Fort Myers Derby Girls Mean Business
Roller derby evolves from show to sport
The evolution of roller derby has hit both spectrums of the sport: from the scripted for-entertainment-only bouts of the 1970s and 1980s—which featured fishnet stockings and tutus— to the modern-day version of a more legitimate sport, involving serious training and real competition. Gone are the tutus, replaced with highly competitive bouts, where the participants take the sport seriously and devote many hours to training.
The sport of roller derby is enjoying a transformation worldwide, with more than 300 teams competing in the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. The sport is even being considered for the 2020 Olympic Games.
Fort Myers is part of the roller derby revival, with the Fort Myers Derby Girls racing into their 10th year of flat-track competition. The team’s home base is Bamboozles Skating and Event Center in Fort Myers, where it plays up to six home bouts, along with five to six away bouts each season.
Stacie Pratt, who goes by her derby alias TeKillYa Sunshine, joined the Fort Myers Derby Girls in the team’s infancy in October 2007 and over the years has witnessed roller derby changing from a sports-entertainment product to a legitimate competitive sport.
“Back then, it was short skirts, fishnets and tutus,” Pratt says. “It was promoted with free beer, and, basically, we were a drinking team with a derby problem. Now, though, the players have to be much more athletic. We train very hard to compete. The game changed about five to six years ago, and now you need to train multiple days a week to promote your strength and muscle training.
“The sport has really evolved,” she adds, “because back 10 years ago, there were about 13 pages of rules. Now, there are about 90.”
The Fort Myers Derby Girls have 20 skaters who train and recruit every Saturday morning at Bamboozles. The team also holds two to three evening practices during the week, working on skating skills, strategy and training their bodies to take the pounding that occurs on game nights.
During a flat-track roller derby bout, two teams have five skaters—four blockers and one jammer—on the floor, playing two 30-minute halves. The jammer has a designated star on her helmet and is the scorer for the team. “Basically, she has the target on her back,” Pratt says about the jammer.
The jammer scores points by lapping the opposing players, while blockers try to impede the jammer from getting around them. The blockers play both offense and defense at the same time, since they are trying to stymie the opposing jammer,
while helping their own.
It’s a physical sport, with common injuries including concussions, knee sprains and, in some cases, broken legs.
“There are concussions, along with plenty of bruises and scrapes,” Pratt concedes. “You have to train your body to take [the physical aspect] of the sport.”
One feature that has been kept from the retro days is the use of creative nicknames for players. Among those on the Fort Myers Derby Girls roster are Peaches N Carnage, Pinkie Swears, BubbleVicious and Yo Slammity Slam.
“It’s fun. It’s like an alter-ego thing,” Pratt says with a laugh.
The players come from all walks of life, from doctors to lawyers to stay-at-home moms. But one thing they all have in common: a desire for tough competition.
“The common thread we all have is it has to be somebody with a lot of will,” says Fort Myers Derby Girls player Debbie Medlock, whose roller derby name is Little Debbie SmackCakes. “No one is getting paid, and we practice multiple times a week. There are a lot of hours put into it, so you have to be somebody with a lot of intensity.”
Women’s flat-track roller derby has two divisions in which teams can play for the international championships, which last took place in Portland, Oregon, in November 2016. The Division I level includes the top 40 ranked teams in the world, while Division II consists of the teams ranked from 41 to 60. The Fort Myers Derby Girls team is currently ranked in the top 90.
“I would love to see the team grow and be able to move back up into Division II and maybe eventually to Division I,” Pratt says.
For more information on the Fort Myers Derby Girls, check out the team website at fortmyersderbygirls.com.
The players come from all walks of life, from doctors to lawyers to stay-at-home moms. But one thing they all have in common: a desire for tough competition.