The Chicago United Quadball Club is bringing real Quidditch to town!

CHICAGO– “A lot of people come to Quidditch because they know it from Harry Potter, but they stay for the sport.”

Quidditch (now known as Quadball) is a mixed sport inspired by the Harry Potter series. In 1997, Quidditch was introduced to readers in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The game was then brought to life in the 2001 film Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. While they couldn’t fly around on broomsticks, two college students figured out how to ground the sport in 2005. Today there are more than 50 college and club Quidditch teams across the country and even around the world.

One of these teams is the Chicago United Quadball Club!

Chicago United Quadball gives players from across Chicagoland the opportunity to play and learn about Quidditch. Described as a hybrid of rugby, soccer, dodgeball and flag football, this sport sees two teams of six compete for the quaffle (main ball) to score points for their team. And all while riding a PVC pipe as a broomstick!

While Quidditch gets its inspiration from Harry Potter, Chicago United doesn’t want it to be known just as a “magical sport.”

“One of our team’s goals is for us to be taken seriously for the athletes we are,” said team manager Hannah Miller. “And players who want to take the sport a step further can show off their athletic skills on major league quadball teams playing against other teams across the country.

Recently, the US Quidditch League as a whole was renamed from Quidditch to Quadball. It was an attempt to distance herself from derogatory comments from Harry Potter creator JK Rowling. The US League saw the name change as an opportunity to rebrand the sport into something new, unique, growing, and open to all players.

Chicago United players not only enjoy playing Quidditch, but also appreciate the teammates and friendships they have made through it.

“It took me back to my football years. No matter how competitive we can be, we always hung out after games,” said head coach Dany Yaacoub.

Longtime player Scott Rein shared how all of his friends moved to different parts of the country after college. But having a team like Chicago United helped him build many of his close friendships during his young adult years.

Chicago United Quadball Club is constantly recruiting people to join its team and family for casual or competitive play. To learn more about the team and connect with its members, find them on Facebook at Chicago United Quadball Clubor by email, chicagoquadball@gmail.com.