It is going to be a magical weekend as the TCU Quidditch team heads to Randall’s Island in New York City this weekend to compete in the 2011 5th Annual Qudditch World Cup.

“We are so excited. The fact that we are able to go to New York City and get to meet a 100 teams from all over the world. The only thing that I can describe is just being so excited,” Lindsey Carnes, a junior psychology major and president of the TCU Quidditch Club, said.

The 96th ranked Horned Frog muggles face Louisiana State University (3), Harvard (45), Carleton (22) and Jetpack Ninja Dinosaurs (31) on Saturday afternoon.

Despite facing higher ranked teams in the playoffs, including LSU who beat the frogs 90-0 in April, the TCU Quidditch team remains undeterred.

“I’m not worried about it at all because the reason they are ranked so high is because they have been able to play more games than we have,” Carnes said. “In the games that we have been able to play so far we have been very competitive and we have done very well.”

The team of 24 has made the trip to New York City possible through contributions made by supportive family members and friends as well as through a fundraiser held at Yo! Frozen Yogurt Lounge on South University Drive, Hannah Anderson, a junior studio art major said.

For members like Anderson, getting a chance to participate in the World Cup before her graduation seems like a rare opportunity, she said.

“I think it’s really exciting to get to experience this,” she said. “I only get two years on this team since I’m a junior so I’m excited to make the most of it.”

Even though freshman business and psychology double major Sydney Cox was unable to join the team in New York, she said she would still support her team from home.

She said the World Cup will give the TCU Quidditch team the opportunity to showcase the improvements they have made this past year.

“We are really excited to put TCU out there. Our past rankings haven’t been high as we wanted so we are really excited to show that we’ve practiced and we are a different team,” Cox said.

Carnes said although the team has developed strategic defensive and offensive positions to guarantee their success it would be the Horned Frog spirit and the team’s passion for TCU and Quidditch that would be their main motivation at the World Cup.

“I can’t think of another team that has more passion and love for the sport. We are definitely going to go and give it our best shot,” she said. “Our team not only considers it an honor but a responsibility to go to New York and represent TCU on a global level and show the whole world what TCU is about and show everyone what the horned frog spirit is about. That’s what our team is trying to keep in mind for this trip.”

While some argue about the legitimacy of the sport, Cox said she believed that Qudditch is in fact an athletic sport.

“I’ve played sports pretty much my whole life. I played basketball, softball and other things like that and I have found that it’s really an athletic game. I also love the game and I love Harry potter so it’s kind of like a double motivation. It’s pretty cool,” she said.

According to their official website, The International Quidditch Association is a “magical nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the sport of Quidditch and inspiring young people to lead physically active and socially engaged lives.”

The intercollegiate Qudditch World Cup hosted by The International Quidditch Association will feature 100 teams from 22 states and four nations including Canada and Sweden, as well as, over a dozen live rock bands, amongst other things.

TCU Quidditch Team Schedule:
Louisiana State University – 1:10 p.m. Saturday
Carleton – 4:20 p.m. Saturday
Harvard – 7 p.m. Saturday
Jetpack Ninga Dinosaurs – 9:40 a.m. Sunday