Brief History of Central Arkansas Roller Derby

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Courtesy of Central Arkansas Roller Derby and video courtesy of Girls Rolling in the South (G.R.I.T.S.)

Central Arkansas Roller Derby (CARD) was born in the summer of 2006 as the RockHard Rollergirls and originally began practicing in Jacksonville, Ark. After the skaters voted to change the name, CARD moved to Little Rock and is now proud to practice and bout at Skate World, located at 6512 Mabelvale Cut Off.

CARD began its first season of bouts in August 2007 against the River Valley Roller Girls of Fort Smith, Ark.

In January 2008, CARD held the first all-female roller derby bout in Little Rock with a rematch against River Valley. In the subsequent months, CARD traveled to Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Fort Smith, Dallas, Huntsville and Memphis in order to build a good rapport with other area teams and gain some bouting experience. CARD’s second season hosted several teams from around the Southern region, including several of the teams CARD bouted against in our first season. CARD has now been bouting for five seasons and has traveled to various places around the South and the Midwest.

CARD began bouting with ten skaters and only one women’s’ roller derby team, the Rock-n-Renegades.  Six years later, CARD has almost 50 league members and a second women’s team, the Big Dam Rollers.

CARD consists of skaters and referees from all walks of life; teaching, accounting, firefighting, etc.  These skaters come from all over the central Arkansas area twice a week or more to practice their skating skills. CARD is a non-profit organization, doing work and raising money for various causes such as the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, the American Red Cross, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, and the Humane Society of Pulaski County.

The other major roller derby league in the area, Girls Rollin’ In the South (GRITS) of Cabot, holds public scrimmages in Conway one Tuesday each month. Check out what it looks like to be a roller derby-er with this first-person helmet cam footage from the GRITS Black & Yellow intraleague scrimmage that was held on February 26, 2013. Thanks to Slameron Diaz and Daisy Fever of Girls Rolling in The South for shooting the footage.

Central Arkansas Roller Derby Schedule

Bouts start at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

All home bouts are at Skate World, 6512 Mabelvale Cut Off in Little Rock, AR.

All dates/times subject to change, please check www.littlerockrollerderby.com for more info.

Quotes from the Central Arkansas Roller Derby participants

“Roller derby has been a serious game changer for me.  It has taken someone who was bored and unmotivated and turned her into an enthusiastic athlete.  It pushes me to the limit physically and mentally, and I didn’t know how much I needed that.  I’ve also had the chance to do volunteer work with my league and have met some amazing people along the way.  Viva la derby!” – Smashville

“I started coming to roller derby practice at CARD a year ago. Since then, I’ve learned a lot about myself: At first, I learned I’m not in as great a physical shape as I thought I was. But after a while, I learned that if I keep working at it, there’s nothing I can’t physically accomplish (derby-wise).  I always knew that diverse people with different opinions and beliefs can get along, but since doing roller derby, I have learned that anyone, with any background, and any belief can become a best friend.  I have worked harder, laughed harder, and cried harder than I have in a long time since I joined roller derby, and it’s made my life amazing and made me a better person.” – Loba Loca

“Derby has me believing what most only say: I can do this. My clumsy, not very athletic self has come a long way since my first skater tot practice. Most of all the fear of not being able to carry myself in skates has shriveled into nothing. It is because I recognize and appreciate the skills that I have gained. The challenge of a new drill is no longer met with timid hesitancy, but with a spirit of take this next step to see how far you have come. I have taken this attitude into my every day in taking on new challenges! I have fixed a broken aux port in my car stereo, rewired light fixtures, and even taken up sewing all with that derby developed attitude of ‘I can do this.’ I still have room for so much improvement, but I feel more confident that I can make progress. Derby is new, wild, and exciting territory for me, but nothing is impossible. I can do this!” – Rose Killita

“Derby helped close my year-long recovery from meningitis, in which the treatment, amphotericin b, causes almost as much damage as the disease. Until December 2009, I underwent weekly intravenous treatments, which impacted my health and spirit. I was down to 159 lbs. and couldn’t exert myself for over twenty minutes at a time. In spring 2010, I started coming to practice. Derby helped me get back into shape and the emotional support from all the people involved with CARD was invaluable for my mental recovery.” – Billy Ray Virus (get it? Virus? Because I had infected cranial fluid?)

“I’m rather new to roller derby; though coming up on my one year anniversary in a month. I was looking for a night out with a friend when she invited me to practice instead. Since I had been rather down, and remembered loving to skate as a kid, I tried it out. When I got to my first practice and I got all the details I was floored; I had just had a 2 hour training session that was killer with an awesome coach and here they were saying I could do this kind of training 3 times a week starting for free; you can’t pay a personal trainer that little or get this kind of exercise.

“After starting practices, I noticed that there were so many outside activities I could get involved in through our roller derby league and being rather new to Little Rock I was finding I was building a social network and able to give back to the community through lots of fun community service projects. I was actually having a life outside of my family and work and my husband was finding my new happiness and outlook on life attractive!

“A few months into training, I got some disturbing news that a family member needed me out of state and with another trip I had planned, I was going to be gone a month. I was nervous about leaving my kids and husband behind and my roller derby league and especially letting down my coaches. My coach was supportive and said the girls would miss me but would be there for me. I searched out other derby teams in the areas I was visiting so I wouldn’t lose my legs. Every team welcomed me with open arms. I had a family and mental support system away from home from these ladies and my girls back home stayed in constant contact with me. I learned that roller derby was not just a sport or great exercise but a family and a support system! Now that I am on a team, it’s been more about the sport. For me now it’s all about not letting the ladies down who have never let me down and growing as an athlete. Life is about growing and in roller derby there is never a dull moment because there is always room to grow!” – Slaughter

“I started coming to practice with Central Arkansas Roller Derby with every intention of becoming a grade A badass skater. Instead, I ended up coaching, and it has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. I have made lifelong friends, pushed myself to limits I didn’t know I had, and helped shape some of central Arkansas’ best skaters. As long as CARD is around, I plan on being there to continue the great sport of roller derby. Come to be a badass, stay because you find a family.” – Slambert

“Before joining the CARD league, I felt like I was lacking. Lacking what I was unable to define but I knew I needed something. I walked in to a practice one day because I had wanted to join roller derby for years but wasn’t old enough in the towns I had lived in. The first person I met was Allie Macom. She was so nice and friendly and I came to learn that all of the people in the league are friendly and helpful and kind.

“I can’t emphasize that enough. Whenever I need help or advice or anything these women are always there for me. I have never been around so many wonderful, strong women before in my life. I think before all of the other wonderful things about roller derby that is the most important. It is really a family, the best family I could ever have asked for.

“The sport itself has also been a wonderful experience. Being involved in a sport, especially this sport gives you strength, endurance, flexibility both physically and mentally. It teaches you to push yourself in the sport and in real life. I have more confidence, more patience. I think quicker and I trust myself more.

“Another important part of roller derby for me is how connected we are to the community. It is very important to serve the community and give back what we can, when we can. Be that time, or money. We are working with the community not only through the charities we work with but also through the people that come to our bouts.

“Basically, roller derby, and specifically the Central Arkansas Roller Derby league is a collection of the best things, and the best people in the world. And I wouldn’t give that up for anything.” – Valkyrie

“I joined rather serendipitously when, one day, someone I didn’t even know very well said “you should come skating with us, I think you’d like it” and for no good reason at all, I did. I had never skated; this wasn’t a problem, I learned to move my feet. I had never played a sport; this wasn’t a problem, I learned teamwork and trusting others. Practices were hard for me to get to; again, no problem, there was always someone willing to carpool. In fact, there has always been someone willing to help with just about anything, whether it’s learning to block someone out of bounds or jump the apex or even house-sitting for me while I am away. As for the sport itself, roller derby has encouraged me to try other physical sports and activities and thusly helped me discover that I enjoy them. I’ve never felt healthier, in many ways, in my life.” – Pop

“I joined roller derby in the summer of 2006 after my sister took me to a River Valley Roller Girls practice in Fort Smith. Roller derby was something I’d seen on TV for several years and always wanted to try; now that my little sister was joining a league I knew I had no excuse not to try it. Immediately upon my return to Little Rock I found our local league and started skating. I was looking for an aggressive women’s sport that would provide exercise, fun and camaraderie and I found it in roller derby. For the first four years I played in many different bouts in Little Rock and across the South, making lots of friends along the way. Currently I am a referee as well as the league manager for Central Arkansas Roller Derby. After seven years in the sport, it’s great to see how far roller derby  has come and how much Central Arkansas Roller Derby has grown.” – Krispy