Tri-City Roller Derby prepares for regional playoffs
A roller derby team from Waterloo Region is getting ready for a major North American competition.
Tri-City Roller Derby’s Thunder team earned their spot in the North America Northeast playoffs after fighting their way to a top twelve spot in the 136 team league.
They’ll be taking on other high ranking teams in an elimination bracket from May 17 – 19 in Pennsylvania.
The top three teams from the tournament will then move on to the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association’s global championships in Portland, Oregon in November.
But before they can try to crush the competition, they need to come up with some cash.
“It costs around $15,000,” team member Maggie Middleton explained ahead of a training session on Sunday. “That’s all our entry fees, that’s our lodging, that’s our travel and incidentals. Right now we’ve got a GoFundMe going on to raise cash for that. We’re also doing a bottle drive.”
The fundraiser includes a variety of ‘gifts’ for donors to choose from depending on how much money they give, including t-shirts, handmade blankets, and social media shout-outs.
Members of Tri-City Roller Derby's Thunder team practice in Waterloo preparation for the North America Northeast playoffs. May 5, 2024. (Shelby Knox/CTV News)
Rolling together
Team members say qualifying for regionals this year is even more meaningful after a multi-year break due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“It just means a lot to really show how much hard work we’ve put in, especially since COVID,” Middleton said. “It really is the culmination of a lot of hard work, dedication to the sport, dedication to each other.”
It’s that level of dedication that draws players from outside of Waterloo Region to the team.
“There’s definitely that feeling of commitment to your teammates. When everyone else is so committed, it’s really easy to also want to be committed, and [it’s] very motivating. For me, that’s part of why this team is worth travelling for,” Saira Peesker, who travels in from Hamilton, said.
“The group is so diverse and so interesting and I really love that culture of roller derby and of this team because it really makes you feel welcome right away. I’ve tried other sports over the years, and the main reason I’ve stuck with roller derby is just that culture, which is a bit different than a lot of other athletic environments that I’ve been in,” Peesker said.
Members of Tri-City Rollers Thunder team practice in Waterloo ahead of a regional tournament later this month. May 2, 2024. (Shelby Knox/CTV News)
Developing a love for derby
While the team prepares to head to the regional tournament, they also want to encourage more people to try the full contact sport.
Ahead of Sunday afternoon’s practice, Tri-City Rollers held an open scrimmage. New and home-team level skaters were invited to strap on their skates and get some guidance from members of Thunder and Tri-City Rollers’ B-team, Lightning.
“If anyone is interested in getting involved with roller derby, there’s so many different ways to get involved. You can get involved with us as a skater. We teach people how to skate – we don’t just throw you onto the track. We teach you how to skate. We teach you how to play safely, and then you get into the full contact,” Middleton said.
She said Tri-City Rollers will be holding other events throughout the summer to introduce more people to the sport. Information will be posted on Tri-City Rollers’ social media pages.
Members of Tri-City Rollers Thunder team practice in Waterloo ahead of a regional tournament later this month. May 5, 2024. (Shelby Knox/CTV News)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
No sign Canada has a plan to reach NATO defence spending target: U.S. NATO ambassador
The U.S. ambassador to NATO says she has seen no indication that Canada has a plan to reach the NATO spending target of two per cent of GDP on defence.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Family of toddler found dead at small-town Ont. daycare no closer to answers after year of investigation
A year has passed since two-year-old Vienna Irwin was found on the property of a home-based daycare in small-town Ontario, but her family says they are no closer to answers of what happened that day.
Fire at a baby care centre kills 7 infants in India's capital, a fire officer says
A fire broke out in a baby care center in India's capital Saturday night, killing seven infants, a fire service officer said.
More seniors are using homeless shelters. Here's why, according to experts
One of the country’s homeless shelters has seen an uptick in the number of people through its doors, including more older adults over 50.
Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dead at 30
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
Man or machine? Toronto company finds a way to determine how real audio clips are
The Toronto-based research arm of life sciences technology firm Klick Health has found a way to analyze voices in a manner that’s so granular, it can tell whether it's a person or an artificial intelligence-powered machine.
Humboldt Broncos crash victims and families react to decision to deport truck driver
The family of one of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018 says they are 'thankful' for a decision by a Calgary immigration board to deport the driver of the truck involved.