Introducing the Syndicate Roller Girls

Roller Derby is a thing of the past, a thing of the present, and most definitely will be a thing of the future. With more and more roller derby leagues sprouting up each day nationwide, there is one league that is determined to make their name known; Syndicate Roller Girls. These girls love what they do and it shows. They can be seen smiling and cheering each other on as the sweat drips from their brows at the outdoor skating rink of Fiesta Village in Colton, California; where they join together each week for practice.

Skating under aliases, such as; Rocky Roadrage, Blunt Force Trauma, Ella Mental, and Dizzy Devil, these girls bring unity to diversity, as explained by Ella Mental, "No matter what a girls background is or what her life is like now, there's an instant love between us all. I think it comes from mutual bruising and sweat."

Roller Derby is a sport, but it's also so much more than just a sport. The women on the Syndicate Roller Girls roller derby league have developed very strong friendships with one another, as Dee Viant points out; "The best part about roller derby for me is the sisterhood. Being around a diverse group of strong willed women makes me a better woman." It's apparently this sisterhood that makes the Syndicate Roller Girls so strong. They aren't only out there for themselves; they're out there for their friends, their sisters.

The League was put together by one of their own; Rocky Roadrage. Rocky, temporarily unable to skate due to pregnancy, says she can't wait until she can join the girls back on the track. Rocky is very passionate about roller derby and when asked what made her decide to start her own league, she enthusiastically responds, "Three years ago I would have never thought I would be leading my own roller derby league. Late in 2005 I went to my first flat track roller derby practice and I never looked back. Once joining my local league I soon realized that there were some significant improvements that could be made as far as how the business should be run and what to offer skaters. I also had big dreams to skate banked track and the league I was on was flat track. What else was I to do but start my own league?"

There have been many trials and tribulations ensued during the process of starting a league and Rocky describes some of them, "Originally starting with four founding members, we all had different ideas of how the league should be run. We all wanted to go in different directions and we were getting nowhere fast. One by one, founders resigned, the last tried to sabotage the league in anger by taking our league name with her, trade marking it, and merging with another local league.

That's when the fire was really ignited. My members rose up and said, "We're not going to be pushed around!" We changed our name to Syndicate Roller Girls and they've put their trust in me to lead them to their goals. I have to say there is nothing more rewarding than that."

Roller Derby offers women a chance to come together as a team, all the while gaining something inside themselves at the same time, as Rocky points out, "There is a change that occurs in each skater and it is evident by their visible confidence to everyone else on the rink. You're not only more comfortable on your skates but in your own skin as well. It's like rediscovering yourself. Many of us have husbands, children, careers, and personal struggles to deal with in our everyday lives. Roller Derby allows you to take a two hour break from it all twice a week. You get more of a workout than you would by going to the gym, you learn a sport so few can say they have, you forge strong bonds with strong women all while having the time of your life playing roller derby."

One Syndicate Roller Girl has seen these changes in herself; Biss Atch explains, "I'm usually scared of everything. I joined and soon after wanted to quit because I didn't think I was good enough or learning fast enough. But I did my best to stick to it and now I have more confidence and I am enjoying myself so much. The friends that I have made there has been awesome. As an added bonus I am losing weight and getting healthier. I have high blood pressure and losing the weight has helped me to lower it some."

TARA ism has noticed a change in herself as well since being in roller derby, "After a derby game, I feel like I'm high for the rest of the week, like no one I'm around has any idea whatsoever what I did. I just want to scream "I GOT HIP CHECKED BY SO AND SO THIS WEEKEND...WHAT DID YOU DO?" I guess it makes me feel cocky, but whatever. I work my butt off so I can have this feeling so I'm not going to feel bad about it."

If there's one word that can be used to describe the Syndicate Roller Girls, it's the word "team". These girls work together, play together and pull together for one another. Risky Bitchness, one of the newest team members says, "I joined roller derby at a very trying time in my life. There was a time that I thought I may have to take time off, but the team would have none of it and offered me a type of support I have never experienced. I have never played in a sport before, and never had many female friends. To have an entire team of women stand by me and support me has been amazing."

Still in the midst of recruiting for a second team, the league rallies together trying to recruit new members and jumping other hurdles. Their current hurdle is trying to locate a warehouse or empty building where they can house their banked track. The Syndicate Roller Girls plan on being the first banked track league in the Inland Empire. It's obvious that they are on the right track, with the supportive environment and the hard work they put into their roller derby, there is no reason to doubt that this team will achieve any goals they set for themselves.

If you want to check out the Syndicate Roller Girls for yourself, you can see them at Fiesta Village in Colton, California. They practice Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. For a listing of their upcoming games, check out their web site at www.syndicatederby.com.