College students hope to get Quidditch recognized by NCAA

I like Harry Potter, I really do. And I think Quidditch seems like it would be a fun sport, if it was really possible to fly on a broomstick and snitches were real. But I'm fine with keeping fantasy just that, which is what sets me apart from a growing number of college students who are actually playing their own version of the sport. In fact, the "Quidditch World Cup" is going to take place in New York City Nov. 13 and 14, and more than 60 college and high school teams have registered to compete. How does it work? The participants run around a "pitch" in capes with a broomstick between their legs, while trying to shoot balls through mounted hula hoops. Kristen Howarth, who founded a Quidditch team with her twin sister at Texas A&M, told the Wall Street Journal that initially people on campus scoffed at the idea of playing the sport, but they're coming around. "Some people still think it's a joke, but when they watch it, they're shocked at how physical it is," Aimee Howarth told the WSJ. Another student, Valerie Fischman who plays for the University of Maryland's team, said that she's looking into getting NCAA status. It could be "a stepping stone" to becoming an Olympic sport, she told the paper.