March 2023
Upcoming Events
River City Roller Derby is hitting the road this week & heading to play their first sanctioned game of the season against Atlanta Roller Derby this Saturday, March 4! Check out some local press about the game and learn more on the ATL website!
“Hailing all the way from Virginia, River City Roller Derby travels down to do battle with the City in the Forest! In Bout 1, will ARD's Rumble Bs be able to swarm against the teeth and claws of the River Rats? In Bout 2, can Dirty South Derby keep it rowdy against the River City Riots?”
MARCH 4: RCRD @ Atlanta Roller Derby (AWAY)
MARCH 16-19: Battle of the All-Stars (Scranton, PA)
MARCH 25: RCRD VS. NOVA Roller Derby (HOME)
APRIL 22: RCRD @ Frederick Roller Derby (AWAY)
APRIL 29: RCRD Conquers the Cap2Cap Trail
Stay tuned by visiting our website, Facebook, Insta, and TikTok!
Team Spotlights
A-Team: Aleese the Kraken, #128
How long have you been with RCRD?
Just under a year - joined in 2022
League committee role?
Member of the Equalities Committee
Favorite position/position you hope to play?
Blocker, with a preference for the inside line or as the brace.
How did you pick your derby name?
Funny enough, I didn’t choose it! I’ve played team sports most of my life & I’ve always had teammates tell me how scary or intimidating I was during tryouts, so I wanted to find a name to embody that; something a bit dark and scary. One of my OG derby friends came up with it after finding out my middle name is Aleese (I’d never seen Clash of the Titans before he came up with my name – I know, I know) and it just felt right, so I kept it!
What’s your roller derby origin story?
It’s pretty cliché, but I saw a trailer for Whip It around 2009/2010 - I love Drew Barrymore and Elliot Page, and at the time I was looking for a way to start getting active again. I’d been out of high school a few years by then & was planning to get back into softball and join a fastpitch team, but after seeing Whip It, I thought I’d try something new instead. I started my skating journey in about 2014, and it was a rough start that had me in my first league’s “Skate School” for 8 months while I watched so many of my peers take only one or two months to pass their minimum skills tests. It was a little discouraging at first, but I stuck it out and turned out to be pretty good at derby once I finally made it! And it didn’t hurt that as a rookie, I got to skate with and learn from the legend that is John Hall.
What’s something you really struggled with when you first started, but now you feel good about?
Ha! So many things! The hardest physical challenge was working on my endurance - as I’ve gotten to know my own body, I realized that it’s more important than I’d cared to admit. I’d been in such good shape in the years prior, having played sports year-round in high school (softball in the spring & cheerleading in the fall/winter) - I hadn’t considered that I’d been training for 2+ hrs/day, 5 days/ week, and I just expected that my strength and endurance would be second-nature when I started skating… but I quickly realized that I had to constantly work on it or I’d be back to zero. Mentally, I’ve become better about listening to my body & taking a break when I need to - I’m very prone to overworking myself and I have to be very intentional about stopping and taking breaks when I need to (instead of powering through things until I’m completely burnt out.)
What’s your favorite post-practice snack?
I’m pretty obsessed with Bojangles and I try to stop there for a Cajun filet biscuit whenever I’m in Richmond, which is usually practice days.
Favorite derby moment or memory?
Definitely Rollercon 2016. I was just getting back on skates after a badly broken ankle that February, and it was my first opportunity to skate with my teammates after passing minimum skills. The Riedell party theme was “Under the Sea” so I got to dress up as Ursula, an honorary kraken in my opinion! Despite how little I was able to skate, we had a blast dressing up and partying.
How has derby positively impacted your life off-skates?
Making connections & friendships through random conversations. I recently learned one of my co-workers skated with RCRD back in the day, so it was pretty cool to find that in common!
B-Team: Dio Slamdo, #8008
How long have you been with RCRD?
About 4 years
League role?
2022-2023 Secretary, & member of the Marketing Committee
Favorite position/position you hope to play?
I love blocking! But I’d also like to get better at jamming, specifically to pivot more.
How did you pick your derby name?
When I passed my assessments, I was suffering from a terrible case of hyperfixation with the manga Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. The main antagonist of part of the series is Dio Brando, a cartoonishly evil bisexual vampire who hates rich people - and I can really relate to that! (The only difference between us is that I’m not a vampire, I suppose.)
What’s your roller derby origin story?
I’ve never been a sports person, but I’ve always wanted to do roller derby. I was supposed to go to a “Fresh Meat” skater orientation in college with a friend, but I wasn’t able to go due to work & she ended up falling and breaking her rib - so that was put on the back burner! Years later, my partner and I wanted to do a sport together, and she agreed to try derby with me!
What’s something you really struggled with when you first started, but now you feel good about?
I struggled a ton with endurance - I was not a very active person before starting derby, and part of assessments was passing “27/5” (skating 27 laps in 5 minutes), which was a struggle for me. I had passed the rest of my assessments and was able to practice with the veteran skaters, but I wasn’t able to pass my 27/5 and actually play in a game for about a year. I spent that whole year practicing my 27/5 before and/or after every single practice… and eventually I did it! I wouldn’t say I’m the picture of endurance now, but it’s not something I stress about anymore. And having something I really had to pursue and push through, even as I saw the people I started with pass me again and again, made it all that more special when I passed it.
What’s your favorite post-practice snack?: Nothing beats that Cookout tray at 10:30 p.m. on a Monday night.
Favorite derby moment or memory?: Going with a group of friends & teammates to watch the 2019 WFTDA Playoffs in North Carolina. We just watched, but it was such a blast to watch high level derby and goof around.
How has derby positively impacted your life off-skates?
Joining derby, as cliché as it sounds, has given me a family. I’ve got people who I know have my back no matter what - people who support me in all my quirks and weirdness, who care for me when I’m hurt or sick, and who are my biggest cheerleaders both on & off the track. Derby has made me more active, more confident, more aware/engaged in various parts of my life, and has really encouraged me to pursue what I want to do with the time I have here. I know that isn’t always everyone’s experience with it, so I feel incredibly lucky and am going to treasure doing it for as long as I physically can!
Rookie: Ashley Y soon to be Vitabeatavegamin, #130
How long have you been with RCRD?
5 years
League role?
Rookie, and referee in training
Favorite position/position you hope to play?
Blocker
How did you pick your derby name?
I’m a big fan of I Love Lucy & I love the “Vitameatavegamin” episode.
What’s your roller derby origin story?
I saw Whip It years ago and really liked that derby was for any body type and any age. Plus I liked that you didn't have to have any skating/derby experience before learning how to play the game.
What’s something you really struggled with when you first started, but now you feel good about?
Crossovers - it took me a long time even to be able to just cross my feet over one another.
What’s your favorite post-practice snack?
Chipotle carnitas bowl, or spaghetti
Favorite derby moment or memory?
The rookie scrimmage event, hosted by NOVA Roller Derby in Dec 2022. It was the first time I felt like I was actually playing real roller derby and it was so much fun!
How has derby positively impacted your life off-skates?
Well, first off, I now have a fun fact for work & I actually exercise now lol! But honestly, my self-confidence (especially about my body) has improved so much with roller derby and I’ve also made some amazing friends!
Official: Ducky DoRight
How long have you been involved with roller derby?
Almost a decade! I went to my first bout way back in 2013 and bought some skates shortly thereafter. I worked my first game in April of 2014, and since then I guess I've worked over 200 games but I stopped keeping track in 2018.
How did you pick your derby name?
I have a rubber duck problem, I have a lot. Boxes of them. And the DoRight, it plays well - Dudley Do-Right was a pretty well meaning character.
Why do you keep doing it?
This many years in, I’m in it for the challenge, mental engagement, and the people. Some people think roller derby should be all fun all the time, but it's not. It can be stressful at times, especially as an official, but working with people that usually have the same goal of building people up makes it worthwhile.
RCRD FANS!
We love engaging with our community, so we have rolled out (pun intended! 😉) a few ways for you to connect with us and get featured in our BRUISEletter! Here's how:
RCRD in the Wild: Spot someone wearing their RCRD merch out in the world? Get consent for a pic and send it in. We love seeing your team spirit!
Fan Art Submissions: Submit your RCRD paintings, digital art, stories and more! We love when y'all show your support and create with us!
RCRD Featured Fans: Show off your team spirit, get loud, proud, and a little rowdy for the team, and show your support at our games for a chance to be one of our Featured Fans and get a spotlight in our BRUISEletter!
🖤💚 Email your submissions to pr.rivercityrollerderby@gmail.com 💚🖤