American Heritage of South Jordan students have embraced Harry Potter lore. For the first time, their school has been divided into four houses which are playing one another in Quidditch, a once-imaginary broomstick game, now a real sport that hosts a world championship.

“It was something that (school director) Ms. Jorgensen saw at a conference, and she thought it would draw students together and form unity at our school,” Curriculum Director Scotti Hansen said. “It has been a lot of fun in the school and on the field.”

Each Wednesday, teams square off against one another. Players try to get three or four balls that start out on the ground through hoops. Each team has six players on the field, and since they aren’t able to fly on broomsticks, they are restricted to using just one hand to play.

“If you look at it for the first time, it seems like semi-organized chaos, but in reality, there is a set of rules, and these teams take it seriously. They practice one or two times each week. They’re always running; it’s a pretty athletic game,” Hansen said.

The teams had try-outs earlier in the year. Each team wears colors that match those in the Harry Potter series, and, at the end of the year the top teams will play for the school’s Quidditch world cup, similar to the novels.

“The kids get pretty excited, and it boosts their school spirit. Others and quite a few parents are cheering the teams,” Hansen said.