About The Cincinnati Rollergirls

The History of the Cincinnati Rollergirls

The Cincinnati Rollergirls is the area’s first and foremost all-female, amateur, flat track roller derby team. The team is owned and operated by its skaters, about 50 women from around the region who represent a wide range of ages, backgrounds and occupations.

Founded in late 2005, the Cincinnati Rollergirls put on their first intra-league exhibition bouts at local skating rinks in 2006. In 2007, the team moved to its current home, the Cincinnati Gardens, and became a member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), the sport’s governing body. In 2008, the Cincinnati Rollergirls formed a varsity team called the Black Sheep and a junior varsity team called the Silent Lambs to focus exclusively on inter-league play. Both teams play at home and away, taking on other roller derby teams from all over North America.

At the beginning of 2010, the Cincinnati Rollergirls were ranked 4th of 19 teams in WFTDA’s North Central region and in the top 25 of more than 350 teams in North America by DerbyNewsNetwork.com.

The Cincinnati Rollergirls were invited to compete in regional tournaments in 2008 and 2009 and were one win away from attending WFTDA’s 2009 national tournament in Philadelphia.

The Cincinnati Rollergirls care about their community as much as they care about competition. Skaters pride themselves on being positive and inspirational role models for young fans. They show that women of all shapes, sizes, ages and backgrounds can be athletic and strong, work as a team and demonstrate good sportswomanship.

Skaters sign autographs after every game and even invite fans to after-parties. The team also gives back by volunteering at local festivals and charity events, skating in parades and donating more than $5,000 to date to local charities.

The Cincinnati Rollergirls Mission Statement

CRG will be recognized as a nationally-ranked top 10 competitor in flat track roller derby. Skaters are CRG’s most valued assets, and the league is committed to providing skaters with the training, facilities, and coaching needed to fulfill the league’s mission.

CRG will be an energetic and creative organization that is supportive and involved in its community. CRG staff and skaters will uphold professionalism and exhibit camaraderie and exceptional performance in pursuit of the league’s mission.

How Flat Track Roller Derby Is Played

Invented by sports promoter Leo Seltzer in the 1930s, roller derby thrived in the U.S. until the 1970s, when high transportation costs shut it down. In 2001, a group of women in Austin, Texas revived the sport. Playing it on a flat track instead of the traditional banked track, they turned what was once a staged spectacle into an unscripted, athletic, full-contact, competitive team sport, now played by hundreds of teams around the world.

Roller derby games, called bouts, are divided into two 30-minute periods. During a bout, two teams of five skaters each face off on the track. Each team consists of a pivot, three blockers and a jammer. The pivots, who wear stripes on their helmets, set the pace and leads the other blockers in a pack. The jammers, who wear stars on their helmets, score points by fighting their way through the pack and passing members of the opposing team.

When the whistle blows once, the pack takes off. When the whistle blows twice, the jammers start fighting their way through the pack. The first jammer to make it through the pack legally is designated the "lead jammer." The jammers must lap the pack once before sprinting through the pack again to score points by passing members of the opposing team. A jam lasts a maximum of two minutes, but the lead jammer has the right to call off the jam early by putting her hands on her waist. This strategy typically locks in a higher number of points for her team than her opponent’s team for that jam. Blockers try to stop the opposing jammer from passing them and scoring while helping their own jammer make it through the pack and score. The team with the most points at the end of the bout wins.

Flat track roller derby eliminates the barrier of the guardrail in banked track roller derby and brings the action closer to the fans. They can sit on the floor at the edge of the track and get an unencumbered view of every hit, whip and pass.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is roller derby fake?

No. Flat-track roller derby is a real sport, just like hockey or football, with strategies, lots of rules and penalties for breaking them. Nothing is staged or scripted. Skaters attend three to four two-hour practices every week to keep their skills up to speed and their bodies trained.

How do rollergirls get their names?

Lots of different ways! Cincinnati Rollergirls skaters have named themselves after their jobs; their favorite bands, songs or foods; inside jokes; or just after something they think will strike fear in their opponents’ hearts. The only catch is that it has to be a name that no one else has already claimed. Check out this master roster of registered derby names.

Do rollergirls get paid?

No one involved with the Cincinnati Rollergirls gets paid. All the money we make from ticket and merchandise sales goes back into the team to pay for expenses such as practice and bout space, travel and insurance. Skaters pay for their skates, protective gear and uniforms themselves, and they also pay monthly team fees. They play simply out of the sheer love of the game.

Can I bring my kids to a Cincinnati Rollergirls game?

Absolutely! Our games are family-friendly events. Many of our skaters are mothers themselves, and their own children come to see them play. Your kids will even be able to meet the rollergirls and get their autographs after every game.

How do I join the Cincinnati Rollergirls?

We hold tryouts every January and on additional dates throughout the year. All skaters must be female, at least 18 years of age and able to meet the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association’s minimum skills requirements. We hold boot camps before January tryouts to prepare prospective skaters for tryouts. If you don’t want to be a skater but still want to get involved, you can join the team as a referee, stat tracker or general volunteer, whether you’re male or female (as long as you’re 18 or older). For more information, e-mail us.