WAR ON WHEELS

MANATEE COUNTY — There’s rarely a day that goes by that 6-year-old Shae Robinson isn’t circling around the roller rink.

The Bashaw Elementary first-grader has grown up watching her mother, Melissa, compete in roller derby as a member of the Bradentucky Bombers roller derby league. And the more she has watched her mother play, the more Shae has become enthralled with the sport.

So when word began to spread about the possibility of starting a junior roller derby league last summer, Shae grabbed a pair of pink and white roller skates and taught herself how to skate.

Now a little more than eight months later, Shae spends anywhere from two to four days a week strategizing and working on her blocking skills as a member of the Bradenton Derby Brats.

“I thought it was going to be exciting and really fun,” said Shae, known as Cookie Cut-Her by her teammates. “I just like all the fun things like scissors, and the friendships and the little games that we do.”
The Bradenton Derby Brats is a not-for-profit junior roller derby league for girls ages 6-17. The league, comprising more than 40 members, practices Monday evenings and Saturday mornings at Astro Skate and Family Fun Center, with an optional practice available on Thursday evenings with the speed team coach.
During each practice, players learn the sport of roller derby with a particular emphasis on positional blocking and strategy. In roller derby, five members from each team — a jammer, a pivot and three blockers — face off around the rink. The two pivots lead the pack around the rink.

To score a point, the jammer must race around the rink once and then successfully make her way past the blockers. The jammer is awarded a point for every person from the opposing team she passed.

However, unlike its adult counterpart, junior roller derby is not full contact. As a result, the coaching staff focuses on teaching positional blocking to help the girls eventually transition into an adult roller derby league if she chooses.

“Roller derby is one of the few competitive sports that will grow with the girl playing it,” coach Amanda Jesse said. “Our goal is that once a girl turns 18 she will be able to easily transition to an adult roller derby league and be prepared for that level of play. While there are still some falls, learning the sport without the full contact will make these girls smarter players when they do transition to an adult league.”

The Bradenton Derby Brats formed last summer after Bradentucky Bombers coach Andrea Norris came up with the idea for a junior roller derby league. Norris had been talking with some of her players, who also have daughters, about the possibility of starting a league, and shortly thereafter the league was born.

Norris began practicing with a core group of girls, including her daughter Miranda Marino and Shae, over the summer. Since then, the league has nearly doubled in size.

The league is open to girls of all skill levels. As a new recruit, the girls are taught everything from learning how to skate to the rules of roller derby and everything in between. After they reach a certain skill level, the girls take a Level One skills test. Once they pass, they are no longer considered new recruits.

“More often than not they, do not know how to skate when they start,” said Jesse, who coaches the new recruits. “Some of them can barely stand up on their skates. The most gratifying part of coaching for me is watching their confidence build as they learn the skills necessary to play this sport. We stress the importance of practice, patience, and humility.”

Others, such as 10-year-old Samantha Prunty, come with a skating background. Samantha spent six months skating at the Ellenton Ice & Sports Complex before deciding to try roller derby after watching some of her friends play three months ago.

“I came to see them, and I fell in love with it,” said Samantha, who goes by the name Sk8r Squarepants. “With ice skating … I’m not really the type of person that’s graceful, but with roller derby, it’s fun and active.
“I love skating around, stretching, working as a team and really everything about it,” Samantha said.

For more information on the Bradenton Derby Brats visit the league’s website at www.goporcupine.com/Bradenton_Derby_Brats.

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].