Harrison Homel has been selected to replace Kristen Howarth as the IQA Teams Director. Kristen, who co-founded the Texas A&M with her sister Aimee, has been Teams Director since the position was created. She has stepped down from the position to focus on her career.

Kristen worked hard to create and define the role of not only her position but the whole department, which is tasked with acting as an organizing, communicating, and supporting body for teams in each region and around the world. The Teams Director directly oversees the Regional Directors, each of who is responsible for leading the Regional Championship Committee, helping teams communicate with each other and organize tournaments, and establishing unity and pride in their part of the world for the sport of quidditch.

Harrison was one of the first directors to realize the full potential of a region’s vision, uniting the IQA’s smallest US region under the now-famous mantra “West coast, best coast,” and creating fierce regional pride. He has organized the largest IQA team tournament outside of the World Cup, attracting 19 teams at the third Western Cup (the same size as the third World Cup), and was the first to lead the development and perpetuation of a regional logo. At the fifth World Cup, he ensured that each Western team had as many western teams cheering them on as possible while they played, to the extent that even the largest bleachers at the event were packed to the brim with west coasters.

The IQA is very sad to see Kristen go (although she will remain involved as a board member) and proud that Harrison is inheriting a well-maintained post. We’re very excited to see what Harrison can do to replicate the spirit behind “West Coast, Best Coast” everywhere that quidditch is played.

Teams should email their Regional Directors with questions, but if they want to email Harrison, he can be reached at Harrison.homel@internationalquidditch.org