Young Adult

Quidditch Clinic

Jul 27, 2017

$101-250

Byline

Renee Smith, Young Adult & Reference Librarian, Reading (Mass.) Public Library

The idea to hold a Quidditch clinic for teens arose from our local teens' excitement for any and all Harry Potter-related programming. We’ve done numerous Harry Potter-themed programs in the past (typically trivia or costumed events), but had yet to tackle Quidditch. We wanted to engage teens that might have an interest in physical activities as this event was in collaboration with our local YMCA.

We collaborated closely with the Quidditch team at nearby Boston University (BU) to host the clinic for participants in grades 6 through 12, and the event was a huge success.

Advanced Planning

We wanted to hold the program in February to coincide with our annual Harry Potter Book Night and the vacation week at our local schools. In early November, I contacted BU's and MIT’s Quidditch teams via their Facebook pages to see if they would be interested in providing such a program. Both enthusiastically said yes, but for our timeframe, BU worked better.

I would strongly suggest reaching out early to local Quidditch groups. In our case, the teams we contacted were composed of college students. We communicated over a few months as students were gone for holiday break, figuring out their schedules, etc. The Quidditch team captain was able to coordinate with other players on our behalf and secured five players to host our Quidditch clinic. This was the first time the BU team had done anything like this, so having ample time gave them an opportunity to not only figure out their schedule but also determine a program outline.

This was a registered event with limited space; we wanted to keep the numbers manageable so that all in attendance would be engaged and get ample opportunity to practice and play. A few days before the event, we contacted all registered teens to confirm attendance and/or move others up the wait list.

Marketing

This program was promoted through our typical channels for library program promotion, beginning about two months in advance. This includes our website, in-house fliers and our Facebook and Twitter pages. (View a copy of the flier under Attachments at right.)

Additionally, we shared the event with our local schools by sending fliers and emails to media specialists, shared with parents via the school newsletter, and sent a press release to our local paper and surrounding town publications.

Finally, our local YMCA promoted the event through their fliers and their website.

Budgeting

The only cost was a $200 stipend given to the BU Quidditch Team, which they put toward financing their upcoming trip to compete in the US Quidditch World Cup. They did not ask for money, but we wanted to provide something, and at the time they had a fundraiser page to earn money toward the national competition. This was paid for through our Friends of the Library.

The event itself was held in the gym of our local YMCA. Since we collaborate so often with the YMCA for programs, we were able to use the gym for free.

Day-of-event Activity

About a week before the event I contacted the captain of the BU team to confirm final details, including location, equipment, time, number of team players coming to lead the clinic, etc. I also exchanged cell numbers with the captain in case any last-minute issues arose.

The team provided all equipment. On the day of the event, the team came about a half hour early to set up the equipment. For staff, our two teen librarians and the teen director from the YMCA were on hand to help with set-up, directing kids and monitoring the program. It was not necessary to have this many staff, but as this was a collaborative event we all wanted to be there. Plus, it was so fun!

Program Execution

The two-hour program was split into four parts:

Introductions: The BU team members shared their experiences playing and positions they have held within the team.
Clinic: During this time, info was provided on the equipment needed to play, rules and objectives, and positions. For each position, the kids were taught their role and how to play, and then they practiced each position. They would switch off roles of offense and defense.
Match: A true Quidditch match! We actually had enough time to have a couple of matches.
Wrap-up: With about five minutes left, the kids all sat in a circle with the BU team and shared what they had learned, strategies, teamwork, etc.

We had full attendance, 14 teens. There are seven players per team, so this allowed us to have two full teams to compete against each other, plus the BU team members to help out during matches. You could allow for more registration slots, if you coordinate rotating players in during matches.

The program was very well received! The teens loved the event, and the BU team members were amazing! They were very well organized, thoughtful and worked so well with the kids. The event was very popular from the moment we advertised it. We even had younger children (under grade 6) asking if they could attend. While, for this event, we only allowed grades 6 through 12, due to popularity and interest from younger children, the following summer our children’s department ended up having the BU team back to do an event with younger kids.

I shared our event’s success and praise for the BU team on a librarian listserv and was bombarded with requests for their contact info. As a result, the BU team scheduled numerous library events following our event.

Advice

Reach out to numerous Quidditch groups in your area (search for a team near you on the US Quidditch site). Consider colleges, universities or casual groups that might be willing to provide a clinic.

Make contact early to allow enough time to plan and coordinate. Ask if equipment is provided or if you will need to furnish items. If the group is willing to offer its services for free, consider paying travel or funding opportunities if they are competitive.

Consider where you can hold such a program in your library. If you don’t have a room or outside space, consider reaching out to your local schools to use their gym or other organizations (like a YMCA).

Have fun! This event was truly memorable and was such a blast!