US Quidditch Cup 10 Preview: The Sixth Day of Kissimmee

On the sixth day of Kissimmee we have a pair of community teams looking to take the next step - be it a title or a deep bracket run and three pot five teams looking to prove that they belong among the country's best.

Rochester United

By Mike Pascutoi

Entering this season with high expectations, Rochester United (RU) performed basically as expected throughout the season, losing two games to regional rival Quidditch Club Boston and a tight affair with Bowling Green State University while without star keeper Shane Hurlbert. Touting an experienced though often shorthanded roster, RU is a well-oiled machine of on-pitch efficiency at best and a slow, predictable opponent at worst. Even when the team falls back on its standard strategy of hero-balling behind keepers Hurlbert and Jon Jackson, the talent of its roster cannot be matched by most opponents. Defensively, a rotation of solid point defenders dictate the pace of the defense, allowing one of the deepest beater corps in the country to help limit opponents to under 100 quaffle points in all but one game this season.

US Quidditch Cup 10 Preview: The Fourth Day of Kissimmee

On the fourth day of Kissimmee, we have a community team looking to maintain last year’s strong showing, two regional champions looking to make national claims, a regional transplant fighting for pride for both its home and adopted region, and a college team with a historic pedigree making its long awaited return to the national stage.

US Quidditch Cup 10 Preview: The Third Day of Kissimmee

On the third day of Kissimmee, we have a college team with dreams of its first national title, some isolated teams that were surprise qualifiers, and a regional champion who surprised many with a deep run last year and will be looking to repeat the feat. 

Texas State University - San Marcos

By Carrie Soukup

Editor’s note: The author is the Volunteer Coordinator for the Texas State Quidditch Organization.

If Texas State comes to your tournament, there is a fair chance it will take home silverware, as five of its six tournaments this year have ended with a first- or second-place victory. Its only elimination this year came at Diamond Cup V at the hands of Texas Cavalry, while at Alamo Cup, Texas State went 5-0, victorious on its quest for a trophy at last. At the Southwest Regional Championship, Texas State again came in second place behind Lone Star Quidditch Club, after knocking off tournament favorites Texas Cavalry.

Rapid Reaction: US Quidditch Cup 10 Pools

By Andy Marmer, Austin Wallace, Christopher Dewing, Alex Russell, and Carrie Soukup 

Editor’s Note: The following is a quick analysis. While the Quidditch Post’s editors did their best to ensure the accuracy of all stats and information, due to our desire to provide quick and timely information, some errors may have arisen. We apologize for any mistakes and will do our best to correct any incorrect information that is pointed out to us.

The Tuesday 11 days before a major tournament means one thing: pool draws. A favorable pool can be the springboard to Day Two glory, as it allows for easy wins, high point differentials, and a top seed entering the bracket. On the other hand, a difficult pool can be a death sentence that causes tough games, lower than-expected seeding, and of course the possibility of elimination. With USQ announcing the pool draw for US Quidditch Cup 10, we break down each pool, games, and fun facts on our way to identifying the 36 teams that will advance to bracket play.

US Quidditch Cup 10 Preview: The Second Day of Kissimmee

On the second day of Kissimmee, we have a pair of college programs that once dominated their regions, but have since taken a backseat to local rivals, one of the world’s most established community teams, the lone B-team competing, and one regional champion. 

The Silver Phoenix

By Alex Stewart  

Editor’s Note: The author is a treasurer of Texas A&M Quidditch Organization.

US Quidditch Cup 10 Preview: The First Day of Kissimmee

With US Quidditch Cup 10 rapidly approaching, the Quidditch Post kicks off the 12 Days of Kissimmee with a pair of regional champions, a former juggernaut that fell on hard times, but is now on the rebound, a strong college squad looking to make its way deep into the bracket, and an oft-overlooked college team trying to leave a mark on the national scene.

Consolation Cup Provides Alternative to US Quidditch Cup

By Danielle Lehmann 

For many teams who did not earn a bid for US Quidditch Cup 10, competing against out-of-region teams is no longer a possibility. Last year, however, Texas State Quidditch changed that prospect for many who just missed out on national-level play. Texas State returns with Consolation Cup II this weekend, when 22 teams (Editor’s Note: One team has dropped from Consolation Cup II, but as of press time the identity of this team has not been confirmed) make their way across the United States to compete in the intense tournament.

Looking Back at the USQ Midwest Regional Championship

By Paul Dvoracek

On a beautiful fall weekend, 13 teams traveled to Nevada, Iowa to participate in the second USQ Midwest Regional Championship (MWRC) since the Midwest/Great Lakes regional split. After a weekend of tough competition and some surprising upsets, Mizzou Quidditch came away with its  first regional championship, defeating Kansas Quidditch 190*-110. Illinois State University Firebirds, Minnesota Quidditch, and Marquette University Quidditch also qualified for the 2017 USQ Quidditch Cup.

International Weekend Wrap-Up - November 11-13

Contributions by Chula Bruggeling, Kyle Carey, Serena Cheong, Rebekah Page, Arjun Patel, Ashara Peiris, Carrie Soukup, Cameron VomBaur, and Austin Wallace

There is a lot going on in the world of quidditch on any particular weekend, and most of us only see the stories immediately relevant to our regions. However, it can be very interesting to look outside of our own bubble every once in awhile and take a look at the rest of the global community. To that end, each week the Quidditch Post collects information about tournaments and events that happened during the weekend around the world.

This week we are covering the Eastern and Western Canada Regional Championships, Coupe de France, the UK’s Northern Cup, the US’s Midwest Regional Championship, Next Best West, Hub City Cup, and Officially BAQC At It.

International Weekend Wrap-Up - November 5-6

Contributions by Chula Bruggeling, Serena Cheong, Neha Korrapati, Carrie Soukup, and Austin Wallace

This week we are publishing our fourth International Weekend Wrap-Up, providing you with information about tournaments and events around the world. This week we are covering events from Belgium, Canada, Germany, and the US.

World Cup From Their Perspective: Team USA Head Coach James Hicks

My name is James Hicks, and I have been involved in quidditch since 2011. I was the head coach of the 2016 Team USA.

Team USA Head Coach James Hicks at the closing ceremonies for the 2016 Quidditch World Cup. | Photo Credit: Ajantha Abey Quidditch Photography

Before I get started, I would like to thank the Quidditch Post, and particularly the sections abroad. For the past year, I believe that your coverage of international teams and events has helped keep us updated on quidditch around the world, not just in America, and I’ve enjoyed following international quidditch because of it. I would also like to thank you for reaching out for a different kind of interview - for giving me a platform to share my personal experience and my feelings after a tough weekend for USA quidditch. Not many sporting media outlets do that after a tough loss, so it’s very much appreciated.

World Cup 2016: Spotlight on the United States

By Danielle Lehmann and Bruce Donnelly  

History

The United States has the honor of saying that quidditch started here, at Middlebury College in Vermont (in the northeastern United States) by Xander Manshel and Alex Benepe in 2005. As freshmen that year, Manshel and Benepe created the groundwork for quidditch, but it was quite different from the sport we know today.

Gender Rule Excludes Womens Colleges

By Taylor Veracka

What does quidditch have in common with horseback riding? For now, the sports’ only similarity is the fact that both allow all genders to compete with and against one another, though many hold out hope that quidditch will eventually join equestrianism in the Olympic Games. Gender inclusivity is something that not only sets quidditch apart from most other sports but also presents many unique challenges, specifically in governing the politics of a full-contact sport where all genders can participate.

Soaring to South Carolina Preview: Pools 10-12

This weekend, April 16-17, 60 teams will fight for a chance to hold up the championship trophy of US Quidditch Cup 9. The University of Texas is the three-time defending champion, but 59 teams will look to unseat it. In the week leading up to the tournament, the Quidditch Post will run through the pools and highlight some of the players, teams, and stories to watch this weekend.

Soaring to South Carolina Preview: Pools 7-9

This weekend, April 16-17, 60 teams will fight for a chance to hold up the championship trophy of US Quidditch Cup 9. The University of Texas is the three-time defending champion, but 59 teams will look to unseat it. In the week leading up to the tournament, the Quidditch Post will run through the pools and highlight some of the players, teams, and stories to watch this weekend.

Quidditch Post Live Coverage of USQ Cup 9

Part of the Quidditch Post’s coverage of US Quidditch Cup 9 will include live tweeting of games. The schedule below indicates what games will be tweeted and from what accounts. There are also game based hashtags that you can use to keep track of specific games.

Our dedicated volunteers have signed up for different games to tweet, so the schedule is subject to change depending on the availability of our tweeters, but we will keep the sheet updated throughout the event.

Soaring to South Carolina Preview: Pools 4-6

This weekend, April 16-17, 60 teams will fight for a chance to hold up the championship trophy of US Quidditch Cup 9. The University of Texas is the three-time defending champion, but 59 teams will look to unseat it. In the week leading up to the tournament, the Quidditch Post will run through the pools and highlight some of the players, teams, and stories to watch this weekend.

Soaring to South Carolina Preview: Pools 1-3

This weekend, April 16-17, 60 teams will fight for a chance to hold up the championship trophy of US Quidditch Cup 9. The University of Texas is the three-time defending champion, but 59 teams will look to unseat it. In the week leading up to the tournament, the Quidditch Post will run through the pools and highlight some of the players, teams, and stories to watch this weekend.

Why American Quidditch Needs to Start Thinking Small

By Kyle Carey

The following piece represents the opinion of the author and not of the Quidditch Post.

For the fourth year in a row, USQ team membership has hovered just above 150 teams. During the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons, the number of registered teams in the United States stood at 162 and 169, respectively. In USQ’s inaugural 2014-15 season, after the split with the IQA, the count was 161. For the 2015-16 season, thus far, the count is currently 173; 170 if you do not include high school teams. During the early years of quidditch, the sport expanded exponentially, moving quickly beyond Middlebury College’s campus and across the United States. However, since 2012, membership has plateaued, begging the question of why expansion has cooled down. In answering this question, it is important to first think about the geography of teams that currently comprise USQ.

Mock National Team - USA

With World Cup 2016 – the real World Cup in Frankfurt, Germany – just a few months away, USQ has given James Hicks and Mollie Lensing the well-deserved honor of head coach and assistant coach, respectively, for the US National Team. What we are waiting on now, though, are the names for the roster itself.