring Quidditch to County muggles
Administrator | Oct 04, 2012 | Comments 0
Queen’s University Quidditch Club members gave Prince Edward County residents an opportunity to try out the fictional sport popularized by the famous Harry Potter book series.
Four varsity team members came to Picton Saturday as part of the Come Alive Outside Sports Day to show how the game is played by those who do not attend Hogwarts.
Quidditch is similar to basketball on broomsticks and uses three elevated goal hoops on each end of the field. Two teams of seven “ride” the broomsticks and use four balls. Three chasers attempt to score points by thowing the quaffle (volleyball) past the keeper (goaltender) minding the three hoops. Beaters throw dodgeballs at competing players to disrupt flow of the game. And each team has a seeker who tries to grab the golden snitch runner’s ball in order to end the game.
Quidditch is played in more than 200 North American colleges and universities and the Queen’s team is a recognized by the International Quidditch Association. In July, two Queen’s students joined team mates from across Canada to compete in an international quidditch tournament in Oxford, England organized by the International Quidditch Association. Canada placed fourth.
“Come Alive Outside” Prince Edward County also officially unveiled phase one of its new Fitness Trail at the Johnson Street Soccer Fields, Saturday.
The trail features 16 pieces of outdoor exercise equipment, placed within four pods. The equipment includes an elliptical trainer, leg press, strider and arm press. Three of the pods are specifically for adults, while the forth is designed for elementary school age children.
The seven foot wide exercise trail runs through the Johnson Street soccer fields, with a second phase planned to run around the perimeter of the adjacent Picton fairgrounds.
The Quidditch game and opening of the trail were part of a Sports Week in the County program, run in conjunction with ParticiPaction, True Sport and CBC’s Sports Day in Canada. Events also included a bike rodeo at the Youth Park; pick up soccer and hockey games and a Panther Hoops 3 on 3 tournament at PECI.
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