Kidditch!

I'm not sure how we heard about it -- social media, I'm guessing -- but we schlepped the kids to Grove Park on Saturday for something called Kidditch. Because Quidditch is copyrighted, I guess? Or just because they wanted to attract the kids who run this town. Anyway. About half a dozen young adults taught the kids the rules of the game and then supervised scrimmages and other drills. They weren't affiliated with any local university or high school. Said they were the "South Orange Quidditch Team" and trying to raise money for their regional tournament in Virginia. So are they graduates? Living at home because they can't find jobs? Or just young entrepreneurs looking to make a buck?

In any case, we paid our $5 per kid for two hours of fun. And while I know I'm a sports nut dad desperate for my kids to fall in love with some sort of athletic endeavor, I gotta say: Greta Corleen Merrill was the best Kidditch player on the field! I've never seen her so engaged. She ran non-stop, she played defense, she communicated with her teammates ("I'm open! I'm open!") and she scored countless hoops. Her brother, meanwhile, was pegged as a Seeker, meaning it was his job to chase the Golden Snitch, which outside the pages of Harry Potter consists of a dude wearing a flag on his waist. Catch the Snitch, end the game, get the girls -- just like Harry.

Take that, Snitch!

Off balance, falling to the ground, for the score!