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OCTOBER 1, 2003 at 3:09 PM
Posted by GERI
Source: Boston Globe via The Leaky Cauldron
The world of Harry Potter, credited with inspiring millions of children to read, is now being used to get students excited about physical education
. Justin vanGelderh, a first-year gym teacher at Horace W. Porter School in Connecticut, is among those across the country incorporating the game "quidditch" into their curriculum.
Determined third graders with foam bats stand guard as "chasers" charge toward the hoops with foam balls in hand, trying to avoid being tagged out by the "bludgers" -- students holding yarn balls -- before they can score. Every few minutes, vanGelderh will throw out his own version of the "golden snitch" -- a small bouncy rubber ball.
But Jared Hickey, 8, thinks improvements can be made.
The game also meets the standards of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education that provides guidelines for teachers across the country to follow.
Neil F. Williams, professor in the Department of Health and Physical Education at Eastern Connecticut State University said:
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Animagus
Points: 19544
Sirius-Ella says:
cool, that sounds fun! and it'd be alot better if the brooms
fly without strings but with *gets a mystical voice* Magic!
-sirius-ella-
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 3:53 PM EST
Points: 927
ChelCho says:
I agree with BritBro. The games in gym are usually pretty lame. It would be neat to fly on brooms, but knowing my clumsy nature, I'd probably fall off or pull a Neville.
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 4:06 PM EST
Gryffindor Chaser
Points: 3637
Angelina Johnson says:
I think very interesting for kids, if they had that in my day too...I would`ve been very happy.
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 4:07 PM EST
High Inquisitor
Points: 23483
KT Lady says:
dont u find it odd that kids want to be hung from the ceiling during P.E class??..hmm...but yea quidditch is awesome Id LOVE to play
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 4:49 PM EST
Supreme Mugwump
Points: 2893
S.P.E.W. fan says:
Quidditch on the elementary school playground sounds painful. Beaters, dang, I lost my front tooth and I was only playing 4 square!
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 4:49 PM EST
Witch
Points: 833
hplover731 says:
I think that would be a good idea for little kids. But some of them might hurt themselves...but I wish I really could play Quidditch, it would be awesome!
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 4:55 PM EST
Witch
Points: 574
Tonks007 says:
That is a good idea fo little kids but i think also for older kids that like Harry Potter and stuff it would be soo cool to play quidditch even though we cant fly it would be cool if we could though.
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 5:16 PM EST
Professor
Points: 1018
Peitouche says:
I can totally picture myself and my fellow university students getting a game of this going in the quad... Okay, maybe just me, but I can invent some sort of solo version of the game. But it would be fun to form teams and challenge other departments or neighbouring universities. I always enjoyed tag.
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 5:32 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 1st Class
Points: 1826
snapelupinfan says:
I think it is a good idea. A lot of children know Quidditch because of Harry Potter and they might be very enthusiastic about playing Quidditch - compared with other games you play at school usually. But it is nothing compared with a real Quidditch match, it would be great if they invented flying broomsticks :)
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 5:35 PM EST
Professor
Points: 1065
Lerah99 says:
This sounds like a lot of fun. I'm not athleticlly inclined, to say the least, but I would be willing to give this version of Quidditch a try. Kudos to the inventiveness of this teacher. If we had played this instead of dodge ball, I would have enjoyed PE a great deal more. :o)
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 5:45 PM EST
Witch
Points: 979
Butterbeer says:
This is cool. I have a Harry Potter club at my school and we want to have a quiddich game. Now i know how we can do it!!
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 5:45 PM EST
Prefect
Points: 333
HarryPotterNutcase says:
I think it's a good idea for the younger kids, older kids prolly wouldnt care to much for it.
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 5:47 PM EST
Points: 616
Minister of Magic says:
I don't do sport because at school 99% of students do soccer, and I can't play it. I am bad at sports. And unfurtunaely there aren't enought HP fans at school to do this quidditch think :(
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 5:59 PM EST
Head Girl
Points: 489
HogsmeadeHunny says:
Nice. It would be awesome if we could play quidditch in school, but I don't think the world is ready for that. *sighs toward broomstick*.....
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 6:06 PM EST
Points: 520
HPSleuth says:
That is very much interesting. If only the brooms and balls could fly. I hope they fix all the problems to make it better.
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 6:36 PM EST
Witch
Points: 917
Slytherin_Punk says:
Sounds fun, but to me anything with harry potter would be kool.
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 6:48 PM EST
Prefect
Points: 361
Dracofan1987 says:
That is so awesome. too bad we probably won't be playing it in high school :(
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 7:03 PM EST
Auror
Points: 2391
HPN4eveRon says:
Thats a cool way to make a non-flying version of quittich! Awsome job!
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 7:25 PM EST
Astro Zombie
Points: 2577
Fallen Bomb says:
That'd be boring it for 3rd graders only I guess cause I wouldn't like it.
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 7:50 PM EST
Witch
Points: 742
TigerEyez says:
Well, wouldn't that take the physical activity out of physical education if they put the brooms on strings? Because then, the kids would just sit and..yeah...
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 7:56 PM EST
Witch
Points: 733
PotterHoney says:
Hey, i wonder if I could suggest something like this to my PE coach....Only one more week of PE left for me, I better ask soon!!
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 8:00 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 1st Class
Points: 1856
Rupert Baby says:
That would be soo fun, my basketball team played quidditch at our end of the season party it was sooo fun, however i dont think my evil pe teacher will go for it, at my school they have decided to put the "p" back into pe so all we do is run, workout and sweat ahhhhhh oh well this is my last year of it ever so im not complaining!!!
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 8:03 PM EST
Witch
Points: 770
harmony granger says:
I think it is very cool that schools would do that. BUt are school is Christian and the ydon't allow Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings.
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 8:06 PM EST
Prefect
Points: 393
HermioneLovesRon says:
That is really cute. I wish they had had that when I was little...I hated gym class so much. My gym teacher was hateful...he was like Voldemort. :oD Anyway, I think that is a good idea, but just wait - parents are going to start complaining. "Little Jimmy came home today and claimed to be flying on a broomstick! And that he got hit by something called a...a...blutter? And he was a beater! A BEATER! Are you making my son a BULLY?! Stop this witchcraft! Harry Potter is making my son into a BEATER!"
~Stephanie
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 8:57 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 4th Class
Points: 1303
jaxsynlittrell says:
I definitely would have like PE more if my class was like this when I was a kid! I'm certainly one of the "weaker" kids, and so this would have been a great activity for me to participate in! I'm green with envy!
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 8:57 PM EST
Chief Brain Washer
Points: 2875
Chogiiiirl says:
Well, I teach 3rd grade, so maybe this is an idea for me to try with the kids. It sounds like another great way to incorporate Harry into education.
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 9:09 PM EST
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