“You have to find a way to throw convention out the window and just find a way to get the ball through the hoop,” shouted Veronica Hoffman, junior in LAS, coach and captain of the Illini Ridgebacks quadball team.

As her voice pierced the air on a 34-degree February day, she sounded just like a typical coach in a typical sport. Only Hoffman is not a typical coach, and this certainly isn’t a typical sport.

This is quadball: a wacky, chaotic, fast-paced game like nothing most sports fans have ever seen.

Quadball is based on the fictional sport of quidditch from the “Harry Potter” series without the ability to fly and with a few much-needed rule changes.

“If quidditch was a real sport, this is what it would look like,” said Boris Jukić, sophomore in LAS, who runs the team’s social media. “Because obviously, straight up from Harry Potter, even without the flying, that sport is not designed very well.”

It’s certainly a deviation from the typical world of college sports, but for those bold enough to explore a sport with four balls and six hoops, it often doesn’t take long to get hooked.

That’s exactly how things started for Jukić, who took a “total leap of faith” that dramatically altered his college experience.

“That’s how it goes for a lot of people,” Jukić said. “They sign up on a whim, and then they realize, once they start playing the sport, that, ‘Wait a minute, this is actually a lot of fun.’”

 For some, like Camila Rodriguez, senior in Media and the Ridgebacks’ president, bringing people into the world of quadball is a family affair.

“I dragged my brother into this,” Rodriguez said. “A lot of people drag their siblings into this. I dragged my boyfriend into this. If you bother people enough about it, they’ll show up, and then they end up loving it because the community is just awesome.”

That community isn’t limited by the confines of gender identity, either. Quadball is coed and open to all, a welcome respite in a sports world where gender identity is a hot-button topic.

“I think this is one of the most inclusive sports on campus,” Hoffman said. “People who might not identify as men or women or who are transgender … they can all play this sport, no questions asked. There’s no problems with it.”

Not only is quadball accepting of gender identity, but it’s also welcoming to athletes regardless of experience level. Unlike most sports, which require significant training to keep pace, quadball levels the playing field.

“The most compelling part of this is you don’t really need any experience,” said Ojas Turekar, senior in LAS. “If you want to be an athlete and just go out there, you can do that.”

Whether a seasoned athlete like Jukić or a self-proclaimed “band kid” like Rodriguez, there’s a distinctive pride that comes with the game of quadball.

Jukić played soccer and volleyball in high school, and though he enjoyed those sports, he has a different relationship with quadball.

“Quadball is something that I know, that I’ve got, and it’s special,” Jukić said.

While Jukić and many others in the quadball community carry a personal connection to the game, the sport isn’t just fueled on an individual level. The game also continues to grow and change as it takes root worldwide.

Turekar was one of many to experience this at the 2023 Quadball World Cup, representing Team India in the 15-nation tournament in Richmond, Virginia.

“That was the most surreal experience I ever had,” Turekar said. “It was just a bunch of people from all over the world.”

Quadball’s nature has continued to morph as it proliferates around the globe. While the sport is rooted in quidditch, it was officially rebranded to quadball in 2022, spurring a distinct identity for the sport no longer tethered to the “Harry Potter” series.

“We’re quadball,” Jukić said. “We’re not quidditch for a reason. It used to be that, but the sport has evolved a lot, and it’s very much its own thing these days.”

While the sport’s culture has changed dramatically in the two decades since its inception in 2005, the Ridgebacks aren’t forgetting the contributions of the people who laid the groundwork for the current team.

“The legacy part of it, it weighs on your shoulders,” Jukić said.

The Ridgebacks have grown tremendously from their founding in 2012 to their first foray into competing against other teams in 2017. Now, they compete as a Division I team, the highest level of collegiate quadball.

Last season, they claimed their first victory at Division I nationals and look to do it again this year.

“This team, we got something special,” Jukić said. “We’re making our mark. We’re adding to the legacy. Really proud of what we’ve been able to do, and I think those who came before would be proud of us, too.”

But adding to the legacy doesn’t come without a cost. The Ridgebacks have recently dealt with a slew of challenges, such as losing access to their indoor practice facility and having their University-provided funds sliced in half. Through it all, the team’s passion keeps them going.

“It’s often complex from a logistical standpoint, but it’s always so worth it and so fun,” Hoffman said. “Wake up, 5 a.m. in the morning, get back past midnight to go play quadball, and it’s just a joy because only the people that really care and want to be there are the people that come with us on these trips.”

No matter how taxing the schedule is or how tight money gets, the Ridgebacks community remains strong. There’s no better example of this than the aptly named “Quad Manor,” a house that has been lived in and handed down by generations of Ridgebacks and serves as the hub of the University quadball community.

“If you knock on the door between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., someone at Quad Manor will be home to let you in,” Hoffman said.

If that sounds familial, that’s because it is. While passion for quadball is the canvas for the Ridgebacks community, lasting friendships are what give it vibrant color.

“You really build a lot of close connections,” Jukić said. “The Ridgebacks are a family.”

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