Montgomery Roller Derby
For most people, the phrase "Roller Derby" brings to mind images of wild, fishnet-clad women throwing elbows and flying around a banked track in the 1970s. But for fans of Montgomery Roller Derby, it is something delightfully different.
Montgomery Roller Derby is the Capitol of Dreams' own flat-track roller derby league. It is composed of women from all walks of life: nurses, psychiatrists, Realtors, state and city employees, college students, and Air Force personnel.
"I never played any sport when I was younger. It was really scary at first, but then it was addictive. I love the challenge. I love the sisterhood. I love the diversity. I'm a little older than most, but I still feel like I can hold my own," says Axle Rosie, a five-year veteran of roller derby in Montgomery.
MRD is part of a revival of roller derby that started in Austin, Texas in 2000. Over the years, roller derby in Montgomery has taken the form of several different teams, with the most recent iteration established in 2015. As one of only four sports created in the US (along with football, baseball, and hockey), flat-track roller derby is quickly gaining momentum among both players and fans. It is currently the fastest growing sport in the world, and is under consideration for the 2020 Olympic Games.
"I have been training to play derby for a year, and in the past year I have been so much happier and confident in everything I do. It's so fulfilling when I'm able to do something I have been working on for a while," says Thunderella. "I love this team so much because we treat each other like family."
For many members of MRD, the team really has become a second family. Fan favorite Voluptuous Vixen came to Montgomery from New Orleans after she and her family were displaced by hurricane Katrina.
"After Katrina kicked me out of my hometown in 2005, I went through a few years of depression. New city, no friends, just the family that I came up here with," she says. "But in 2009, I found a sport that I never knew existed, and I knew it was the sport for me. I went to my first practice and never turned back. It's not just the sport; it’s the bond that is formed with these amazing women that make my dark days just a little brighter."
The roller derby community prides itself on its inclusiveness and body positivity. Many players never considered themselves athletic or played any sports before coming to their first roller derby practice, and some hadn't worn skates in decades. Roller derby is a serious contact sport that takes bodies of all shapes and sizes on the track, working together as a team.
Roller derby also provides a place for skaters to express their creativity and individuality. New skaters, called "Fresh Meat," can choose their own derby name, usually some kind of pun based on their personality as a sort of alter ego.
"When I'm on the track, I feel like I become my truest self. I take on this identity that allows me to be the fiercest, strongest, fastest version of me. I don't have to be what others expect of me; I don't have to be sweet or soft-spoken or demure. I get to be my own superhero," says Stark Raven.
Montgomery Roller Derby practices at Skate Zone 2000 in Wetumpka from 7-9pm on Thursdays. MRD is always looking for skaters, referees, and non-skating officials. For more information, visit MRD on Facebook at www.fb.com/montgomeryrollerderby.
Montgomery Roller Derby is the Capitol of Dreams' own flat-track roller derby league. It is composed of women from all walks of life: nurses, psychiatrists, Realtors, state and city employees, college students, and Air Force personnel.
"I never played any sport when I was younger. It was really scary at first, but then it was addictive. I love the challenge. I love the sisterhood. I love the diversity. I'm a little older than most, but I still feel like I can hold my own," says Axle Rosie, a five-year veteran of roller derby in Montgomery.
MRD is part of a revival of roller derby that started in Austin, Texas in 2000. Over the years, roller derby in Montgomery has taken the form of several different teams, with the most recent iteration established in 2015. As one of only four sports created in the US (along with football, baseball, and hockey), flat-track roller derby is quickly gaining momentum among both players and fans. It is currently the fastest growing sport in the world, and is under consideration for the 2020 Olympic Games.
"I have been training to play derby for a year, and in the past year I have been so much happier and confident in everything I do. It's so fulfilling when I'm able to do something I have been working on for a while," says Thunderella. "I love this team so much because we treat each other like family."
For many members of MRD, the team really has become a second family. Fan favorite Voluptuous Vixen came to Montgomery from New Orleans after she and her family were displaced by hurricane Katrina.
"After Katrina kicked me out of my hometown in 2005, I went through a few years of depression. New city, no friends, just the family that I came up here with," she says. "But in 2009, I found a sport that I never knew existed, and I knew it was the sport for me. I went to my first practice and never turned back. It's not just the sport; it’s the bond that is formed with these amazing women that make my dark days just a little brighter."
The roller derby community prides itself on its inclusiveness and body positivity. Many players never considered themselves athletic or played any sports before coming to their first roller derby practice, and some hadn't worn skates in decades. Roller derby is a serious contact sport that takes bodies of all shapes and sizes on the track, working together as a team.
Roller derby also provides a place for skaters to express their creativity and individuality. New skaters, called "Fresh Meat," can choose their own derby name, usually some kind of pun based on their personality as a sort of alter ego.
"When I'm on the track, I feel like I become my truest self. I take on this identity that allows me to be the fiercest, strongest, fastest version of me. I don't have to be what others expect of me; I don't have to be sweet or soft-spoken or demure. I get to be my own superhero," says Stark Raven.
Montgomery Roller Derby practices at Skate Zone 2000 in Wetumpka from 7-9pm on Thursdays. MRD is always looking for skaters, referees, and non-skating officials. For more information, visit MRD on Facebook at www.fb.com/montgomeryrollerderby.
Comments
Post a Comment