Xenia Gazette/Beavercreek News-Current
January 24, 2006
Reprinted with permission
These Girls Can Skate
Area women looking to start local Roller Derby league
JOSH BROWN - Sports Writer

KETTERING – When it comes down to men's sports versus women's sports the men have been hogging the truly physical contests for years. A few Dayton area ladies not only think this is unfair, but they're doing something about it.

Andrea Moore, a Beavercreek resident, and Ginger Clark put on a meeting Sunday morning at Kettering's Skateland for area women interested in participating in a Dayton Roller Derby league known as the Gem City Rollergirls.

Roller Derby was a huge event decades ago, but had all but disappeared by the end of the 70's. The sport is experiencing a resurgence, though, with more than 20 leagues popping up across the country and a new show on A & E.

The object sounds simple enough - one skater per team called the "jammer" attempts to lap the other skaters, racking up points for each player passed. The blockers use practically any means necessary to keep the jammer from getting by.

"It's not a question of if you get hurt, it's a question of when you get hurt," explained Moore at Sunday's meeting.

Hence the Gem City Rollergirls is open only to women over 21 years old that carry health insurance, and each member must sign a waiver beforehand.

Besides the on-the-rink challenges, Moore and Clark are discovering that when it comes to organizing a league, there are even more obstacles than another skater's elbow.

"Our biggest struggle right now is finding places that will let us through the door," said Clark. "It's tough. A lot of rinks don't want to let us in."

"Getting organized wasn't a problem," said Moore. "It hasn't been too hard, but it's a lot of work getting things nailed down. It's very time consuming."

Kettering's Skateland is one potential venue, as is Skyborn Skateland in Fairborn. The girls are also hoping to talk with Montgomery County Fairgrounds about holding their bouts there, as the nearness to Miami Valley Hospital will add a comfort factor.

The idea for the Gem City Rollergirls was actually born on the internet.

"I moved here from Chicago, and right after I moved here a team started there," said Clark. "I felt like I really missed out. After that I put out a couple of bulletins online."

The two met on an online community called Myspace, and soon after a newsgroup on the site for the Gem City Rollergirls was formed. The response was immediate.

"Before we knew it we had 90 members," said Moore. "It's something I've always wanted to do."

Moore also spoke with a member of the Ohio Rollergirls, a league forming in Columbus, about adding a Dayton team to their league, but there was simply no room or time.

Moore did receive help from them in other ways, though.

"[Nickname] Scarlette from the Ohio Rollergirls was really helpful, but they weren't going to start a Dayton team," she said. "She's given me a lot of advice on how to start our own league, and she's told me about a lot of websites with research materials."

"We've spent a lot of time online answering questions and doing research," added Clark.

One of the main draws of Roller Derby besides the inherent brutality is the creativity and wide range of characters involved. Each roller girl comes equipped with her own geared name, running the gamut from Alison Chains to Zsa Zsa LaGore. Moore, for instance, has chosen Cyn Vicious as her alter-ego, while Clark goes by Helen of DesTroy. Each name is original, as each one is registered nationally online, and alternate spellings aren't permitted.

The Gem City Rollergirls already looks to have a cast of characters, but the fledgling league is still looking for even more.

"We have about 14 girls whole-heartedly interested right now, and others that are interested in helping out in other ways," said Clark. "For now we're going to be doing a lot of practices and bouts within ourselves."

Just weeks old, the Gem City Rollergirls still are looking for not only more players but also officials, trainers, coaches, local sponsors and generally anyone that can help in any facet of the league's formation. Fundraisers were also discussed at the meeting, with the most popular idea being concerts - many of the ladies have close friends in local bands.

Moore and Clark hope to have the league fully running and competing by next year.

Practices are set to begin within the next few weeks at a yet-to-be-determined arena. Practices, though not open to the public, will be open to anyone interested in participating or helping.