NEW SWEDEN, Maine — Twice a week, roughly 24 women from Littleton to Fort Kent get together at the New Sweden School to challenge themselves and learn to work as a team — and helmets are required.
They’re the new members of the recently formed Aroostook Roller Derby League (ARDL), despite some bumps, bruises and bouts with gravity, their enthusiasm for the sport is growing.
“Every day after practice when I leave here I’m like ‘Yes! I can do this!” said Lisa Longley of Caribou. Like her fellow skaters, Longley has vastly improved her skills through a month’s worth of practices, all organized and led by coach Susan Plissey.
A multi-sport coach locally, Plissey has been traveling down to Old Town to participate in Derby since late February. She said that unlike other athletic activities available to women in the region, roller derby is a team sport — and one of the few contact sports available to women.
“I did my research and found out that it is really difficult to start a league, especially if no one has ever played before, but I thought roller derby would be perfect for Aroostook County,” Plissey said. Keeping the County in mind, Plissey’s Derby nickname is “Aroostook Bounty,” often called “Bounty from the County” or just “Bounty.”
The lone-derby player set up a meeting on Oct. 18 at the Caribou Wellness and Recreation Center to see what interest was out there locally for the sport, and she came away from the event with a roster.
“When we had that original meeting that Friday night, it was pretty clear that other than Bounty, none of us had been on skates in probably 20 years,” said Dawn Shillinger of Presque Isle, or “Dawn of the Dead” by her derby name. Shillinger’s been wanting to participate in roller derby for the past 10 years, but never had the opportunity until Plissey spearheaded the regional league.
It’s not just Shillinger who’s hooked on the sport, Derby’s drawing-power pulls in team members from Fort Kent to Littleton for practices.
“Roller derby has players ranging from 18 to over 50, from diverse town, different professions … and they have all decided to come together and play a full-contact roller sport that none of them have participated in before,” Plissey said.
Sporting monikers like Dawn of the Dead and Aroostook Bounty — Plissey says that derby names are a throwback to the 1970s and ‘80s leagues that were entertainment based.
“Derby has evolved into a true sport with true athletes, but we hold onto the names; it’s fun, like an alter ego,” she said.
But for Shillinger, there isn’t much difference between her derby-self to her normal-self, as she’s been caught before wearing her skates in places she probably shouldn’t have been wearing them.
“No one who knows me is surprised [that I’m participating in derby] … although I will say I haven’t told my parents yet,” Shillinger said. “ I may be 42, but my dad would still try to ground me,” she said, laughing.
For Longley on the other hand, the stay-at-home mom who raises two boys, ages 10 and 15, derby offers up an opportunity for her to take a little “me” time and enjoy the company of other women who challenge themselves every time they lace up their skates — and she does it under the derby name “A Chambers Made.”
Pushing themselves at every practice, league members have improved at an incredible rate since they started just over a month ago; as players’ skating skills and endurance have gotten better, “no one is a ‘wall hugger’ anymore,” Plissey noted.
But while the coach has been helping the derby members excel on eight wheels, Plissey’s improved as well as a player and a coach.
“Being on skates at least four days a week has improved my footwork,” she said. “Seeing how the skaters up here are willing to push themselves to learn new things and work on their weaknesses encourages me to do the same with my skills on skates.”
Coaching derby twice a week has also helped inspire her to think outside of the box and understand the best way each skater learns.
As the Aroostook Derby League is comprised of players new to the sport, skaters have to pass certain criteria before they can progress to harder skating drills — like drills involving contact with other players.
“It’s been a gentile process,” Shillinger said. “The first two or three practices, every night on your skates was like the first time … and then you get a little more used to it.”
With lots of differing perceptions out there as to what exactly roller derby is, the league will be hosting a “Skate Demo/Meet and Greet” on Tuesday, Jan. 28 at the Melody Roller Rink in Caribou — the next opportunity for new skaters to join the derby league will be during the “Fresh Meat” class starting on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
“Anyone can get involved before that who is interested in being a non-skating official or referee,” Plissey clarified. Interested individuals can send inquiries to aroostookrollerderby@gmail.com
“You don’t have to be a professional skater to start practicing derby — that will come later,” Plissey added, mentioning that she’d never skated before she joined roller derby almost a year ago. “You just need to put yourself out there and give it a try.”
Longley also didn’t know how to skate before joining derby, and while she’s still working to conquer skills like jumping on roller skates (something she says ‘is just absolutely crazy’), she likes the challenges the sport presents — and that’s a sentiment her teammate echoed.
“If we can do it, anyone can do it,” Shillinger said.
Aroostook Roller Derby League members also devote time giving back to the community; they’ve already participate in two road races — raising funds during the Light Up the Night race, and volunteering at the Caribou Turkey Trot.
“We are striving to be a league that is involved with and supporting causes close to home in the community,” Plissey said, mentioning that they’re also purchasing sunscreen for U.S. troops overseas. “We’re always open to new ways to volunteer and give,” she added.
Additional information about the league can be obtained by visiting their Aroostook Roller Derby page on Facebook.
