Jacksonville Roller Derby is a women's flat track
roller derby league based in
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
, (USA). Originally formed as the First Coast Fatales,
the league became Jacksonville RollerGirls in 2007, and changed to its current name in 2018. The league has been a member of the
Women's Flat Track Derby Association
The Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) is the international governing body for the sport of women's flat track roller derby, and association of leagues around the world. The organization was founded in April 2004 as the United Leagues Co ...
(WFTDA) since December 2010.
Jacksonville hosted a
WFTDA Division 1 Playoff tournament in 2015,
at which they finished in 2nd place.
League structure
First organized in 2006,
Jacksonville Roller Derby consists of six teams, 3 travel teams and 3 home teams.
The teams play one another at home, and the teams travel to compete against other teams. All travel team skaters also compete on a home team while some skaters choose to play only on a home team. In 2014, the league began a structured training program designed to maximize each beginning skaters’ abilities toward passing the WFTDA minimum skills test as a requirement towards play in roller derby. New skaters are recruited three times per year and taken through a curriculum from basic skills to game play. A skater is allowed to repeat the program until they pass, if required.
The league welcomes referees, non-skating officials, and other volunteer staff to join the league at any time.
Travel teams
The league's top travel team, the all-star New Jax City Rollers, represents Jacksonville internationally as the WFTDA charter team.
The team includes among its members
Erin Jackson
Erin Jackson (born September 19, 1992) is an American speed skater, roller derby player, and Olympic gold medalist. Jackson is the first Black woman to win a Winter Olympic gold medal in an individual sport. She qualified for The World Games 2 ...
, a competitive
inline speed skater, who won a silver medal for the United States at the
2015 Pan American Games
Fifteen or 15 may refer to:
*15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16
*one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015
Music
* Fifteen (band), a punk rock band
Albums
* ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005
* ''15'' (Ani Lorak al ...
.
Jackson was tournament MVP at the 2014 WFTDA Division 1 Playoffs in
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in ...
.
River City Rat Pack is the league's B-Team. They play other WFTDA league B-Teams as well as lower-ranked WFTDA charter teams and travel throughout the southeast. Many Rat Pack skaters are working their way up toward a position on New Jax and are invited to their practices to acclimate them to the higher level of play.
J-Villains are a C-Level Team and play primarily in Florida against local non-WFTDA teams. The J-Villains are usually a skater's first travel team after completing their training and, sometimes, are the first team to receive incoming transferring skaters until the next round of tryouts.
Home teams
The league's home teams are the Bold City Bombshells, Duval Derby Dames, and the First Coast Fatales. They play each other at home with their season culminating in a championship finale. In 2014, the inaugural championship title went to the Bold City Bombshells. Skaters are drafted to a home team as part of their graduation from Fresh Meat and stay with that team until their retirement.
Community involvement
Jacksonville Roller Derby supports local charities and community organizations by making public appearances at local events, volunteering time, and donating money. During each home game, a local organization is invited to host a table to raise both money and awareness and a portion of the game's proceeds are donated on behalf of the league. In recent years, the league has partnered with The Arc Jacksonville
for an annual Running of the Bulls 5k where the skaters serve as the bulls, chasing down and marking the runners.
WFTDA competition
The all-star team, New Jax City Rollers, plays at the highest level of competition. Their rank has steadily climbed from 24th in 2013,
15th in 2014,
to 8th in 2015.
For the first time in league history, the team ended their 2015 season at the
WFTDA Championships
The International Women's Flat Track Derby Association Championships ("WFTDA Championships" or "Champs" for short) are the leading competition for roller derby leagues.
The Championships are organised by the Women's Flat Track Derby Association ...
tournament, earning their place with a 2nd-place finish at
WFTDA Division 1 Playoffs at home in Jacksonville.
In 2016, Jacksonville returned to WFTDA Championships after finishing 3rd at the 2016 Division 1 Playoff in
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-largest ...
.
After winning their first game against
Minnesota Rollergirls
Minnesota Roller Derby (MNRD) is a flat track roller derby league based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the United States. Founded in August 2004 as Minnesota RollerGirls by the Donnelly sisters, MNRD was one of the first 30 members of the Women's Fl ...
,
Jacksonville lost to the eventual 3rd-place team,
Victorian Roller Derby League
The 'Victorian Roller Derby League'' (VRDL or Victoria) is a flat track roller derby league based in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 2007, VRDL provides opportunities for all ages and at all levels to participate and compete in Roller Derby. VR ...
, 231–98.
As the third seed at the 2017
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
Division 1 Playoff, Jacksonville suffered a rankings upset in the quarterfinals to
Rat City Rollergirls
Rat City Roller Derby is a women's flat-track roller derby league in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 2004 as Rat City Rollergirls, LLC, the league has incorporated alternative cultural influences, and has inspired and mentored other leagues. Rat ...
, 186–170, and finished their weekend with a consolation bracket victory over
Charlottesville Derby Dames
Charlottesville Derby Dames (CDD) is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 2007, CDD is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
History and organization
Following a social ...
, 318–161.
As the third seed at the 2018 Playoff in Atlanta, Jacksonville finished in second place, losing the gold medal game 172–155 to
Texas Rollergirls
Texas Rollergirls is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Austin, Texas. Founded in early 2003 and widely credited as the league that started the modern roller derby movement, the Texas Rollergirls were the first flat-track league in ...
.
At Championships in New Orleans, Jacksonville lost their opening round game to
Angel City Derby
Angel City Derby is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 2006 by a collective of skaters, the league is composed of nearly 200 members divided into four teams who skate on a flat track and compete ...
248–85,
and then lost their consolation round game to
Crime City Rollers, 173–160.
Rankings
* ''CR = consolation round''
Local television
Jacksonville Roller Derby previously had a television program which began airing weekly on
CW17 September 25, 2010, with some games being available for viewing in their entirety online.
The league is included in the station's promotional appearances as local celebrities.
References
External links
Women's Flat Track Derby Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jacksonville Roller Derby
Sports in Jacksonville, Florida
Women's sports in the United States
Women's Flat Track Derby Association Division 1
Roller derby leagues in Florida
Roller derby leagues established in 2006
2006 establishments in Florida