Roller Derby Jams In Rockville [Updated]

The Jammer has a star on her helmet. Photo by Cindy Cotte Griffiths.

If you’ve seen the 2009 movie Whip It (the directorial debut of Drew Barrymore staring the ever intriguing Ellen Page), you know all about roller derby bouts. What you might not know is that Rockville has its own roller girls.

In November 2009 Keightasorass Rex formed Free State Roller Derby (FSRD) using her father’s Fast Pitch location in Rockville as a practice facility. Since then she’s left to work with the Park Service, but the team jams on. Update: she will be returning to scrimmage in December.

In case you’re wondering about this founder, derby skaters have alter-ego names and FSRD is no exception with Brusie Q, CINder BLOCK, Crum N’ Punishment, Evil Stitch, Melony Conviction, Psyche Drama, Scarlet Cleaver, Ta Ra Boom D A, Tawna Brixx, Tiffany Twisted, and Unablonder, Only a killer sport requires such epic handles.

Jammers start at the back. Photo by Cindy Cotte Griffiths.

Free State Roller Derby practices every Wednesday and Sunday on quad skates with sturdy knee pads. During a roller derby bout, a team tries to make it difficult for one skater from the other team (“the jammer”) to advance through the pack of skaters (“the blockers”) led by a “pivot” who sets the speed. The jammers from both teams score points for passing members of the opposing team. Since teams skate in a pack while the two jammers dodge and glide through the crowd at the same time, the sport involves extensive strategy by the inside, outside, and power blockers.

Jammers moving through the blockers. Photo by Cindy Cotte Griffiths.

A definite camaraderie has grown among the skaters who range from 20 to 50 years old. This spread in years proves age and experience don’t matter when you’re having fun. B-Knock-Ya is about to become a grandmother. Most haven’t skated since they were young girls. Some never skated in their lives before lacing on a pair to join Free State.

Mothra Stewart found the time to join and is glad she did:

I spent a long time thinking about doing derby and not doing anything about it. A friend of mine joined a drumming group called Batala which requires a lot of practice time and physical effort. I thought, “Well, if she can find the time for that then I can find time for derby.” Derby is amazingly fun and unlike anything else I’ve ever done. I feel like an athlete and part of a community. I only wish I had started playing earlier.

Co-Captain Slaughter Lily is also new to the sport without any experience skating:

I actually got started after watching Whip It five times and finally saying to myself that I have got to do that, no matter what it takes. I had no skating experience of any kind when I started, unless you count one miserable night in college of wobbling around an ice rink. I literally was unable to skate — I had to be held up to stay vertical for my first month of practices. It’s really hard to start from zero as an adult, and not a particularly athletic one, either. I’m still one of our weakest skaters, but I have made so much progress in the year I’ve been doing this and I’m pretty proud of myself. It’s the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life.

I think I was elected as a co-captain because, though I am not a good skater yet(!), I have a single-minded obsession with derby. I really appreciate that people saw me as a person who’d commit the time and effort to keep the team thriving, and I hope that I’ve been living up to those expectations. And I could never have come this far without my teammates, who are all incredibly supportive and just great people. I feel really, really lucky to be a part of this team.

Jammer sizes up the situation. Photo by Cindy Cotte Griffiths.

Although Co-Captain Trips Ahoy was never on a roller derby team either before joining FSRD, she leads practice with the help of solid online resources and a committed roller derby community which is extremely supportive and encouraging to newcomers. Guest coaches, especially advanced skaters who have retired, stop by to teach others about the sport they love. Former FSRD member, Crowella De Vil, a very talented jammer who was chosen to join the Baltimore Charm City Roller Girls, also brings it back to coach her friends.

Besides Charm City, our area is home to several DC teams including the DC Rollergirls whose motto is “With Liberty And Justice To Brawl”. These teams compete as part of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (Real. Strong. Athletic. Revolutionary.)

Although the roller derby scene has been described as “aggression on wheels”, FSRD concentrates on communication and strategy by leaning and blocking, although they do sometimes practice hip checking. After each scrimmage the group discusses what worked and what didn’t.

How'd we do? Photo by Cindy Cotte Griffiths

When asked about the aggressive reputation of roller derby, Slaughter Lily provided an overview of the current roller derby world:

Although we are just a small start-up league and not a member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), we do play by their rules, as do most flat track leagues. Using elbows and hands is strictly prohibited — if you elbow someone, even accidentally, you will get called for a minor penalty; if you do it hard enough to affect their game play, that’s a major and you’re in the box for a minute. Tripping, kicking, and any blocking to or using the head are also not allowed. Punching will get you tossed from the game, no questions. There are several pages of rules detailing how to hit legally. The idea with the 2000s revival of roller derby is to combine a full-contact, fairly aggressive spectacle with real athleticism and camaraderie. I’ve heard that there are some teams in the West (where the sport was reborn) that still play derby the way it used to be on TV in the 1980s — brawling on the track and all — but that is definitely not what the vast majority of leagues are doing. As for Free State, we’re still learning a lot about how to play this sport, including the contact aspect of it and how to, say, control where our elbows go, but we are definitely interested in playing fair, playing safe, and playing hard.

The action comes from behind so communication is key. Photo by Cindy Cotte Griffiths.

For those who want to try recreational roller derby, Free State welcomes new skaters. Don’t worry, the first lessons include two extremely important skills (1.) how to stop and (2.) how to fall down. After the basics are out of the way, the fun is learning about this all-female, up-and-coming sport. Plus, they’ve found the training to be great exercise.

If you want to try the roller derby scene, e-mail Free State for the details: [email protected] or check out their Facebook page. All you need is a desire to learn and a pair of skates. Dues are minimal and not necessary until you’re really sure you want to commit and have bought your first pair of rad skates.

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