The night of International Women’s Day, skaters on the Assault City Roller Derby team, a name coined from Syracuse’s nickname, Salt City, took on the Thousand Islands Battlefield Betties. Jammers, whose main goal is to sneak away from blockers and defend the track from their opposing team’s jammer, attempted to snake by, whipping around the rink to score points.

Two of ACRD’s jammers, Katpiss Neverclean and Riot Punch, took turns tip-toeing, leaping and jostling their way out of packs of skaters, pulling off their 174-99 lead.

The season kick-off, known as Assault City’s Women’s History Month bout, commemorated the strides roller derby has made not only within ACRD’s team, but in the sport’s history.

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As roller derby has grown in popularity, teams like ACRD, founded in 2007, have evolved since their inception. For many teammates, the sport is unlike many traditional sports they have played or seen. The strong presence of women of all ages, backgrounds and sizes brings a sense of inclusion for all members of the team.

Fred Whistley — whose name pays homage to their referee role, as well as Harry Potter characters Fred and George Weasley — began playing in 2016 but switched to a referee position after a non-derby injury. While some people may not view roller derby as a physically-demanding sport, Whistley knows players on ACRD who supplement practice workouts with cross training.

Whistley added that the referees also train to improve their game calling by hosting rule-calling clinics to ensure referees are on the same page during bouts.

“A lot of time, you’ll see roller derby in the lifestyle section, but it’s also a sport,” said Whistley. “People work really, really, really hard and it’s impressive. And as far as the culture goes, it’s come a long way.”

Whistley said the sport has made strides within the LGBT community. Last June, the team participated in Syracuse’s Pride parade, but its inclusion extends further than its team-run efforts.

In 2011, the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, which Assault City is affiliated with, adopted a broad gender policy applying to competitors to promote inclusivity within the sport. Last October, WFTDA publicly condemned the Trump administration’s proposed changes to the legal concept of gender.

The season kick-off bout had a referee staff completely made up of women and nonbinary people, Whistley said, a sentiment they are excited about.

ACRD, like other derby teams, has players of varying ages. Neverclean, a jammer, is one of the youngest skaters on the team who began playing when she was 13 years old — which is unusual, she said, considering most skaters begin playing in their early 20s.

What makes derby different than other sports, Neverclean said, is that at age 20, some Olympians may be reaching retirement age.

Prymal Instynct, a jammer on the Assault City Roller Derby team, played during the season kick-off bout earlier this March. Dan Lyon | Asst. Photo Editor

“It makes me wonder if the sport ever took off one day, what would the sport’s retiring age look like because there are 50-year-olds playing,” said Neverclean.

Forty-eight-year-old blocker Toxic Marsh, a name picked as a nod to her career as an environmental attorney, is considered to be one of the oldest players, she said. For Marsh, playing with skaters in different stages of life is what makes the team more inclusive and better communicators, considering they all have different personal aspects to balance with. She noted how some members balance the sport with both their personal and professional lives.

“(People) understand that if your kids got homework to do and you have to stay for that, then you have to miss practice,” said Marsh. “And I think everyone knows the sacrifices that you have to make to be here because it is a very competitive team.”

Neverclean and Marsh said the team’s constant reassurance with one another is what helps the team to perform at the level that they do. Neverclean stressed how the game has no restriction on body type, which also builds confidence for players.

Relief jammer and blocker Luna Sea said the team celebrates skaters of all different body types, adding how the game is dominated by power and strength.

“If you have thick thighs, it’s awesome,” Sea said. “We want to be able to block and be stable and take a hit without falling over, and you really need a good base to do that and so there is no body shaming.”

Neverclean said because derby is focused more on distributing weight on the hips rather than the upper body — a technique used more in men’s derby — men’s derby tends to look more sloppy and that she is never “phased” when playing against men.

As roller derby has grown in popularity, so has the number of men joining the sport. Whistley said the game has not changed drastically and that men typically adopt the rules set by WFTDA.

Assault City Roller Derby is based in The Vault, located inside ShoppingTown Mall. There, skaters play scrimmages during practice. The team recently hosted their season kick-off bout in honor of Women’s History Month. Dan Lyon | Asst. Photo Editor

They added that while some sports, like basketball, put more emphasis on the men’s league, roller derby has shifted gender norms in that some people first picture women when they think of derby.

While team members emphasized ACRD’s progress in including all people regardless of shape, age and sexuality, skaters said there is always room for improvement. There have been discussions on whether roller derby is considered an expensive sport to try out, Neverclean said, limiting skaters to join. But Neverclean added ACRD has a method on combating financial burdens.

The team can cover monthly dues if a member can’t afford it one month, she said, and that when new recruits are thinking of joining the team, they can wear gear on loan until they decide if they want to commit.

Roller derby’s showmanship history is full of colorful outfits and makeup, but Neverclean said that is a thing of the past — ACRD has opted to wear their signature red and black jerseys and black shorts for a more “professional” look.

Although the sport is evolving, Neverclean hopes their derby names don’t get lost, since these names are closely tied with their identity and confidence. But regardless, she said ACRD will work toward diversity in all aspects, both on and off the rink.

With Women’s History Month well underway, Neverclean and other players echoed how closely the sport is tied to women. For blockers Gwen A Fierce and Spinster’s Ambush, it offers time away from their daily lives and professions.

“We don’t do the whole break you down to build you up kind of thing,” Fierce said. “We’re more build you to build you up.”

Published on March 17, 2019 at 10:34 pm

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