When most people think of roller derby, the first images that come to mind involve tattoos, black eye-liner, fish-nets and women who love to hit each other.
Though players do dress-up for games, they’re not quite the caricatures you’d expect.
Katie (Mc “FEAR” son) Pothier and Catherine (“OFF-da-Rails”) Armstrong play for Fergus’ derby team the Feims – but off the track, they’re both nurses and both moms.
Together they’re trying to break down derby stereotypes, and bring out more people to watch and play the action-packed women’s sport.
Roller derby is a contact sport, played by two teams of five members. A typical game is comprised of two 30-minute periods, divided into “jams” that can last up to two minutes.
Each team picks a scoring player called the “jammer” who is usually identified by a star on her helmet. The jammer scores points by lapping players on the opposing team.
There’s a lot of skill and strategy involved in the game; not only are players on roller skates, but they must place blockers in order to get their jammer through, while impeding the opposing jammer.
“I just think [people] don’t know anything about it. They just think it’s chicks on wheels,” says Pothier.
She joined the team two years ago and said it was a great way to meet people and make friends. And you don’t have to be an athlete to play.
“I went into it with no experience and it was a very welcoming group,” Armstrong said. “People come in with a history of rugby, hockey or figure-skating, and then there’s people like me who haven’t played anything.”
It’s also a great stress reliever and form of exercise say the women. “I’m an ICU nurse, and after a 12-hour shift I go into practice after for the adrenaline rush and the physicality,” says Armstrong.
Pothier agrees, adding, “After having two kids, I’ve jumped back into a better body than before… I feel stronger now, I’ve lost the baby weight, it’s great.”
While derby leagues in major centres such as Toronto and Montreal have developed a dedicated fan base, smaller teams like the Feims still struggle for funding and support. One major problem is finding space to practice and play.
“The season runs from April or May until September, so we really compete for space,” Pothier says. “We practice twice a week, and we have to drive all the way to Mount Forest in order to find adequate space at a reasonable price.”
Armstrong says they’re also looking for new players. “It’s a fabulous women’s sport, and it is a strong sport which is the main reason why we play. It’s definitely not the 1970s theatrical derby,” she says. “It’s real. It takes endurance. It takes agility. It takes strength and commitment.”
For anyone who has seen the 2009 film Whip It – about a teen misfit who deals with small town boredom by joining a derby league – the sport can come off as a little intimidating. One scene in particular sees Drew Barrymore’s character “Smash-ley Simpson” skating from the track with blood pouring down her face, nonchalantly asking her teammates, “is it bad?”
Although this may be a slight exaggeration, Pothier and Armstrong say the game’s intensity is what makes it so fun to play, and watch.
“It’s such an intense game, even if you don’t know every rule or every strategy, or exactly what is going on, on the track all times,” says Pothier.
The Feims are having an information night on June 8 at 5:30pm at the Mount Forest Victory Church and their six-week “fresh meat” training session beings July 6 at 5pm. For more information about becoming a player or volunteer, call 519-831-1126 or email fergusfeims@gmail.com.
The team’s next game is June 7 at Mount Forest Victory Church at 7pm.
