Texas Rollergirls

lin_c: What the hell is Texas Rollergirls Rock-n-Rollerderby?

Ellis Dee: Texas Rollergirls Rock-n-Rollerderby is a genuine athletic competition born and bred in Austin, TX featuring the best Flat Track Derby sports action, eye-catching costumes, and live music at every bout. It’s the most entertaining sporting event ever!

Hell Marys © Rebecca Davis lin_c: What are the team names?

Ellis Dee: The league is comprised of fur teams: the Hell Marys, Hustlers, Hotrod Honeys, and Honky Tonk Heartbreakers. Each team has their own unique, sexy theme. The Hustlers are 1970’s divas who wear purple and silver and like music and money. The Hell Marys are naughty school girls dressed irresistibly in plaid. The Hotrod Honeys love bad boys and fast cars. They wear sleek black uniforms with hot pink accents. The Honky Tonk Heartbreakers are the most beautiful, rugged dames of the western country side.

© Spitfire lin_c: How is Rock-n-Rollerderby different from traditional Roller Derby?

Ellis Dee: Every Texas Rollergirls Rock-n-Rollerderby bout features live music from our featured DJ and live bands. Traditional roller derby games from decades past featured both women and men’s teams skating on a banked track. With Rock -n-Rollerderby, we let the boys do the heavy lifting and leave the hard hitting to the ladies. We play our sport on a flat surface without rails, choreography, or a script.

lin_c: Is Texas Rollergirls the only group playing Flat Track Roller Derby?

Ellis Dee: Today there are over 40 competitive Flat Track Derby leagues across the United States, all based on the game format and business model of the Texas Rollergirls who originated Flat Track Derby in 2003.

lin_c: What is the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA)?

Honky Tonk Heartbreakers © www.c-hphoto.com Ellis Dee: The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) is the national organization in the United States that governs inter-league and inter-state Flat Track Derby play. The mission of WFTDA is to promote and foster the sport of women’s flat-track roller derby by facilitating the development of athletic ability, sportswomanship, and goodwill among member leagues.

lin_c: What are the rules?

Ellis Dee: First you need to understand the three primary positions: Pivot, Blocker and Jammer.

Pivot: sets the pace for the pack and is the last line of defense
Blocker: tries to stop the Jammer, knocks around the opposing team’s Blockers
Jammer: sprints through the pack, scoring points by passing members of the opposing team

The pack starts with a Pivot from each team in front, 3 Blockers from each team in the middle, and a Jammer from each team in the back. When the whistle blows, a two-minute Jam begins. The main objective of the game is for each Jammer to lap the pack as many times as possible. A Jammer’s teammates will try to help her through the pack while the opposing team’s Pivot and Blockers try to stop her. After the first time through the pack, each time a Jammer passes a member of the opposing team she scores a point. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.

lin_c: What’s your training schedule like?

Ellis Dee: We have two mandatory all-league practices every week that focus on flexibility, strength, endurance, and bouting. Each individual team also has at least one weekly private team practice and most skaters cross-train by participating in other sports, such as running, swimming, and biking.

© Chris Chechire lin_c: Who are Texas Rollergirls’ coaches?

Ellis Dee: Our coaches are speed skate coaches from the Texas Speed Club.

lin_c: Are the fights real?

Ellis Dee: Yes! The fights are real. Strategically there are times when a good fight is even better than a good jam.

lin_c: What do you mean by “by the skaters, for the skaters”?

Hotrod Honeys © Felicia Graham Ellis Dee: Every skater in the league has a vote on issues that affect the league -- everything from financial decisions to charities we support, from where we play to when we practice. What Texas Rollergirls is now and what it becomes in the future is decided by the skaters.

lin_c: How do you select the charities you donate to?

Ellis Dee: Like every other decision within the Texas Rollergirls, the league determines the charities to whom we donate our time and money. Spotlight charities are usually chosen to coordinate with an upcoming fundraising events or community needs.

Hustlers © Felicia Graham lin_c: How do I submit a charity for consideration?

Ellis Dee: Send information about the charity and your request to 8 Track (eighttrack@txrollergirls.com), our Charity Coordinator.

lin_c: How can I become a Texas Rollergirl?

Ellis Dee: Try-outs are held periodically as needed. To make sure you know about the next try-outs date, be sure to sign up for our newsletter at www.txrollergirls.com/mailinglist.htm

lin_c: How do I get a date with a Rollergirl?

Ellis Dee: This one depends on the girl, but here are some tips:

Show her your tattoos
Compliment her bruises
Buy her a cold Lonestar Beer
Memorize her season statistics
Wear her team colors
Never, ever ask her if the fights are real
Carry her skate bag
Take a punch like a champ
Know how to hold your liquor and when to walk away from a fight

lin_c: Thank you!

Texas Rollergirls Rock-n-Rollerderby
ellisdee@txrollergirls.com
www.txrollergirls.com
www.txrollergirls.com/hustlers/ellisdee.htm