Jacksonville RollerGirls
 | |
| Metro area | Jacksonville, Florida |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Teams |
New Jax City Rollers River City Rat Pack J-Villains Bold City Bombshells Duval Derby Dames First Coast Fatales |
| Affiliations | WFTDA |
The Jacksonville RollerGirls is a flat track roller derby league based in Jacksonville, Florida, (USA). Originally formed as the First Coast Fatales, the league changed to its current name in 2007. The league has been a member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) since December 2010.
The Jacksonville RollerGirls consists of six teams. Three teams play one another at home and three 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.
Travel Teams
New Jax City Rollers play at the highest level of competition, WFTDA Division I. They compete on the international stage and their rank has steadily climbed from 24th in 2013, 15th in 2014, to 8th in 2015. As of April 2016, the team is ranked sixth in the entire world.
For the first time in league history, the team ended their 2015 season at the WFTDA championship tournament after having earned their place at Division I Playoffs at home in Jacksonville, Florida.
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.
Recruitment & Training
In 2014, the league began a rigorous and structured training program designed to maximize each beginning skaters’ abilities toward passing the minimum skills required to play roller derby. New skaters are recruited three times per year and taken through a curriculum from basic skills to game play. If a skater doesn’t pass, she is allowed to repeat the program until she does.
The league welcomes referees, non-skating officials, and other volunteer staff to join the league at any time.
Local Television Show on CW-17
Jacksonville RollerGirls have a television program which has aired weekly on CW17 since September 25, 2010. Some games are even available for viewing in their entirety online. The league is the only one in the country with a regular television program and is included in the station’s promotional appearances as local celebrities.
Community Involvement
The Jacksonville RollerGirls support 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.
External links
- Jacksonville RollerGirls Official Website
- Jacksonville RollerGirls Facebook
- Jacksonville RollerGirls Instagram
- Jacksonville RollerGirls on CW-17
- Women's Flat Track Derby Association
