Biloxi Roller Derby, LLC's Page

Biloxi Roller Derby was born out of a desire to see this incredible sport grow - and be shared with anyone interested in playing the game!

Derby originally was a sport for women & men... often playing on the same track with each other. With the re-birth, it became a woman's game. But in the last year or so there has been a male uprising in the sport! Today more than 10 men's leagues and seven youth leagues are working with the women's leagues to bring this sport to the forefront. BRD is part of this new beginning!

With the Harrison County Skate Park as our chartered facility, Biloxi Roller Derby is organized into divisions: Men's, Women's, Junior Men's and Junior Women's. Within those divisions we are establishing teams, teams which will compete against each other (within their divisions). Away teams for each division - consisting of not only the best, but the most dedicated players - will then venture out to compete against the best of other leagues in the region.

At first, our dream may seem odd to those of you who are already into this sport. After all, it has been a women's sport for seven years! But how can a game which is so exciting be kept under our helmets forever? It can't! While BRD may currently be the only co-ed league in the Southeast, we know that won't last long. The men interested in playing are out there - the teens wanting to play are out there - and bringing them into this sport we feel will only further legitimize the game we love so very much!

Men.... wow we just cannot say enough about all the interest that BRD - and derby - has provoked in our local guys! For a lot of them, high school was the last place they found an outlet for their love of full contact sports. Even before BRD was formed, there were guys out there looking for a place or way to play. Since 2002, however, the only "in" they had in derby was to be a referee or coach. Both of those jobs involve a lot of dedication, and for some referees, a lot of angst watching something they would really rather be doing themselves. We are definitely excited to finally give these guys what they have been looking for!

Course, with that we do run into some problems with WFTDA (Women's Flat Track Derby Association). It is the primary derby association that most women's league strive to become members of. The WFTDA produces the rule set that BRD is currently adhering to, and they are the main organization for league rankings, regional/national championships, the works. Their current stance is that if a league has even one men's team, it cannot apply for membership. However, we also know that men's derby is taking off out west and is part of the future of derby. It is our hope that by the time BRD is a few years old (which most leagues are when they apply for WFTDA membership) that the WFTDA will have taken note of these up and coming men's leagues and have either made some allowances, or will branch off and form a MFTDA - allowing leagues like BRD to participate in their association. If not, we have a couple of great ideas under our hat that should get us where we need to be!

For junior girls, there is the JFTDA (which we are currently seeking membership for our girls!). The JFTDA is a lot like WFTDA, and abides by the same basic rule set. They also offer national rankings and championships. So there is MUCH to be excited about for our juniors!

Of course, we have been asked about liability, injuries, etc., when it comes to the teens (14-18). Safety gear, playing by the rules, learning how to both skate - and FALL - correctly - these are stressed heavily by BRD. But remember too, many of these kids play football, or roller hockey. Full contact is really nothing new for them. In fact, while roller derby has touted itself as the first full contact sport for women, it can be easily argued that roller/ice hockey was the first full contact sport for teen girls!!!

BRD practices at a skatepark that is predominantly used for roller hockey. Girls there, much younger than our teen division, are knocking each other around on a regular basis - and their parents come out in droves to cheer them on. Sure, derby can be a rough sport, but we don't carry sticks! Wouldn't that make derby interesting?

It is our hope that once we become firmly established that we may even bring this sport to elementary age kids. Of course this would be with far less full contact - more along the lines of flag football. Young kids are interested - some following the adults around for autographs, or a chance to talk about what we do. They long to get out there... why not let them give it a shot?

In all other major sports, there are leagues/teams for the younger enthusiasts. Very, VERY few major league baseball players in the history of the game waited until they were 18 to even pick up a bat. Same with football, soccer, hockey, ice skating, skiing. In fact, most of those playing professionally consider 18 to be "middle aged" for playing their sport! Children, and teens, are the future of roller derby! And Biloxi Roller Derby plans to play a major part is helping to bring Roller Derby into the class it deserves - a major national & international sport!

That is our dream - and one that is definitely attainable! We have two great coaches, a management team with sound derby management and play experience, and we have the desire - the desire to see derby on equal footing with all the other major sports that exist today!