The Nashville Rollergirls are a Nashville-based women’s roller derby league, which holds monthly matchups at Municipal Auditorium. With tickets to double-headers at $15, the Rollergirls offer great value for your entertainment buck. The Rollergirls are a skater owned and operated organization, entirely run by volunteers. Skaters, coaches, officials, etc. all hold league jobs and serve on committees.
Founded in 2006 the Rollergirls began competing in 2007 and became a member league of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association in 2008. According to Rollergirl Hippy-Ki-Yay, “The Music City All Stars is our premier travel team, playing games that impact our rankings and potentially earn us a spot at divisional playoffs.” The Rollergirls other travel team, the The Music City Brawl Stars, are also highly competitive, but their bouts don't count toward the league’s rankings.
The Rollergirls' league profile is high. Hippy-Ki-Yay highlighted that "We are hosting the 2014 WFTDA Championship Tournament at Municipal Auditorium.The top 12 teams in the world will compete for the Hydra trophy." The team remains committed to its mission to "become a top level team, keep our organization running strong, serve our community, and promote the sport of roller derby." Two major goals that contribute to that organizational mission are "to increase bout attendance numbers, and see the All Stars earn a spot in a Championship tournament again (we were there in 2010 and 2011)."
The Rollergirls maintain a busy schedule, not only with their monthly bouts in town but also travel, including 2 multi-game tournaments and potentially a divisional playoff tournament this year. Perhaps even more impressive than their athleticism is the Rollergirls' commitment to their community. Hippy-Ki-Yay reports, "We just participated in the March of Dimes March for Babies event, and the NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) 5k event. Last month, we volunteered at the Read to Kids event at Gower Elementary. We were at SportsFest 2014 in February, and will be at the Full Moon Tattoo and Horror Convention this weekend." As a registered non-profit, the Rollergirls actively fundraise and are considering options including hosting a 5k, a dodgeball tournament, fitness bootcamps, and other events, as well as their annual silent auction. "We are always looking for new sponsors and charitable contributions so that we can continue to be a positive force in our community."
Beyond its entertainment value and the Rollergirls’ contributions to the community, the league and sport has a life-altering effect on those who participate, offering access to camaraderie with strong, confident women and the general benefits of a high-impact sport. Dani Doom (#77) sums it up best: "Everyone's story is different, we come from all walks of life, and we vary from college athletes to never having played a sport or done anything active at all.... When I'm on the roller derby track, roller derby is the only thing that exists in my world. Anything else in my head vanishes and that for me is meditative in nature. I work out outside of skating and eat healthier than I ever have just to be a better skater, but it affects my life in so many positive ways!"
A lot of people, understandably, might still be hesitant about seeing their first matchup, thinking, “Roller derby? Seriously?” One needs only navigate to user review sites like YELP, however, to banish that doubt. As one Yelp Elite ‘14 user, Josh M., put it, “This is such an amazingly awesome experience. You MUST go! These girls are beasts! Some of them are just unbelievably good! So go on out. Grab yourself a beer. Grab some gross-mediocre junk concession food and cheer on the girls in blue.”