Holley originally tried out for a Houston-based roller derby league but was told to come back the next season. Instead, she founded South Side Roller Derby in 2006, a league that serves Pearland and Friendswood.
“[Roller derby] was really the only thing that had other skaters skating together as a community. That’s why we started [the league]. It was just out of a need to build a community of skaters,” Holley said.
The sport of roller derby involves two teams skating at the same time with one team trying to do as many laps around the rink as fast as they possibly can, Holley said. The other team attempts to knock them down and prevent them from getting around the rink. A team consists of five players: four “blockers” and one “jammer.”
“Roller derby is kind of like football, except a person is the ball,” Holley said.
South Side Roller Derby consists of eight different teams, each with a unique name they vote on together, Holley said. The teams consist of Queens of Chaos, Bio-Hazard Babes, Cut Throat Cupcakes, Maidens of Malice, Team Fresh Meat, SSRD Elite, SSRD Juniors and Skulls ‘N’ Stripes.
Being an all-women sport, the derby leagues tend to bring the people who skate in them together and help them bond as a team. Many of the skaters who are shy tend to come alive once they skate onto the track, according to Holley.
“It really helps people find their voice and [learn] how to be assertive and stop worrying about feelings. Once you’ve been in roller derby and you can’t do roller derby anymore, you still have this whole community of people that you’re still friends with,” Holley said.
People who are interested in joining the derby have to take classes at the center and pass a skills assessment. Members of the roller derby league, which does not have its own facility and practices at Pearwood Skate Center, anticipate competing again in competitions at the Pasadena Convention Center in the next few months. They also have a game scheduled in April for friends and family.
“Really what we’re doing is we’re rebuilding our league so we have enough teams to do those big games,” Holley said.
