There’s a sport that’s not very well known to the masses. A sport that is fiercely empowering. A sport that leaves you with bruises and smiles. A sport where you have to be as hard, as tough, and as fast as you can be. A sport that spawns names like “The Alexorcist,” “Sandra Day O’Clobber,” and “Ho J Simpson.” That sport is roller derby.

At some level, roller derby is at least vaguely known. Its origins can be traced back to the 1930s, when it was basically a banked-track roller skating marathon. It has since evolved into an international woman-dominated, full-contact sport that’s even under consideration for the 2020 Olympics. It’s a wonderfully competitive, highly engaging, immensely empowering sport that is only growing in popularity.

Here in Denver, we have the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls, an all-women’s, flat-track roller derby league with three travel teams and four home teams that sport names like Dooms Daisies, Red Ridin’ Hoods, and United States Pummeling Service. Founded in 2004, the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls are a group of fiery, fearless athletes who truly kick ass.

Meghan Dougherty, also known as Undertaker’s Daughter, a team member of the Sugar Kill Gang, is one such badass. And we were just lucky enough to speak with her about this ridiculously awesome sport.

Innovators Peak: Meghan, thanks so much for joining us.

Meghan Dougherty: Absolutely.

Megan Dougherty, left.

So what exactly is roller derby?

Roller derby is a full contact, point-based, skating sport. It actually started back in the 1920s as a race. At one point, people started getting physical in the race and it kind of evolved into the sport that it is today. It’s predominantly female, but there are now men’s leagues.

How do you play roller derby?

So, two teams of five people compete in two minute jams, as we call them. One person, who wears the star, is the jammer and they are essentially the point-maker. The four others are blockers, and we have to play both offense and defense in an effort to hold back the other team’s jammer and keep them from getting through the pack while getting our own jammer through. Once a jammer gets through the pack the first time, then every person they pass around the track is a point.

How did you get started with this sport?

You know, it seems like there’s three or so different types of people who want to get into roller derby. There’s those who’ve always loved roller skating. I was an early roller skater and that’s how I got my exercise. I was bored with what I was doing and I had a few young kids, so I wanted something new and different. Then there are those who have learned about the sport and really wanted to get into roller derby. And then there are some who used to play hockey.

It’s one of the few full contact sports for women. I think women who are aggressive and competitive and like to be physical join roller derby so they can be aggressive and competitive in their sport. It really varies. For me, I wanted to get out of my momhood and do something fun and different and get some exercise and roller skate. It very quickly, even for those who are nervous about the whole physical thing, becomes addictive for anyone who joins it.

The Sugar Kill Gang.

How long have you been playing?

I started skating in 2007, so I’m heading into my ninth year. And I’m 49, so I’m probably the oldest—I am the oldest person in my league.

What’s the demographic like in roller derby?

You get people in their 40s and you get people who aren’t even 21. So, it’s a very, very interesting little dynamic mix of people. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you look like, or how much money you make, what your job is. Everyone is equal.

One thing that makes roller derby so appealing are the stage names that players take on. What is your stage name and can you tell me about that culture?

My name is Undertaker’s Daughter, and my number is DOA. My dad was a mortician, I grew up in a funeral home, and picked up bodies for money in high school. So I was celebrating that dark, undertaker persona. People pick their names based on some passion or hobby they’re involved in. Some have a literary take on it, some have a Hollywood take on it. For example, ‘Assaultin’ Pepa’ loves ‘80s hip-hop. 

There have been some movements in some leagues to get rid of the stage names because they want to be taken seriously. We are a real sport now that competes and practices very hard to provide sporting entertainment for people. Some people feel like the names don’t help us be taken seriously. My own personal feeling is that I’m glad that most of the leagues still consider it to be one of the cool things about roller derby that honors the history of the sport. I think it makes it more fun and entertaining.

Roller derby has a reputation for being a pretty tough sport. How aggressive does the sport get?

You know, it’s funny. I think there’s some people who don’t like to talk about the violence, but it’s a full-contact sport. You’re on roller skates and you’re hitting each other, so there’s definitely going to be injuries. Honestly, I would be curious to know how much more injury there is in other sports like soccer and rugby versus roller derby.

I tore my rotator cuff in 2009 and was out for a year. We’ve had some concussion issues, like any other full contact sport. But there’s never been any real serious, serious injury. And they’re treated almost like a badge of honor. But there are also people who never get injured so you have to balance it.

How do you hit people? What’s legal and what’s not legal in that respect?

There’s a lot of rules around safety and what’s legal. You can’t hit anybody below the knees or above the shoulders. So if you hit somebody in the head or you run into their back at full speed and they fall down, you go to the penalty box. People hit with their shoulders, people hit with their hips, you can hit their mid-thigh, which is a difficult move. If you’re not paying attention, you’ll get laid out for sure.

How do you handle newbies? Is there a form of hazing?

It’s changed a lot since I started. There’s no real hazing because, just ten years ago or so this sport [resurfaced] so we’re trying to build interest and we’re not trying to seriously hurt someone or haze anyone. Now, we want to make sure everybody is safe and nobody gets injured. You may start roller derby today, but you may not play your first game for a year, possible. We make sure you know how to fall, how to hit legally, that they know the rules. It’s a matter of how quickly you can get good. We want them to be happy and play as long as they can.

Fill me in on some of the terms and rules of this game. What is a jammer?

The jammer is the point scorer. They’re usually the fastest skater, not always the smallest, but the fastest. They have to be able to have the agility to make their way through the pack and make points.

Blocker?

The blocker is one of the four people in the pack, as it’s called. We skate in a pack and if one or two people skate out of the pack it’s no longer a pack and we have to reform. The blocker’s job is to try to stop the other team’s jammer while also trying to get their own jammer through. So we play both offense and defense.

What is a pivot?

A pivot, historically, controls the pace of the pack, sort of like the leader. The pivot can also switch caps with the jammer. So if the jammer is having a hard time getting through, they can take off their cap and give it to the pivot and the pivot can become the jammer. So often times the jammer and pivot are interchangeable.

What do you mean by caps? Like helmets?

So, everyone wears full gear. We wear knee pads, elbow pads, wrist pads, helmets, and mouth guards. You have to wear those to get on the track. If you take your mouth guard out while on the track, you get put in the box. But we have these things called helmet caps that go on our helmets. The jammer wears the star, and the pivot wears the line.

Are there any “nay-sayers” out there who believe that this is not a sport for women? That it’s too tough, too aggressive, or “unlady-like?”

You know, there are. It seems less and less, especially as our culture moves towards one of equality. There’s definitely people who judge it, there’s perceptions about it, people who think it’s all lesbians, etc. But what people don’t realize is that every type of person can be a tough athlete. Like every sport, there’s all different kinds of people who join. There’s definitely people who think it’s too tough for women, people who think you’re too old, people who aren’t tough enough. But those are misperceptions. As long as you can skate, then why not?

What do you say to those people?

What we would say, and we don’t get a lot of that, but I’d say it’s exactly what women need. Women need to feel tough and feel empowered and feel good about being aggressive. I think every woman should play roller derby.

There’s some chatter about roller derby joining the Olympics. Do you think it’ll become an Olympic event?

I think roller derby could make it to the Olympics, and I think it would deserve to make it to the Olympics. But there are a lot of strict rules once you become an Olympic sport. The trick would be that if the sport were willing to adhere to those rules. It would depend on how the rules play out. But it’s international, so there’d be enough competition. And, frankly, I think there are more people who play roller derby than some other Olympic sports. I think it could and should be an Olympic sport.

What would you say to someone who’s considering joining a roller derby league?

I would say, don’t be nervous, if they’re nervous. If they’re excited, I’d say you should be excited. It’s so much fun, it’s so rewarding, it’s great exercise. Go online, find a roller derby team in your area, get some practice in, and try out.

You can find out more information about the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls on their website. They play at City Auditorium, Glitterdome, The Hanger, and Fillmore Auditorium. They also travel around the country, kicking ass and taking names (awesome names at that, looking at you Queen Elizabitch). They’re fiercely passionate and hungry for physicality.

You can read more about Meghan Dougherty on the Rollergirls site and a post she wrote about being a fabulous roller derby mom. She is also a co-author of a book series for tweens called “Dorothy’s Derby Chronicles.”

Roller derby is a wildly entertaining sport that feels underground and rough around the edges, but with a sense of humor. And that’s what makes it so incredibly appealing. Every one of us needs that aggression release, to blow off steam in a competitive and organized manner. Roller derby encompasses all of that in two-thirty minute halves, and a lot of physicality. Like, Meghan stated earlier, every woman should play roller derby. There’s an unfortunate stigma against women being tough, but you forget all of that once you strap on your skates and enter the track.

It’s one hell of a sport.