Start a team: High school
Starting a high school quidditch team may seem challenging, but it’s important to know where to start. Find other people in your school interested in creating a team, and plan out what you need to do to get official recognition. Many schools have an application process for new clubs or teams, and usually require a formal presentation or proposal. Be prepared to answer questions about the rules of quidditch and safety issues in particular.
Working with your school is vital if you want your quidditch team to thrive. Lots of schools require clubs and teams to have advisors, so ask a teacher you like to be your team’s advisor. Explain to them what quidditch is and why you want to start a team. Make sure to approach them when they have time to talk, and be willing to practice at a time that fits their schedule.
Your school’s student government can also be helpful in promoting your quidditch team. If there is someone in charge of public relations or clubs, talk to them about promoting your team. Go to a meeting even if there isn’t someone specifically in charge of promoting school activities; someone will likely be able to give your team the attention it needs. If your team wants to organize its own special event, it can be helpful (and sometimes necessary) to discuss planning and promotion with your student government as well.
How can the IQA help?
The IQA can help your team by providing information and a network of support you’ll need to grow and sustain your program. The membership and teams departments can help you find local teams to compete against or look to for guidance. The IQA’s membership packages cover insurance for tournaments and allow your team to participate in official events and compete for grants. Different packages are available to meet your team’s needs. If your team does not have the capacity to join as an official team, you may pay a per-person registration fee to play as an unofficial team at IQA-sanctioned events.
The IQA's high school development team is specifically dedicated to meeting the needs of high school teams everywhere. The team works to create resources for teams, adapt rules, and improve the experience of high school quidditch players.
You can find adaptations to the rules for high school play in the rulebook or on this page. Currently, high school rules are very similar to standard gameplay rules, with one major exception: High school players cannot tackle each other.
Once you’re officially able to play, you’ll need to recruit players. Put up posters in the halls, set up team pages on social media sites, attend school events like pep rallies and club fairs, and spread the word in class. If you can, make announcements advertising practice or hold demonstrations in a popular spot. Try to appeal to both Harry Potter fans and athletes by emphasizing quidditch’s quirky nature but also the athleticism of the sport - posting videos of intense games online or showing them on a laptop at club fairs can nicely illustrate this idea. Get people to talk about your team as much as you can, and soon enough, people will come.
