It’s like rugby on skates. It’s rough and fast and people get hurt, but Roller Derby today is nothing like the bruising, hurl-’em-over-the-rails days of the Philly Warriors. More rules. More safety protocols. More mainstream.

Philly Derby member Jennifer Sulikowski says being part of the team is kind of like being in a sorority, but not in the “cringy” way. You can be yourself, be athletic, get strong, and get sweaty with folks who love physical contact. “I was always in the mosh pit at concerts,” she says with a laugh.

Back in 1971, I was at a slumber party at a friend’s house. We decided it would be cool to play tackle football in the front yard. We spent about two hours ramming each other with our spindly, blue-jeaned bodies, ripping each other’s hair, tackling without guidelines and dragging each other across rock-studded earth. Not too many rules. It was a free-for-all, a hormone-infused exorcism of sorts. It was pretty awesome. Who knows why we did it. We’d never done it before. We never did it again (too sore and too stunned by our own brutal impulses). I guess we wanted to know what it felt like to be boys, the pubescent wrecking balls we knew who grew up on farms with horses and barns and parents who partied, but were never seen.

The physicality of the game was exhilarating. Sure, we played field hockey and lacrosse in school, but this was different. There was something animalistic about it. Something like releasing demons and dark, core energy. It was, perhaps, a ferocious farewell to the comfortable androgyny of youth, before breasts and pubic hair and periods.

As I prepped for my interview with Jennifer, I watched YouTube videos of recent roller derby bouts. That football game came back to me, sparking like a buried cable struck by a shovel. I felt the secret energy. It was rebellious and unladylike and oh, so satisfying.

Watching roller derby reminds me of that singular day with my girlfriends, my pre-teen sorority, and our urge to break free from the code of femininity imposed by our time and place.

I’m too old to put on skates and scrum with the pack, but I’m glad there’s a sport that lets people of all genders roll around a rink at top speed, grunting and shoving and testing their sinew and muscle.

Choose your favorite place to listen to my interview with Jennifer. Tell people about roller derby. There’s always room on the roster.

~ CK

Roller Derby Resources:

1. Philly Roller Derby website: phillyrollerderby.com
2. Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) website: https://wftda.com/
3. Philly Junior Roller Derby (YouTube): https://youtu.be/-_O48n2ZzsY?si=PPoL5siPBZ32337W
4. Tips From Australian Roller Derby Player Marilyn Tantrum: https://youtu.be/RmzvFbf2T5Q?si=rq-0u10JFH4XwI-a

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To pitch an interview idea, contact Cynthia Kreilick at cynthiakreilick@gmail.com.