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Since 2010, the Faultline Derby Devilz team has represented Hollister in Roller Derby’s fast-paced, rough-and-tumble world. On May 1, the Devilz organization will launch signups for their first fully competitive junior skater team, the Faultline Derby Spawnz.
“Last year, we kind of tried out the idea,” said Hollister resident and Devilz coach Berglind “Ice” Burrows. “We are just trying to expand it. All the kids loved it last year, and they are all coming back. They get to compete, and who doesn’t love skating?”
Burrows is a founding member of the Devilz and has competed in the Roller Derby World Cup as a member of Team Iceland. While she says that part of the attraction to the sport is being able to hit people while playing, what truly appeals to her is the sense of friendship among players.
“We are all very close,” she said, “and you become friends with everybody, on and off the track. It’s a big, huge roller derby family, and with the youth team, we want to try to expand that community.”
Enrollment in the Spawnz is open to all children between the ages of 6 and 17. While adult roller derby teams are traditionally all-women, participation in the Spawnz is open to both boys and girls.
“Everybody can do it,” Burrows said. “Sex doesn’t matter. Height doesn’t matter. It is open to everybody, and everybody can compete.”
Burrows said that junior roller derby is a world away from the adult version in terms of the game’s violence. “We take into account that the players are all very young. Players all have protective gear, and we teach you how to skate if you don’t know how and how to take a hit and fall. We keep things as safe as possible.”
The players practice and compete on level ground rather than the traditional banked wooden rink to make things even safer.
Lanette Vasquez took her then-9-year-old daughter Sophia to the signups last year after seeing a flier the school sent home with her.
“I saw an opportunity for my daughter to make some friends,” she said, “and to get her off her tablet. Besides what I had seen in movies, I didn’t know anything about Roller Derby—the adult version looked pretty rough.”
Vasquez let go of any worries about Sophia’s safety after seeing the precautions to protect the players.
“They play with elbow pads, knee pads, helmets, and wrist guards,” she said. “Everybody also wore mouthguards, so I thought there was nothing to be concerned about.”
Since there were not enough players to form full teams last year, the younger players practiced their skating and improved their technique. Still, Vasquez could see that Sophia was enjoying herself.
“It was really awesome to see her out there,” she said. “She gained a lot of confidence out there on her skates. She was not a big skater before this, and now this last season has given her a lot of skills and confidence that she didn’t have before.”
Sophia’s chosen Roller Derby name is “Punky Bruiser,” and she says the sport is fun because “you can skate your heart out.”
“We skate as fast as we can around the track,” she said. “Then our coaches bring out the body pads, and we try to push each other out of the rink to win.”
Sophia recommends the sport to anyone looking for friends and excitement.
“It’s hard at first when you are just starting,” she said,” but you get the hang of it. I am looking forward to playing again. It is good exercise for your body and you can meet a lot of new people there.”
Signups begin May 1 at 6 p.m. at Straw Hat Pizza at 191 San Felipe Road in Hollister. The Spawnz will practice on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Bolado Park. For more information, contact juniors@faultlinederby.org.
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