They’re as much about hard hits and bruises as they are about compassion and community. This month, Boston Roller Derby is holding their championship game with a focus on “Pride.”
“We have people from all different backgrounds, from everywhere. We're very lucky that Boston is a very diverse area, and we're working to make our league very diverse too,” said member “Chewie.” Derby members have nicknames that they use during play.
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But even Chewie who’s been skating and handing out bruises in the rink for years admits there’s a learning curve and an innate quality that the members of Boston Roller Derby possess. “You have to have tenacity to be able to get hit, to get knocked down to trip over your own skates and be able to get up and keep going.”
Derby players get weeks of training, then drafted to a team in the league. But as soon as they pull on skates and padding, they learn to fall.
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“You pick a cheek,” said Chewie, referencing her posterior. “You don’t want to fall on your tailbone. And if you’re really out of control, pick a side that way you’re falling on your meaty parts, not the boney bits.”
After you learn how to fall, you learn the rules of play. It’s a five-on-five game with four “blockers” and one “jammer” per team.
“I'm a primary jammer,” said “Deadly”, short for “Trini-Deadly,” a nod to her Trinidad roots. “It’s the person with the star on their head. A lot of people say that sports have like a ball that everyone's chasing. In derby the jammer is the ball”
Jammers like “Deadly” need the most laps to win. Blockers make it hard.
But despite all the pushing and shoving, this club, part of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, wants to pull people in.
“If you feel like this matches your gender expression, then this is a place for you,” said Chewie. “We're not going to question. We're going to accept you and we're going to be happy that you are here and that you feel like you belong with us.”
They’re dedicating their home championship this month to support LGBTIQ+ charities.
“We have a huge community of LGBTQ expansive people. We’re just going to try to just make it a huge pride celebration,” said Chewie.