Roller derby may fly under the radar for many sports enthusiasts, yet those in the know promise it’s worth tuning in. In fact, Seattle has two youth roller derby leagues showcasing hard-working youth athletes who adore the sport — the Southside Revolution Junior Roller Derby league and, on the northside, the Seattle Derby Brats. Travel teams from both leagues will head to the Junior Roller Derby Association playoffs in June, with hopes of playing in Champs mid-July.
Steve Mohundro, a skater’s parent and board member of the Southside league, explains that they have about 80 youth skaters, aged 7 to 18 from across the city and beyond, who perform on five teams of various skill levels. Southside Revolution aims to be a place for skaters of any gender identity, he added. The Junior Roller Derby Association (JRDA) has three league classifications (Male, Female, and Open). SSR is an Open Division league, and the Seattle Derby Brats is a Female Division league.
Seattle has two youth roller derby leagues: the Southside Revolution and the Seattle Derby Brats. (Image: Lydia Brewer Photography)
The full-contact sport takes place on an oval track and involves scoring when the “Jammer,” or offensive skater, laps opposing skaters. “A bout is full of two-minute bursts of kinetic action, whimsical names, big personalities, friendly competition, and good sportsmanship,” said Mohundro. “Skaters push through the pack, block other skaters, fall down, and get up to try again.”
Currently, the sport is in need of more support than ever. This past fall, after a decade of being a private venture by the league founders, they transitioned to a volunteer-led nonprofit structure. (For now, fundraising and dues keep the sport going.)
“Putting on a derby persona gives them space to explore their identities.” (Image: Lydia Brewer Photography)
Seattle-area parents and kids alike have seen the benefits of this unique activity. Mohundro said his son, Theo — a 16-year-old sophomore who goes by the skater name “Raw Man” — was a natural when he began in September 2022. “Like many kids,” his dad said, “he loves to move fast and slam into things.“ By the end of his first season, he’d moved up to full-contact roller derby. Mohundro is amazed by how comfortable kids are on skates, simply moving where they want without thought.
“Also, putting on a derby persona gives them space to explore their identities and build confidence,” he added. “It’s a team sport, so that you can have some individual triumphs, but those only happen with teamwork. Only one player (the Jammer) can score, but the team can only win if the Blockers do their part.”
Jonas Helmick (“Bacon Lil Hearts”) learned to skate at age 5. (Image: Lydia Brewer Photography)
Sixteen-year-old Jonas Helmick (“Bacon Lil Hearts”) learned to roller skate at age five and played with Southside since age 8. He got his derby name from “Roller Girl,” a graphic novel by Victoria Jamieson, which he found highly influential. “Bacon” believes this sport can help discover who you really are and provides a place to push and find your own true limits. “Roller derby has given me the confidence to fully express myself and be the person who I want to be,” he said, “without feeling the overwhelming need to conform to what others want me to be. And in my opinion, nothing is more valuable in this world than being your own person.”
Eleven-year-old Amelia Mori (“MeMe Mayhem”) began during last September’s recruiter skater clinic. On the first day, she fell in love with the sport, playing most of the season with the positional team (Resistance) before moving to the full-contact team (Alliance). She feels incredibly supported by the game and its coaches, and her teammates have become close friends.
Amelia Mori (“MeMe Mayhem”) fell in love with the sport on the first day. (Image: Lydia Brewer Photography)
“In addition to my love for learning to skate and playing the game,” she said, “I appreciate the other players in my league. Everyone tries to lift each other up. There are many older and more experienced skaters that I look up to, and they are always very welcoming and happy to help me.”
“Mayhem’s” parents have enthusiastically volunteered this season, with mom Alaina acting as practice team parent so coaches can focus on their role and dad Andrew bringing along tools for quick tune-ups. They also help during scrimmages with timing as non-skating officials in the penalty booth, and love to set up the rink on bout days. Alaina, who finds the skaters’ gracefulness, athleticism, and speed amazing to watch, talks about lessons gained from the many falls this full-contact sport inevitably brings about.
They’re always looking for the next generation of skaters. (Image: Lydia Brewer Photography)
“Each time you get up and progress, it gives kids the determination to keep going!” she said. “The grit of these kids during their hard practices and bouts is amazing. This teaches kids that you can do and learn hard things.”
As a volunteer-led organization, they need people to support skaters by attending bouts and giving to fundraisers, Mohundro said. Most importantly, skaters age out of the sport every year, so they’re always looking for the next generation to join the league. “SSR runs new skater clinics in September (register here), and we always need new kids to gear up, workshop a great derby name, and start learning how to do plow stops,” he said. “And then we need their parents and guardians to consider helping out with the league, helping us run our bouts, learning to be officials on or off skates, and more. We work together to make it a great place for our kids.”
“Everyone tries to lift each other up,” said Mayhem. (Image: Lydia Brewer Photography)
Alaina Mori agreed. “We love for the community to attend our bouts to see what roller derby is all about!”
“Mayhem” urges others to join this fun, fast-paced sport. “Your team is your community, and any win or loss is a ‘we,’ not a ‘me.’ If you are looking for an inclusive, supportive, fast-paced sport, this is for you.”
“Bacon” also cherishes the team aspect. At this point, he’s known most Rebels players for half of his life, and he finds it very fun and rewarding to work with a group he’s so deeply bonded with. “I also enjoy the team aspect because, as they say, the chain is only as strong as its weakest link,” he said, “Everyone on Rebels knows this, and it really encourages us to push each other and help our fellow teammates grow — not only increasing physical strength, but mental fortitude as well.”
