The Columbia Junior Rollers provide young athletes with an environment of openness and acceptance while succeeding at the highest levels.

Last weekend, the group went to Chicago and competed in the national championship event, finishing fifth after clinching a win over Foxtails in their derby match. The team earned a spot in nationals after finishing first at their regional competition.

“We’re definitely the new kids on the block when it comes to the teams out there,” said Eddie Shannon, one of the team’s coaches. “Our expectation is just to go out there and learn about what we need to do to make it to the next level.”

Many of the rollers that competed last weekend, will be back next season. Only three athletes are aging out of the program.

There are two roller teams, an All-Star, which competed at the Chicago event, and a B-team, which helps develop young and inexperienced rollers. These are both co-ed teams that feature athletes from a wide age range.

“We teach you how to fall. We’re worried about you protecting yourself but also worried about not hurting somebody else,” Shannon said.

Roller derby can be an intense sport. It is high-contact, high-speed and all on wheels. The skating mixed with the physicality is a huge draw for the athletes.

“I’ve got to like, see a whole different side of life and meet all these people I would never meet outside of roller derby,” said Mily Robinson, a member of the All-Star team in her last year. “I do love full-contact sports, and I like to be able to say I hit people in my free time.”

The safe and open environment within the team is another big draw for athletes.

“I feel like everyone’s really positive,” said Abigail Brown, a member of the B-team. “No one puts other people down, and it’s always fun because I’ve always loved skating. So, whenever I figured out there was a roller derby team, I was really excited and decided to join with my cousins.”

Roller derby is one of the most accepting sports one can participate in. Personal judgment is usually left at the door, and people are characterized by their skills in the rink.

“Pretty much you can be who you want to be,” Shannon said. “In this day and age, that’s a very, very big thing, and a lot of different groups don’t necessarily agree with that.”

The junior rollers are not one of those groups. Everyone is welcomed with open arms and given a chance.

“There’s a lot of kids that could be doing a lot of other sports,” said Stacey Franklin, another coach and member of the local adult rollers team. “They chose this sport because we’re unique. It’s co-ed, so they can play with all genders, all ages, all sizes.” 

The team’s acceptance makes bonding and building chemistry easier. This is crucial in a sport like derby, which requires effective communication in high-intensity moments.

The group consists of athletes from all over the state, so they have practice and competitions to build team chemistry. The team meets every Wednesday to practice, but they sometimes hold other events to elevate their connection.

“We have a lot of skaters that come from all different regions,” Franklin said. “When they’re at tournaments, they can let loose and hang out by the pool and talk about other things other than roller derby. Although they’ll probably talk about roller derby a lot, too.”

With only three athletes departing from this year’s group, it should be an almost seamless transition between groups. However, it will be difficult to fill those empty roller skates.

The team will practice as one big group for the next three months until Oct. 16, when there will be a tryout for the All-Star team.

“Every year, you lose and lose [athletes],” Shannon said. “That’s the purpose of the B team. You build them up.”

For those that are leaving, it is a bittersweet goodbye. Robinson said she wishes she found the sport sooner.

“Every day I’m like, ‘I wish I started sooner, so I could play more and be with these people longer.’ I wish I would have more time,” she said. “I’d tell everyone that you need to play roller derby because it’s just an amazing community that you would never expect, because everyone is so kind and caring. It does not matter who you are, where you come from; you are accepted no matter what.”