Flint Roller Derby Practice at Optimist Park
FLINT, MI -- Over the last decade, roller derby has become one of the fastest growing women’s sports in the world.
The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) currently has 445 member leagues on six continents globally, including the local team, Flint Roller Derby (FRD).
FRD became an official team 15 years ago and they have since transformed the way they play, their rankings and their goals for the future.
The women, the staff and the grit that the team has is the makings of a legendary sports team.
One big question remains: why is FRD the most slept on team in the city?
The building of Flint Roller Derby’s legacy
When FRD first started in 2007, things were rough. The team only had seven skaters and they were tired of losing every game.
Nick Cotton, their current coach, joined their ranks in 2009. He immediately saw the potential and the grit the women had. Cotton knew he could transform the team and bring out the best in each of the athletes.
“I am more proud of what I have done with the team (more) than anything else I have ever done,” Cotton said.
Cotton began to develop an aggressive tiered training program for the women. He quickly developed a reputation of being extremely tough and intense. Cotton’s expectations and goals have always been high for FRD.
His hard work paid off and in 2017 FRD won their first tournament, The Mitten Kitten, the largest roller derby event in the state hosted in Lansing.
Once Cotton and the team tasted victory it was game-on and their determination to keep winning was set in motion.
A year after their big state victory, FRD became official members of WFTDA and debuted at 124th in the world in 2018.
Each athlete sacrificed their personal time, energy, money, blood, sweat and tears to put on their jerseys for each game. The sacrifices each player made not only impacted the team’s trajectory, but it also radically impacted the lives of individual players.
The team has a motto that several of the members have tattooed on themselves: “For the greater good.”
Paxton MacDermaid has the same tattoo on his leg. He has been refereeing for WFTDA for six years and has watched FRD grow first hand.
Paxton MacDermaid, head referee, gives instructions for drills during Flint Roller Derby’s practice at Optimist Park in Durand on Wednesday, June 22, 2022. (Jenifer Veloso | MLive.com) Jenifer Veloso
“Roller Derby is such an enriching sport to watch women actually be able to play at this level,” said MacDermaid. “I can’t describe it. I raised three daughters, but seeing this...it’s watching women have this space and me, to get to be a part of it is... is a big deal to me. I take it very seriously that they allow me to do this.”
FRD teammates under Cotton’s leadership have worked tirelessly to raise money, participate in community events and train hard all while bearing the pride of their hometown.
In September 2019, bigger prospects came along and FRD was invited to their first international tournament, Deep Blue in Truckee, California.
The women won their first jam, defeating top ranked Muddy River from New Brunswick. The team proudly left California with two wins and two losses against internationally ranked teams.
At the end of 2019, FRD traveled together to the watch the World Championship in Montreal, Canada.
Although their team did not compete, one of their athletes, Ashley MacDermaid a.k.a. Ash Tray, played in a special game on Team Indigenous. Not only was she able to celebrate and honor her culture and her ancestors, her dad, Paxton, refereed the game.
FRD came home inspired and motivated after watching the Rose City Rollers of Portland, Oregon win the 2019 International WFTDA Championships in Montreal and take home the Hydra Trophy.
The women of FRD ended their 2019 season with a winning record.
Cotton and his players had a new goal in mind for 2020, to be in the top 100 of the WFTDA league.
2020 changed everything, not just for the team but the entire world as the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
WFTDA implemented the strictest and safest requirements out of all the sports leagues in the United States, but these guidelines left FRD off the track and quickly losing their momentum.
The team stayed in close contact, meeting multiple times a week on Zoom and hosting competitions like: Lip Sync Battles, Dress as Your Favorite Movie Character, Imitate a Famous Painting and Crazy Hair Day.
It was also during the pandemic that Cotton realized how invested the team was in their future and he started to re-think their training program.
“Our team met weekly or monthly for the last two years. We built an entirely new training and new membership program,” said Cotton. “I ran every single practice for a solid 10 years. I missed maybe five practices in that time. Through my hand surgery and losing my mom this year, I really learned to put trust in those who helped me get to this point.
“I am teaching Paxton how to coach. I was able to lean on my wife, Slimfast, Ash Tray, and Wheels to lead our team. We now teach everyone how to give and receive feedback extensively. This has allowed me to direct more and actively coach less,” Cotton said. “I think that helps this become a skate-centered training program, where the athletes take ownership in their progression through our system and less is on me. I truly believe because of how this is evolving we are going to grow to even greater heights than ever before.”
A first jam finally in sight
It’s a warm summer evening and the sounds of skates on pavement can be heard coming from under the outdoor skating rink at Optimist Park in Durand.
FRD is currently back to practicing twice a week, but once a month they have an extra practice where they train on a rink that pushes their skill set and takes them out of their comfort zone.
Ryan Morley, a.k.a Helen Wheels, is the out on the rink warming up with her teammates. She has been best described by her teammates as ‘relentless’ and ‘focused.’
Outside of being a mom, teacher and a student, Morley is in charge of several committees on the team and is head of athletics.
Ryan Morley laughs during Flint Roller Derby’s practice at Optimist Park in Durand on Wednesday, June 22, 2022. (Jenifer Veloso | MLive.com) Jenifer Veloso
“For me, it [roller derby] was like finding my own identity as an athlete,” she said. “I didn’t know how athletic I was until I joined this sport and this is an extremely athletic sport and very physical. I love that. And it just showed me that I can be an athlete even at 43. We accept all ages, body types, you know what I mean? We’re a very welcoming community.”
FRD currently has 18 athletes on the team, a big change from its origins.
The team’s growth and strength has drawn enough public attention in WFTDA that led to a transfer from Detroit’s Roller Derby team, Gina Mutz, a.k.a Gigi Spitfire.
Mutz admired the small community, structure and discipline she saw FRD had and knew she had to be part of it.
“I needed a new home, especially after COVID because I haven’t played since before the pandemic,” said Mutz, who had been a derby athlete in Detroit for five years. “I needed the community because I thrive doing things I love with people that love the same thing.”
FRD finishes their late evening practice soaked in sweat and fatigued from skating on the slippery cement rink, but there is still a huge energy the team has that fills the rink.
Their work is not done, with the hopes of competing in their first jam this fall, FRD is determined to give it their all, all the time.
So in the end, what makes a team a ‘legacy’ team?
What makes a sports team great?
It is the way the team makes you feel when you watch them compete.
It’s their stories of overcoming hardship and growing better than ever before.
It’s about their legacy and what the team leaves behind long after they’re gone.
FRD has not only left men and women feeling empowered, but the legacy the team will leave is undeniable.
“You’ve got some of the most premier athletes on this team that you are missing out on,” said Morley. “You might be going to the (Flint City) Bucks games and the Flint United games and the Firebirds games because they’ve got, I don’t know, bigger venues or whatever, but you’re definitely sleeping on this really cool sport that is exciting and action packed. I’ve never watched anything more exciting.”
Read more at The Flint Journal:
Flint Pride holds 12th annual celebration at Riverbank Park in downtown
Neighborhood celebrates Mott Fest & Clubhouse grand re-opening in Flint
BAU-HOUSE brings sneakers, streetwear and artists together at new downtown Flint business
Flint Art Fair receives warm welcome after 2-year hiatus
Dancing, music and celebrations fill downtown Flint for Juneteenth parade
Crossover Outreach breaks ground in Flint to celebrate an exciting future
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