The Quidditch Experience
Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to pass this off as the experience that everyone has with quidditch, just my own personal feelings towards the sport and the community.
I know that when most people (outside of the community) think about quidditch, they call it a "nerd sport." Though based off the the game with flying brooms and balls (get your chuckles out now), I think quidditch is anything but a "nerd sport." Sure, we're pretty nerdy people out there playing the game, but once you see a game, you'll see it's as legit of a sport as anything else.
But, this post is not about the validity of the sport, it's about the experience I have with it.
For me, quidditch is about friends. Sure, I had friends before joining my university's quidditch team, and I'll have other friends long after I graduate, but nothing is quite like being on the team. Having never really felt that team connection in sports before, I've never imagined it would be like this.
Even better than making friends at my own school, quidditch has allowed me to make friends all over the country. Whether I've played against them, been on a fantasy teams with them, or reffed games beside them, I have friends that I would have never even known existed if it wasn't for quidditch. I get happy when tournaments come up because those are the few times I actually get to see my friends. Nothing is quite like the feeling of seeing and hugging a friend you only get to see 2-3 times a year... if even that often. It's literally like meeting back up with family... my quidditch family.
Friends you make during this sport get it. They have the same love for this sport and they know the ins and outs of the community and love it the same. We come from different backgrounds and experiences, but we're all brought together via this amazing sport.
So, this weekend when I go to a tournament with a group of my friends, see a bunch of my long distant friends, and watch them all play against each other, I'll sit back, relax, and soak in every minute of it. The outside world and it's problems will always be there, but for a few hours, my biggest issues will be which team to root for and if I have on enough sunblock.