[Crowd noise...whistle blows]
Just as the competition season ends,
training for the Greater Toronto area
roller girls begins.
In 2007, the GTA Roller Girls became
Toronto's first
not-for-profit flat track roller derby
league.
Creator Cynthia Brooks formed the league
in hopes of finding a fun
community building physical activity. "I
wanted to do
a good exercise but I don't love gyms
too much. I find the machines kind of
attack me. I never know how to work them
so
I thought let's just start this.
Experience is not necessary to join the
league.
Skaters of all skill levels are welcome
from experts, to freshie beginners.
"We actually have just started our
freshies training program it's about an
eight to ten week program.
We have two usually freshly intake days
where you come in.
We give you skates, you sign a waiver of
course, uh, we give you some skates and
gear, and you try it out. So we teach you
how to fall, how to skate,
and then you learn to love it like we
all do. Under the coaching of Kirk
Narayan Singh.
The Roller Girls have competed against
teams across Canada
and the United States. The league is
divided into two teams -
the G-stars and the Derby Debutants.
Last December the Roller girls became an
official member of the Women's Flat
Track Derby Association.
B;ocker Nikki Trombley believes that this
change will motivate
both teams. "All of our games are a lot
more
serious and competitive which is really
exciting for us.
So here's how it works - the game of
roller derby is played between two teams
of five for two half-hour periods.
Each period is divided into segments of
two minutes called
jams. On each team there are three
blockers,
one pivot and one jammer. The blockers in
the pivot
form a pack and try to prevent the rival
team's jammer from passing them
while helping their own jammer break
through the other team.
Any body part above the mid thigh can be
used to block
except forearms elbows hands and the
head.
A point is scored each time a jammer
surpasses the opposing team's pack.
The team with the most points at the end
of the hour wins.
But to these women roller derby is far
more than just another sport.
Reasons for joining the league vary
amongst the group of women.
For Avatori it was self-exploration.
"At the time I had actually just broken
up from a relationship
and was feeling kind of funny about
myself and
not really knowing what I was doing. A
The co-worker actually
skates in a league in Barrie and she had
suggested that I come out to their fresh
intake that we do here every year.
And I put skates on and I fell in love
with it and I've never looked back.
For sure. Meanwhile for Maria Catricella
it was an outlet to let go of inner
aggression.
"I like that I can hit people that was
what drew me in because watching the
sport on TV
was just people, just all out like
hitting each other all over the place
and that's what I wanted to do because
there aren't really any other
sports that you can do that in. Since
joining the league
Tori describes it as a second home. "It
becomes a place where
you come to to let the rest of the world
kind of melt away and
you become a person that you maybe don't
necessarily feel like you can be in your
everyday life."
As soon as they step onto the roller
rink, the roller girls take on new
personas such as
Tiny Tank, Cherry Blossom, Disgrace Jones,
and so on.
Brooke's husband coach Narayan Singh
created her alter ego, Splat Vinotar.
"Because he knows I'm kind of klutzy he
actually said that um
maybe I shouldn't do derby because I was
klutzy so that made me more determined
and that's why
I do this." Blocker, Sarah Bratmobile
Seneschal
based her name on her favorite superhero.
"In derby we're kind of a big fan of puns
uh, so I sort of went with that for
bratmobile.
I mean who doesn't love batman so I
just counted the brat in there.
Although the league is funded entirely
by its members.
The GTA Roller girls also give back to
the community.
Past initiatives include work for Plan
Canada and food banks in Toronto.
I think that's one thing I love about
this particular league is that there's a
lot of outreach. As far as doing
fundraising for other
charitable organizations besides
ourselves and I think that's really
important.
Tremblay also says that the role of
girls hope to serve as role models to
both women
and children. "I think kids, especially
Canadian kids grow up seeing that
daddy's play hockey and that's
okay and people don't question that but
as soon as they say well you're bringing
your kids to watch you play derby it's
like what's the difference if daddy's
playing hockey?
Why can't mommy do something that's also
very strong
and uh and I think it's a it's a
wonderful thing that I'm showing my kids.
As for the future of the league, the GTA
Roller girls are determined to make
their mark.
"We're just trying to see if we can get
up in our ranking and
play games and that's about it. We try to
hopefully, maybe one day
like to have our own building. That's the
future.
We are not going to give up and we're
going to fight and you're going to
be put through hell when you face us
and, so I hope that one day we're
a name that people here really respect.
For sure. When it comes to the derby the
GTA Roller Girls show
no signs of slowing down. For Toronto
Today, I'm Julianne San Antonio.