By Kaitlan Morehouse
Watch out for the Appalachian RollerGirls (ARG)! The team will be starting off the 2016 season with bouts, fundraising events and community support.
“We’re really looking forward to our season,” said ARG team captain Mallory Sadler aka “Honey Boom Boom.” “We have some really tough opponents.”
ARG’s first away bout on Sunday at 6 p.m. will be against the Rogue Rollergirls in at Skateland (2820 US Hwy 70 SE, Newton, NC), and the next away bout will be on May 21 at Kate’s Skating Rink (4114 E Franklin Blvd., Gastonia, NC).
The team’s first home bout on May 1 at 2 p.m. will be against the Dominion All-Stars at the ASU Holmes Convocation Center (Rivers St.).
ARG will host the Mountain Trail 5K Rainbow Run, a color run, at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the Boone Greenway for away bout travel expenses.
If you want to get a sneak peak before the girls’ first bout, their practice will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday at Skateworld (6880 US-421, Vilas, NC 28692).
Is it your first time watching roller derby?
Don’t worry – Sadler’s biggest, go-to suggestion she tells newcomers is to watch the jammers, the players with stars on their helmets, because they score all the points!
You will soon fit right in among all of the enthusiastic, screaming fans.
“It’s a really loud and fun time,” Sadler said.
Go to a bout and see for yourself!
Proceeds from each bout will go to different charities in the community. All of the proceeds from the team’s first bout on Sunday will go to Habitat for Humanity.
For ARG, it is a no-brainer to help the community — all of the girls are from the High Country!
This year, the girls have already helped the community before their bouts. They recently joined the Women Build program of Habitat for Humanity Catawba Valley, which fit right in with the team’s values as it’s empowering to all of the females who participate.
“We’re looking forward to expanding our outreach this year,” Sadler said.
Visit the team Facebook page or ARG online for more information.
About Bouts
Don’t think the team’s bouts are just girls in pigtails rollerblading. No, it’s definitely a sport — a fast-paced, female contact sport where the players wear fishnets.
The idea is that five members of the team are chosen to play: four blockers, whose job it is to protect the jammer, and one jammer, the star-helmeted player who tries to skate through the opposing team’s blockers. Points are scored when the jammer legally passes each of the blockers in a two minutes timeframe, starting after the initial pass through the pack.
Some derby moves that the teams may employ to pass as many blockers as possible include:
• Passing the Star
• Western Style
• The Whip
• Walling Up
• Goating
• The Diamond
• Slow Start
About the Team
The Appalachian Rollergirls are a 501c3 nonprofit, a tax-exempt organization, and an 18+ all-female skater-run flat track roller derby league based in Boone.
Their mission is to encourage female athleticism, empowerment and community awareness through activities, events and charity involvement.
The league was founded in March, 2010 by an ASU student making a post on Facebook. Thanks to Facebook and a local businesswoman, more than 80 women showed up at Skateworld to check out the revival of roller derby in the High Country. ARG has since attracted more than 20 very committed women from around the area. Their coach is a former speed skater who volunteers his time to make sure the Roller Girls stay in the best shape.
Here are some of the local charities they support:
• Hunger and Health Coalition
• High Country First
• NAMI High Country
• Through Healing Eyes
• F.A.R.M. Café
• Elkland Art Center
• Howard St. Exchange
• Howard St. Cyclovia
• Blue Ridge Conservancy
• Beautiful You MRKH Foundation
• Hickory Soup Kitchen
• Autism Speaks U
• Blowing Rock C.A.R.E.S.
The team also supports local families in need, including The Brandon Bakken Family and The Eric Ford Family.
Do you want to join and don’t have experience?
Not to worry! Before Sadler started playing, she didn’t have any experience either, even with playing a sport.
For more information about the team, visit the ARG website or Facebook page. The girls are very active on both sites.
ASU also has a division of Roller Girls called the App State Roller Derby Club.
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