Saturday and Sunday at Maidu Park
About a dozen teams will compete in the fast-paced sport that combines dodgeball, rugby, tag and even flag football – and started in the Harry Potter novels
Roseville, Calif. – Quadball, an action-packed sport that evolved from the Harry Potter novels, will hold its only West Coast national qualifier Saturday, Feb. 8, and Sunday, Feb. 9 at Maidu Regional Park in Roseville.
About a dozen teams, from as far away as Arizona and Washington state, will compete in the tournament to determine the squads that advance to the US Quadball Cup this spring in Richmond, Va. The West Coast national qualifier, one of only five nationwide, will include club and college divisions.
Ticket prices
The games start at 9 a.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday at Maidu Regional Park, 1550 Maidu Drive. Tickets are $10 per day or $20 for a two-day pass, and available online or in person at the tournament.
Several hundred fans are expected to attend the tournament, with many bringing blankets, lawn chairs, coolers and even picnic baskets to watch and learn the relatively new and fast-moving sport formerly known as Quidditch, a game introduced in the Harry Potter novels.
"There's nothing like it, there's always something going on," said Ashley Collier, CEO of US Quadball, the nationwide organization that oversees the sport. "It looks crazy, but you will figure it out quick."
Placer Valley Tourism is hosting the West Coast national qualifier for the fifth time since 2013.
While the economic impact from the two-day tournament will be less than some other recent events – such as the West Coast Tournament of Champions women's wrestling tournament in December – bringing and introducing a one-of-a-kind sport to the region is also part of the mission of Placer Valley Tourism.
"Placer Valley Tourism has been part of Quadball from its early days, and we are looking forward to our ongoing partnership and the growth of the sport," said Kim Summers, CEO of Placer Valley Tourism. "We enjoy the opportunity to bring a new sport to the region and connect with hundreds of people and share what Placer Valley has to offer, from golfing to shopping and wineries."
About 220 athletes will compete in the tournament, enjoying local restaurants and staying overnight at hotels in Placer Valley. Some of the athletes will explore the region before or after the tournament.
Placer Valley, a few hours from the Bay Area and a short flight from many West Coast cities, is a "great location" for the West Coast national qualifier, said Collier, who plans to attend the tournament.
The West Coast is critical to the growth of Quadball, which has about 75 club and college teams, down from the peak before the pandemic.
The national qualifier tournaments and a partnership with SportsEngine Play, an NBC-owned service that lets associations and teams stream their games online, help introduce the sport to more fans and, hopefully, future players, Collier said.
"It's the greatest sport in the world," said Lindsey Simpson, head captain and player for the Lost Boys Quadball Club in Southern California. Simpson competed in other sports in high school and came across Quadball while attending Emerson College in Boston. "It's unique and wonderful. It's also a little whimsical."
Wonderful, whimsical and a little wild
Quadball combines dodgeball, flag football and rugby on a field where athletes must carry a broom (represented by a plastic pipe) between their legs, much like the wizards in the best-selling Harry Potter novels and blockbuster movies. A volleyball is tossed through hoops on the field for scoring, three dodgeballs are used to hit opponents and a late-in-the-match addition of a yellow flag representing a "snitch" to be captured from an elusive and fast-running official are all part of the sport.
Each team has seven players on the pitch, with no more than four individuals of the same gender identity at the same time. Players, regardless of their gender, deal with the same challenges, from getting hit by a dodgeball – sometimes rather hard – to being tackled. (You can learn more about the basics of Quadball from a four-minute video on the US Quadball website or its YouTube channel).
"It's a full-contact, gender-inclusive sport that combines elements of dodgeball, rugby, soccer and basketball," said Chloe Foo, co-captain of Cal Quadball. The squad, the reigning Division 2 champions, will compete in the tournament in Roseville. "It's many games rolled into one."
Quadball, founded two decades ago at Middlebury College in Vermont, has attracted athletes – many who competed in college and high school sports – looking for an option to the traditional court and field sports, and where individuals of all gender identities compete equally. Many children play basketball, football or soccer, but very few experience Quadball.
"It's a very diverse sport, a very level playing field," said Foo, who came across the Cal Quadball team practicing when she was 12 while visiting the University of California, Berkeley campus. "Everyone is learning at the same pace. Everyone has their own way of being valuable. If you're small or tall … you can be just as successful."
Camaraderie and the sense of community are as much a part of the sport as the competition.
"This is the most connected, engaged sport," Collier said. "It's a very tight-knit group."
Players often offer a guest room or a sofa to out-of-towners, even including those who are rivals on the pitch.
"The community has kept me going, they are my family," said Simpson, who is always looking for more people to play the sport. "The people who do find us … it becomes a big part of their life."
The best way to learn about the sport – and the community – is to watch some games.
"You just have to come out and see it," Foo said.