juniorrollerderby1

juniorrollerderby1

Photo courtesy of Junior Roller Derby of Long Beach

Last weekend the Junior Roller Derby of Long Beach kicked off their spring season with a free game at the Bayshore Hockey Rink in Belmont Shore. The visiting team traveled from San Diego to skate in the league’s first official bout.

It was a close game up until  the last few minutes, when San Diego took the lead, finishing the game with a 120 to 111 win. 

Roller derby is a full-contact sport played on roller skates and requires extreme athleticism and agility on wheels. Over 20 youth skaters participated in the bout, which was about an hour long and was filled with as many bumps and spills as one would expect to see in any professional roller derby game. 

“It was fun to see skaters of all sizes and ages playing a sport I’ve loved for so long,” said local fan and derby enthusiast Maria O’Dwyer.

The Junior Derby of Long Beach was founded in 2011 and is made up of 20-plus skaters ranging from ages eight to 17. Both boys and girls are welcome to join, and skating experience is not necessary.

“I love playing roller derby because it’s tough and I get to skate” said 13-year-old Junior Roller Derby skater Crash Talk AKA Stephany Arriaga.

If you missed the first game, travel out to support your Long Beach Juniors as they play in Orange County on April 12, or come see their next local bout at Bayshore April 19.

The Junior Derby of Long Beach, as well as their sister league BadFish for adults, are having an open recruitment and information session Sunday, March 16 at Red Leprechaun from 12PM to 2:30PM. Juniors practice on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5PM to 6:30PM at the Bayshore Hockey Rink.

For more information please visit JuniorRollerDerbyofLongBeach.com and like Junior Roller Derby of Long Beach on Facebook.

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