Georgia Magazine - July 2022 - 28

Around GEORGIA By Rosalyn Dunn
Get into a new game
Georgia spectator sports go beyond the usual suspects
T
ired of watching the same old sports on
TV? Give one of Georgia's nontraditional
teams a look. Up-and-coming
professional sports such as roller derby,
Ultimate (flying disc), rugby and lacrosse give
fans something new and exciting to watch.
Roller derby
If you've ever wondered what roller derby
is like, Enocha " Eenie " Edenfield has the perfect
description.
" A skater once said, 'It's like football
and chess with bricks thrown at you,' " says
Edenfield, who skates with the Savannah Derby
Devils. " It's a do-it-yourself, counterculture
kind of sport. "
A roller derby bout is skated on an indoor
track in two 30-minute periods. Skaters start off
in a pack, with a " jammer, " whose role is like
that of a basketball forward, pulling out front to
lap the pack for points. She must avoid blockers,
who are like football tackles.
While derby is a full-contact sport, there
is no hitting from behind, tripping skaters or
Top right: A member of the Glamma Rays, one of the teams that make up the Atlanta
Roller Derby, skates at the Yaarab Shrine Center in Atlanta. Above: A jammer for the
Classic City Rollergirls in Athens jockeys for position. Jammers in roller derby are
designated by stars on their helmets.
back-talking officials.
" It looks aggressive if you're not used to being on skates, "
says Sarah Coker, who skates with the Classic City Rollergirls in
Athens. " But derby is about playing smart-blocking and leaning,
rather than just knocking someone over. You play best when
you're playing calm and collected. "
In the 1970s, roller derby was known for its highly scripted
matches and outrageous characters. The sport made a comeback
in the early 2000s, inspired by the A&E reality-television
show " Rollergirls. "
Since then, the Women's Flat Track Derby Association has
grown to more than 400 leagues (each of which can have several
teams) on six continents. Georgia is home to the Atlanta Roller
Derby, the Classic City Rollergirls in Athens, the North Georgia
Roller Girls in Dalton, the Peach State Roller Derby in Marietta,
the Savannah Derby Devils, the Soul City Sirens in Augusta, the
Muscogee Roller Girls in Columbus and the Middle Georgia
Derby Demons in Macon.
" People may not think so, but it really is a family-friendly
sport. Kids love to watch, " says Tracy " T-Pain " Porter of the
28 Georgia Magazine July 2022
Peach State Roller Derby. " If you see someone get hit, don't
worry. We're ready for it. "
Georgia's derby skaters are a diverse bunch, with medical
professionals as well as stay-at-home moms on the roster. In a
nod to the sport's rollicking past, they continue the tradition of
creative nicknames.
Coker, a researcher at the University of Georgia in Athens,
goes by " MightyCondria " -evoking mitochondria, the powerhouses
of organisms' cells. She notes that the names give a little
insight into skaters who may not be accustomed to or like being
in the spotlight.
" It's almost like having an alter ego, " Coker says. " To say
'I'm Mighty' helps with confidence and becoming the player
you want to be. It's empowering. "
Some roller derby teams mentor youth leagues for girls,
including the Savannah Jr. DerbyTaunts, the Fireballs Junior
Derby in Marietta and the Atlanta Junior Roller Derby. Most also
operate as registered charitable organizations and are active in
civic and fundraising events.
Derby skaters typically are not traded as players are in other
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JOHN M. BLOOD / CLASSIC CITY ROLLERGIRLS
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Georgia Magazine - July 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - July 2022
