I’m not shy about admitting I know nothing about Harry Potter. I was a firm Lord of the Rings fan when the Harry Potter franchise started to take over the world, and as a matter of principle (and adolescent tenacity), I neither read nor watched anything related to Harry Potter.
So I was at a distinct disadvantage when my editor assigned me to photograph the first-ever Central Pennsylvania Open Quidditch Tournament on Sunday.
© 2011 by The York Dispatch. Ursuline School senior Sean Watson, of New Rochelle, N.Y., scores against Trinity High School in the Central Pennsylvania Open Quidditch Tournament on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011, at Roof Park in New Cumberland. Ursuline was the only out-of-state team in central Pennsylvania's first-ever Quidditch tournament, and was also the tournament winner.
Going into the tournament — right after covering Daren Hidalgo’s memorial service (talk about a messed-up emotional state) — I knew only a few things about Quidditch:
- It involves balls.
- It involves goals.
- It involves flying.
© 2011 by The York Dispatch. Spare brooms lie on the ground during downtime in the first-ever Central Pennsylvania Open Quidditch Tournament on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011, at Roof Park in New Cumberland. While a broom is necessary in playing Quidditch in Harry Potter's universe, the brooms for Muggles (non-witches) are of little functional use, except when the human Snitch is defending himself.
Since Muggles cannot fly, these high school and college students instead ran. And tackled. It was basically a combination of rugby, dodgeball, basketball, tag and soccer. There was a thick International Quidditch Association handbook available, but the game still made no sense — but it was fun.
© 2011 by The York Dispatch. Ursuline School senior Amanda Ungco passes the quaffle against Trinity High School in the Central Pennsylvania Open Quidditch Tournament on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011, at Roof Park in New Cumberland.
© 2011 by The York Dispatch. Chestnut Hill College junior Jeremy Miles signs the back of a spare jersey for Hannah Plotkin, 9 of Spring Garden Township, during downtime.
© 2011 by The York Dispatch. Hannah Plotkin, 9 of Spring Garden Township, reacts gleefully after Chestnut Hill College Quidditch players offered to autograph and give a spare jersey to her.
And one thing that was really neat about shooting a not-completely organized sport? I stood right next to the goal hoops and was shooting with a wide lens. That never happens in organized sports.
© 2011 by The York Dispatch. Members of the Shamrock Quidditch Club, from Trinity High School in Camp Hill, prepare to play against the Flying Koalas from the Ursuline School, of New Rochelle, N.Y., in the Central Pennsylvania Open Quidditch Tournament on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011, at Roof Park in New Cumberland.
© 2011 by The York Dispatch. Chestnut Hill College freshmen Tom Weigel, Brad Amerman and Raymond Haig pass balls back and forth to each other during some downtime in the first-ever Central Pennsylvania Open Quidditch Tournament at Roof Park in New Cumberland on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011. Chestnut Hill was one of two college teams at the tournament; the other college team was from Penn State.
Words and Light 
Chris –
Your images are fabulous!
I was there and struggled to take some good shots (unlike yours, mine were full of FAIL) 🙂
Great work!