Today there are over 400 leagues around the world based on the adaption of the sport created by Texas Rollergirls, she said.
Meet the team
The organization has four home teams: Hell Marys, Honky Tonk Heartbreakers, Hotrod Honeys and Hustlers. Its two travel teams, Texecutioners and Texas Chainsaws, compete globally.
One of the many creative parts of the sport is being able to take on a new persona. The process all starts with a name. On the track Massey is known as Jackson Villain and graphic designer Jessica Havlir is known as Miso Thorny.
The inspiration for derby names varies from hometown homage to enjoying a play on words. The players' names become a big part of their participation—some team members don’t even know each other’s legal names, Massey said.
“I often forget people's real names and then I hear their name and I'm like, ‘Jessica? What? Who are you,’” Massey said.
Outside of competing, Texas Rollergirls hosts a recreational league where community members can learn how to skate derby-specific skills and practice full contact to prepare for competitive play if they are interested in trying out for the organization.
There are two opportunities a year to try out for a team. The fall opportunity features a 12-week training program, which ends with a final scrimmage before attendees are notified if they’ve been drafted to a team.
“We have skaters who have been here 20 years and they know the game, they know how to play and the training is exceptional,” Massey said. “We even have league members who travel to other leagues to train. Every practice is going to have some level of intensity that not a lot of people are used to and that's why we are competitive.”
Havlir joined the rec league after she had her first child and while she’s taken short breaks in the past few years, she always comes back to Texas Rollergirls.
“I always come back because the community is the most incredible community ever,” Havlir said. “It's so diverse. We have mothers. We have people who have never been married. We have grandmas. We have kids who just graduated from high school. We have lactation consultants. We have people in tech. All sorts of people. It's just an amazing community to be in.”
The team hopes the league continues to thrive decades from now and derby leagues in other cities continue to grow as well.
“We provide a safe place for people to come and get a good workout and also build that community,” Havlir said. “We’re just here for each other and we want people coming to our games to feel that as well.”
With its current resources, the league practices in the natural elements by hosting practices at two local parks. However, Massey said the organization is always looking for an indoor space large enough to accommodate the roller derby track dimensions to hopefully move practices indoors.
The organization will attend its season opener on Feb. 21 at Austin Sports Center, which will take the format of a round-robin exhibition. All games are kid-friendly and ages five and under are admitted for free.
The league’s 2026 season will include games from February through September.
- 8120 Research Blvd., Ste. 105, #511, Austin
- www.texasrollergirls.org
