What: Cornfed Derby Dames season opener
When: 2 p.m. Sunday, doors open at 1
Where: Gibson Skating Arena
2610 S. Mock Ave, Muncie
Tickets: $10 in advance, $12 at the door
The Cornfed Derby Dames, Muncie’s own all-women roller derby team, will be kicking off their seventh season Sunday.
Founded in 2010, the Cornfed Derby Dames is comprised of over 30 skaters who compete in numerous home and away meets and tournaments throughout the Midwest. The Derby Dames compete in the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, where they are currently ranked 109 out of 320 international roller derby teams.
Jessie Fisher, known as Juke Skyblocker in the rink, will be returning for her seventh season with the Derby Dames.
Fisher, who serves as the Dames' interleague coordinator and heads the team’s marketing committee, first joined the team while she was a senior at Ball State.
“I’ve been hooked ever since,” Fisher said. “My life has changed a lot in the last six and a half years, but derby has been my one constant.”
One of the team’s goals is to empower women, no matter their race, age, religion or body type.
Junior magazine journalism major Merritt McLaughlin, known as Janis Droplin when she skates for the Derby Dames, believes the sport of roller derby is helping change society’s view of what a traditional athlete looks like.
“Every body type really does have a specific advantage in the sport,” McLaughlin said. “I think that’s really cool that literally anybody can have a place in roller derby.”
Although fun and exhilarating, roller derby is a time-consuming sport. The team practices three times a week, along with completing off-skates physical training, attending committee meetings and traveling to different cities for games and tournaments.
However, all of the hours spent in the week are worth it — especially because the team is so close-knit.
“The community is by far one of the best aspects of being a part of this team,” Fisher said. “My teammates are my best friends; some would even say my chosen family.”
The Derby Dames hope to make a difference in the community as well. Part of the proceeds from their home meets is donated to local charities in Muncie.
If you are ready to lace up your skates and join the team, the Derby Dames take skaters from all skill levels. However, as Fisher explains, learning to skate is just one aspect of the sport of roller derby.
“You have to learn the rules, then figure out how to make your brain tell your body to do these things,” she said.
The mental aspect of roller derby is something that takes some getting used to, McLaughlin said.
“I think a lot of people focus on how physically challenging it is, but it’s also very mentally hard,” she said.
The Cornfed Derby Dames will kick off their season Sunday, with their first home bout against the Derby City Roller Girls of Louisville, Kentucky, at Muncie’s Gibson Skating Arena. Doors will open at 1 p.m., and the game will begin at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for $10 in advance or for $12 at the door.
The team will also have home bouts on March 12, April 2 and July 8.
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