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Roller Derby Subculture
Introduction
The beautiful game of roller derby is basically a women’s game.
In many ways, the game has developed from a mere women’s
game to a subculture that seeks to uplift the weaker ones among
the women folk. Essentially, the culture attracts women of all
ages who would otherwise not be part of any game because of
the restrictive culture on women participants in sports—a
culture that has been there for a long time now. The game was
essentially created to help women who have emotional baggage
deal with them by confronting their distress in the game with
other women (Rushin 16). In America today, there are nearly
750 amateur leagues and double that in the entire world. A lot
has been said concerning the legitimacy and purpose of Roller
derby as a fun sport that many women have participated in for
decades; it has however, also given a window of opportunity for
feminists to air their views regarding women’s roles in society
and gender parity (Neale 5).
Who and what is the Subculture?
Basically, the sub culture accommodates mostly women of all
walks of life. Even though contemporary roller derby culture
includes men, the vast majority or the purpose of the culture is
to recruit women. Essentially, the culture seeks to recruit
emotionally distressed women. Those women who lack self
esteem; those struggling with weight related problems—be it
overweight or underweight and women who have been in one
way sidelined or discriminated at some point in their lives
(Moore 7).
The purpose of the group is to recruit these women into the
subculture by encouraging them to either join the roller derby
team or be part of the cheering squad. Suffice to say, that the
core benefit of the game is create an exercise regime. In my
interview with Thump Her, I learnt that the group had recently
introduced a junior team for the young for the purpose of
guiding them against the ills of sedentary lifestyles. However,
the game is more than meets the eye. It is not just a game;
rather it is a lifestyle for these ladies. In fact, it is culture.
Ideally, these ladies are supposed to join the group to boost
their confidence. The main theme of the culture is the ability to
do anything without the limitations of self-deficiencies.
Moreover, it gives the girls a chance to confront their fears.
This is done by putting the ladies is conflicting situations where
they are supposed to overcome their difference in more
amicable manners. Thump Her remarks, “that's not saying roller
derby is for the faint of hearted. It does take a certain kind of
person to be hip checked by a 200lb woman and get knocked
down then get right back up…..” As a matter of fact, one of the
rules is that you cannot resolve any issue with a team mate
through social media. This can only mean that disputes are
resolved in the team training in a face to face manner. Another
role of the Roller Derby culture is to put women in decision
making positions by making them leaders of small projects. In
retrospect, the group is engaged in community projects in a bid
to uplift their societies. Finally, the culture provides a safe
haven for all women with all kinds of inadequacies e.g.
overweight women, Lesbians, women with tatts, etc. It is
against the culture to discriminate anyone. In fact Thumps Her
says, “The roller derby community is compassion, friendship,
and respect. If I were to travel to another city and need a place
to stay, any roller derby girl, even if I didn't know them, would
open up their home just because we are derby sisters.”
History/Background
In the 1880, roller skating was the most popular game in
America. In fact, it was the hallmark of all the endurance races
in that era. The sport was held both is the flat and banked
tracked whereby the fans would enjoy the spill and falls of the
skates. Initially the derby title was used to refer to these races
in 1922 (Rushin 24).
The game is said to have been largely drafted from the banked-
tracked roller skating marathons in the 1930s.However, Leo
Seltzer and Damon Runyon are hugely credited for the evolution
of the game to its current state today. Indeed, the game became
a spectacle to watch such that Damon Runyon, a sport writer,
persuaded Leo to include contact as part of the rule of the game.
This brought about the contemporary contact roller derby. By
1930, the game had become so popular that Leo decided to make
a company of 4 pairs of touring teams which included a team of
5 persons on the field scoring against each other once
teammates lapped the opponents (Rushin 25).
In the year 1948, the first Roller Derby match was broadcasted
on TV. This brought about a new euphoria in the country with
many people turning out on the pitch to watch the game. This
sudden mania of the game lead Leo to introduce the National
Roller Derby League (NRDL) in 1950. At the same time, more
and more stations had come on board to broadcast this new
found crazy. Despite all these efforts by television stations to
popularize the game, the craze for the game started to dwindle
away threatening the very existence of the game. Televisions
started to script story lines regarding the game, however the
response did not change. By this time, the theatrical part of the
game had started to evolve with development of Derby culture.
By the year 2000, the revival of the game had began. The game
was finally taking up the shape of a well-organized woman’s
game with some critics defining it as a defiant group of women.
By August 2006, there were over 135 leagues in America alone
and an almost similar number of leagues in the international
front. What followed were worldwide leagues, which including
teams from Australia, Canada, New Zealand among others.
Similarly, the theatricals and the sisterhood at this time had
grown far and wide. Girl related more to their team mates than
to other close members of society (Chanan-Hill 45).
During the last decade, more and more recruitments have been
taking place. The game has brought about many girls into the
culture. For a new girl into the team, she iss referred to as
“Freshmeat”. For the first few weeks, one has to undergo
intensive training to be able to join the team. The training goes
for two training sessions per week after which, on completion,
one is allowed to participate in the Rookie Rumble (Chanan-Hill
45).
What are the core beliefs/practices/ideals? What do they do
together?
Apparently, the core belief in the subculture is the ability to do
just anything. This has been misinterpreted to mean that the
girls aim is to rival their male counter parts, however this is not
true. The main aim of the group is to strengthen members of the
group. Ideally, the group incorporates all people from all walks
of life majority of whom cannot be accepted in any other
groups. These include the low self-esteem girls; the overweight,
and the discriminated ones. The purpose here is to help this
girls build some sense of confidence by accepting them to the
team. Moreover, the group offers a new family for the girls.
This is by offering support to its members who have any
physical or psychological problems. Some of these problems are
relieved by participating in the game which is essentially an
aggressive one. This way, the girls are able to relieve any kind
of stress they might be having (Redfern 31). In addition, the
group helps the girls break the stereotype that girls cannot
participate in sports as it was in the past (Glorioso 12). In this
case, the group also helps the girls to keep fit by maintaining an
exercise regime (The roller derby culture Par 5).
What do others think about them?
Most critics who are overly men believe that the aim of the
culture is to create rebellious women who defy traditional roles
and aspire to become more independent than their predecessors.
Other critics suggest that the game is too aggressive for the
women folk and it should be abandoned to avoid injuries. Since
the society is still overly, patriarchy most people believe that
the culture contravenes the norms of the society and that the
role of the woman is in the house. In addition, the group has at
times received a backlash from the public for its liberal stance.
The fact that the culture accommodates some members from the
gay community, makes the group to be regarded as a culture of
lesbians. As a result, most parents deter their children to join
the group (Pavlidis 23).
Current issues, problems or concerns that are affecting the
subculture now?
One of the problem that the group faces is stereotyping from the
critics of the game. These are mainly the male folk who believe
the culture should be abolished as it overemphasizes the role of
the female most of which should be should be left to the men.
There is also the invasion of the male roller derby that is
threatening to take all the attention from the women game. In
addition, the players are faced with myriad of injuries due to the
aggressive nature of the game. These injuries range from
common injuries, sprain and concussions (The roller derby
culture Par 8).
What is the subculture’s presence on campus? In Chico?
Northern California?
There are two Roller derby teams that represent the city Chico
namely the ViVa and the Nor call girls Roller derby teams. The
main aim of the teams is to represent the town and other places
surrounding the town. The teams have a huge following in
Chico and Northren California where most of the team players
and the fans who make up the sub culture hail from.
Who are the role models in this subculture? Any famous
members of this subculture?
Among one of the famous people in Roller Derby culture is
Jessica Smith who is popularly known as Flicka Flame is
game’s fraternity. Jessica Smith is more popularly known for
her days as the captain of the undefeated Nor Cal girl.She is
also a model and a designer (she designed uniforms for her
team). Recently, she became more popular for her role in the
Survivor: Cook Islands (Smith, np)
Social media and Roller derby
The sports is broadcasted in the local media by many television
networks. There has been movies about Roller derby good
examples are Whip it! And Kansas City Bomber. The subculture
also has social networks group on Facebook and Twitter where
they share information and register all members (Rushin, 14).
Conclusion
Apparently, the game endeared to so many people in America
and the world at large. However, its aggressive nature and
association with feminist has not favored the progression of the
game at all. Though popular in America, the game has not taken
shape in most conservative nations in the world.
Work cited
"Nor Cal Roller Girls." Nor Cal Roller Girls. N.p., n.d. Web. 15
Apr. 2014.
Chanan-Hill, Ruth., Jennifer Waldron., and Natalie Umsted.
“Third-Wave Agenda: Women's Flat-Track Roller
Derby1”Women in Sports & Physical Activity Journal. 21.1
(2012): 33. Web.
Glorioso, Michelle. “And maybe that's feminist in a way:
Feminisms and Feminist Identity in Women's Flat Track Roller
Derby Revival” Ann Abor. PDF file.
Her, Thump. Personal Interview. 4 Mar 2014.
Jessica, Smith." Survivor Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.
Moore Ollie. "Roller Marathon thrills and jars: 100 Boys meet
with adventures and tumbles in West Side Boulevard race.
Dodge cars and autos. But records are smashed by contestants in
red tights, overalls, etc". Chicago Daily Tribune. 27 November
1908. p. 5.
Neale, Rick. "All-Female Roller Derby Elbows Its Way In as a
Legitimate Sport", (2008):USA Today
Pavlidis, Adele. Writing Resistance in Roller Derby: Making the
Case for Auto/Ethnographic Writing in Feminist Leisure
Research. Journal of leisure Research. 45. 5 (2013): 661. Web.
Redfern, Catherine and Kristin Aune. ” Reclaming the F Word:
Feminism Today. “ New York, NY: Zed Books, 2013. Print.
Rushin, Steve (1998-12-14). "Air and Space: A Forward Roll:
Dusted off and spiffed up, the Roller Derby is aiming to regain
the hold it once had on TV". Sports Illustrated.
The Roller Derby Culture. (n.d.): Retrieved from
http://www.calgaryjournalonline.ca/local-living/35-local-
living/1373-the-roller-derby-culture
Viva Roller Derby. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.

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Roller Derby SubcultureIntroductionThe beautiful game of rolle.docx

  • 1. Roller Derby Subculture Introduction The beautiful game of roller derby is basically a women’s game. In many ways, the game has developed from a mere women’s game to a subculture that seeks to uplift the weaker ones among the women folk. Essentially, the culture attracts women of all ages who would otherwise not be part of any game because of the restrictive culture on women participants in sports—a culture that has been there for a long time now. The game was essentially created to help women who have emotional baggage deal with them by confronting their distress in the game with other women (Rushin 16). In America today, there are nearly 750 amateur leagues and double that in the entire world. A lot has been said concerning the legitimacy and purpose of Roller derby as a fun sport that many women have participated in for decades; it has however, also given a window of opportunity for feminists to air their views regarding women’s roles in society and gender parity (Neale 5). Who and what is the Subculture? Basically, the sub culture accommodates mostly women of all walks of life. Even though contemporary roller derby culture includes men, the vast majority or the purpose of the culture is to recruit women. Essentially, the culture seeks to recruit emotionally distressed women. Those women who lack self esteem; those struggling with weight related problems—be it overweight or underweight and women who have been in one way sidelined or discriminated at some point in their lives (Moore 7). The purpose of the group is to recruit these women into the subculture by encouraging them to either join the roller derby team or be part of the cheering squad. Suffice to say, that the core benefit of the game is create an exercise regime. In my interview with Thump Her, I learnt that the group had recently introduced a junior team for the young for the purpose of
  • 2. guiding them against the ills of sedentary lifestyles. However, the game is more than meets the eye. It is not just a game; rather it is a lifestyle for these ladies. In fact, it is culture. Ideally, these ladies are supposed to join the group to boost their confidence. The main theme of the culture is the ability to do anything without the limitations of self-deficiencies. Moreover, it gives the girls a chance to confront their fears. This is done by putting the ladies is conflicting situations where they are supposed to overcome their difference in more amicable manners. Thump Her remarks, “that's not saying roller derby is for the faint of hearted. It does take a certain kind of person to be hip checked by a 200lb woman and get knocked down then get right back up…..” As a matter of fact, one of the rules is that you cannot resolve any issue with a team mate through social media. This can only mean that disputes are resolved in the team training in a face to face manner. Another role of the Roller Derby culture is to put women in decision making positions by making them leaders of small projects. In retrospect, the group is engaged in community projects in a bid to uplift their societies. Finally, the culture provides a safe haven for all women with all kinds of inadequacies e.g. overweight women, Lesbians, women with tatts, etc. It is against the culture to discriminate anyone. In fact Thumps Her says, “The roller derby community is compassion, friendship, and respect. If I were to travel to another city and need a place to stay, any roller derby girl, even if I didn't know them, would open up their home just because we are derby sisters.” History/Background In the 1880, roller skating was the most popular game in America. In fact, it was the hallmark of all the endurance races in that era. The sport was held both is the flat and banked tracked whereby the fans would enjoy the spill and falls of the skates. Initially the derby title was used to refer to these races in 1922 (Rushin 24). The game is said to have been largely drafted from the banked- tracked roller skating marathons in the 1930s.However, Leo
  • 3. Seltzer and Damon Runyon are hugely credited for the evolution of the game to its current state today. Indeed, the game became a spectacle to watch such that Damon Runyon, a sport writer, persuaded Leo to include contact as part of the rule of the game. This brought about the contemporary contact roller derby. By 1930, the game had become so popular that Leo decided to make a company of 4 pairs of touring teams which included a team of 5 persons on the field scoring against each other once teammates lapped the opponents (Rushin 25). In the year 1948, the first Roller Derby match was broadcasted on TV. This brought about a new euphoria in the country with many people turning out on the pitch to watch the game. This sudden mania of the game lead Leo to introduce the National Roller Derby League (NRDL) in 1950. At the same time, more and more stations had come on board to broadcast this new found crazy. Despite all these efforts by television stations to popularize the game, the craze for the game started to dwindle away threatening the very existence of the game. Televisions started to script story lines regarding the game, however the response did not change. By this time, the theatrical part of the game had started to evolve with development of Derby culture. By the year 2000, the revival of the game had began. The game was finally taking up the shape of a well-organized woman’s game with some critics defining it as a defiant group of women. By August 2006, there were over 135 leagues in America alone and an almost similar number of leagues in the international front. What followed were worldwide leagues, which including teams from Australia, Canada, New Zealand among others. Similarly, the theatricals and the sisterhood at this time had grown far and wide. Girl related more to their team mates than to other close members of society (Chanan-Hill 45). During the last decade, more and more recruitments have been taking place. The game has brought about many girls into the culture. For a new girl into the team, she iss referred to as “Freshmeat”. For the first few weeks, one has to undergo intensive training to be able to join the team. The training goes
  • 4. for two training sessions per week after which, on completion, one is allowed to participate in the Rookie Rumble (Chanan-Hill 45). What are the core beliefs/practices/ideals? What do they do together? Apparently, the core belief in the subculture is the ability to do just anything. This has been misinterpreted to mean that the girls aim is to rival their male counter parts, however this is not true. The main aim of the group is to strengthen members of the group. Ideally, the group incorporates all people from all walks of life majority of whom cannot be accepted in any other groups. These include the low self-esteem girls; the overweight, and the discriminated ones. The purpose here is to help this girls build some sense of confidence by accepting them to the team. Moreover, the group offers a new family for the girls. This is by offering support to its members who have any physical or psychological problems. Some of these problems are relieved by participating in the game which is essentially an aggressive one. This way, the girls are able to relieve any kind of stress they might be having (Redfern 31). In addition, the group helps the girls break the stereotype that girls cannot participate in sports as it was in the past (Glorioso 12). In this case, the group also helps the girls to keep fit by maintaining an exercise regime (The roller derby culture Par 5). What do others think about them? Most critics who are overly men believe that the aim of the culture is to create rebellious women who defy traditional roles and aspire to become more independent than their predecessors. Other critics suggest that the game is too aggressive for the women folk and it should be abandoned to avoid injuries. Since the society is still overly, patriarchy most people believe that the culture contravenes the norms of the society and that the role of the woman is in the house. In addition, the group has at times received a backlash from the public for its liberal stance. The fact that the culture accommodates some members from the gay community, makes the group to be regarded as a culture of
  • 5. lesbians. As a result, most parents deter their children to join the group (Pavlidis 23). Current issues, problems or concerns that are affecting the subculture now? One of the problem that the group faces is stereotyping from the critics of the game. These are mainly the male folk who believe the culture should be abolished as it overemphasizes the role of the female most of which should be should be left to the men. There is also the invasion of the male roller derby that is threatening to take all the attention from the women game. In addition, the players are faced with myriad of injuries due to the aggressive nature of the game. These injuries range from common injuries, sprain and concussions (The roller derby culture Par 8). What is the subculture’s presence on campus? In Chico? Northern California? There are two Roller derby teams that represent the city Chico namely the ViVa and the Nor call girls Roller derby teams. The main aim of the teams is to represent the town and other places surrounding the town. The teams have a huge following in Chico and Northren California where most of the team players and the fans who make up the sub culture hail from. Who are the role models in this subculture? Any famous members of this subculture? Among one of the famous people in Roller Derby culture is Jessica Smith who is popularly known as Flicka Flame is game’s fraternity. Jessica Smith is more popularly known for her days as the captain of the undefeated Nor Cal girl.She is also a model and a designer (she designed uniforms for her team). Recently, she became more popular for her role in the Survivor: Cook Islands (Smith, np) Social media and Roller derby The sports is broadcasted in the local media by many television networks. There has been movies about Roller derby good examples are Whip it! And Kansas City Bomber. The subculture also has social networks group on Facebook and Twitter where
  • 6. they share information and register all members (Rushin, 14). Conclusion Apparently, the game endeared to so many people in America and the world at large. However, its aggressive nature and association with feminist has not favored the progression of the game at all. Though popular in America, the game has not taken shape in most conservative nations in the world. Work cited "Nor Cal Roller Girls." Nor Cal Roller Girls. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. Chanan-Hill, Ruth., Jennifer Waldron., and Natalie Umsted. “Third-Wave Agenda: Women's Flat-Track Roller Derby1”Women in Sports & Physical Activity Journal. 21.1 (2012): 33. Web. Glorioso, Michelle. “And maybe that's feminist in a way: Feminisms and Feminist Identity in Women's Flat Track Roller Derby Revival” Ann Abor. PDF file. Her, Thump. Personal Interview. 4 Mar 2014. Jessica, Smith." Survivor Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. Moore Ollie. "Roller Marathon thrills and jars: 100 Boys meet with adventures and tumbles in West Side Boulevard race. Dodge cars and autos. But records are smashed by contestants in red tights, overalls, etc". Chicago Daily Tribune. 27 November 1908. p. 5. Neale, Rick. "All-Female Roller Derby Elbows Its Way In as a Legitimate Sport", (2008):USA Today Pavlidis, Adele. Writing Resistance in Roller Derby: Making the Case for Auto/Ethnographic Writing in Feminist Leisure Research. Journal of leisure Research. 45. 5 (2013): 661. Web. Redfern, Catherine and Kristin Aune. ” Reclaming the F Word: Feminism Today. “ New York, NY: Zed Books, 2013. Print. Rushin, Steve (1998-12-14). "Air and Space: A Forward Roll: Dusted off and spiffed up, the Roller Derby is aiming to regain
  • 7. the hold it once had on TV". Sports Illustrated. The Roller Derby Culture. (n.d.): Retrieved from http://www.calgaryjournalonline.ca/local-living/35-local- living/1373-the-roller-derby-culture Viva Roller Derby. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.