Not The World Cup, But The Cup That Shall Not Be Named
Two weeks ago, 60 of the top quidditch programs gathered in Kissimmee, Florida to battle for the sixth World Cup. But this was not the only gathering of quidditch players going on. Seven teams with a combined 18 World Cup appearances, seven World Cup championship appearances, and five World Cup championships converged to battle not for the World Cup, but for the Cup That Shall Not Be Named.
Photo Courtesy of Jacob Gorski
The tournament was hosted by Vassar College (Poughkeepsie, NY), who competed in the first five World Cups and reached the finals at World Cup I (World Cup I featured just two teams) and II and the semifinals at World Cup IV, and featured several historic programs including five-time champion Middlebury College (Middlebury, VT), Chestnut Hill College (Chestnut Hill, PA), who debuted at the second World Cup, and the University of Vermont (Burlington, VT), whose first World Cup was World Cup III. However, it was none of these historic squads that took home the title, but instead SkidPIarcliff, a mercenary team comprised of members from Skidmore College (Saratoga Springs, NY), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY), and Briarcliff High School (Briarcliff Manor, NY).
While a champion was crowned, for those that competed, this tournament was about more than the outcome. Maddy Vogel, a captain of the Butterbeer Broooers - Vassar's squad whose name is fashioned off of the college's Brewers nickname, with the three “o's” representing hoops - explained, “The purpose of this tournament was to bring quidditch back to its roots--fun, sportsmanship, safety, competition, and whimsy.”
The Broooers' captains originally planned the tournament as an alternative for those who couldn't attend the World Cup. Vogel noted in an emailed statement, “We knew that LOTS of teams in the area would not qualify or could not afford to go to Florida--we ourselves knew we couldn't afford it even before going to Regionals--and thought that having a tournament the exact same weekend would be a great alternative for teams in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.”
Outside of being a simple World Cup alternative, Vassar's captains hoped that their tournament could provide some of the environment lacking from a larger tournament. Co-Captain Gaby Scher noted, “In the past, any team could go to the World Cup; there were no games you had to win to qualify, and also the World Cups were held at Middlebury or other more intimate venues, which allowed teams to bond and get to know each other. By hosting our own tournament, we were able to recreate this old school version of the World Cup not only by having the original quidditch teams, but by also bringing quidditch back to its roots of a fun, friendly sport.”
Overall, Vassar's captains feel as though the event was a resounding success. Vogel explained, “I think we managed to accomplish having an amazingly fun tournament. Every team seemed to have a great time, no matter how they were playing. There was a feeling of camaraderie and fun on the field between all teams, and since that was our main objective, I would say we accomplished exactly what we wanted.”
Scher echoed her co-Captain's sentiments while also describing how the tournament helped to reinforce her own personal interpretation of the sport: “Quidditch can still be a competitive sport without unnecessary aggressiveness and tackling, and that was definitely a huge point we wanted to get across and, I believe, at least for the people who attended, we did get across. Quidditch should be a sport that is competitive while still being fun and safe for all players involved.”
