Jacksonville Roller Derby

First organized in 2006,{{cite web|last1=Strickland|first1=Sandy|title=Roller derby teams play rough while on the track|url=http://jacksonville.com/community/mandarin/2010-05-20/story/roller-derby-teams-play-rough-while-track|website=jacksonville.com|publisher=The Florida Times-Union|access-date=6 December 2016|date=20 May 2010}} Jacksonville Roller Derby consists of six teams, 3 travel teams and 3 home teams.{{cite web|last1=Friedman|first1=Ann|title=Tough and tenacious, Jacksonville RollerGirls skate toward championship|url=http://jacksonville.com/news/2016-10-19/tough-and-tenacious-jacksonville-rollergirls-skate-toward-championship|website=jacksonville.com|publisher=The Florida Time-Union|access-date=6 December 2016|date=19 October 2016}} The teams play one another at home, and the teams travel to compete against other teams. All travel team skaters also compete on a home team while some skaters choose to play only on a home team. In 2014, the league began a structured training program designed to maximize each beginning skaters’ abilities toward passing the WFTDA minimum skills test as a requirement towards play in roller derby. New skaters are recruited three times per year and taken through a curriculum from basic skills to game play. A skater is allowed to repeat the program until they pass, if required.

The league welcomes referees, non-skating officials, and other volunteer staff to join the league at any time.

The league's top travel team, the all-star New Jax City Rollers, represents Jacksonville internationally as the WFTDA charter team. The team includes among its members Erin Jackson, a competitive inline speed skater, who won a silver medal for the United States at the 2015 Pan American Games.{{cite web|last1=Frye|first1=Andy|title=How A World-Class Inline Skater Is Shaking Up The Roller Derby Scene|url=http://www.espn.com/espnw/athletes-life/article/14042547/how-world-class-inline-skater-shaking-roller-derby-scene|website=espnW|publisher=ESPN|access-date=6 December 2016|date=4 November 2015}} Jackson was tournament MVP at the 2014 WFTDA Division 1 Playoffs in Evansville, Indiana.{{cite web|title=May 2016 Featured Skater:Erin Jackson - Featured Skaterof the Month - Women's Flat Track Derby Association|url=https://www.wftda.org/featured-skater/erin-jackson|website=www.wftda.org|publisher=WFTDA|access-date=6 December 2016|date=10 May 2016}}

River City Rat Pack is the league's B-Team. They play other WFTDA league B-Teams as well as lower-ranked WFTDA charter teams and travel throughout the southeast. Many Rat Pack skaters are working their way up toward a position on New Jax and are invited to their practices to acclimate them to the higher level of play.

J-Villains are a C-Level Team and play primarily in Florida against local non-WFTDA teams. The J-Villains are usually a skater's first travel team after completing their training and, sometimes, are the first team to receive incoming transferring skaters until the next round of tryouts.

The league's home teams are the Bold City Bombshells, Duval Derby Dames, and the First Coast Fatales. They play each other at home with their season culminating in a championship finale. In 2014, the inaugural championship title went to the Bold City Bombshells. Skaters are drafted to a home team as part of their graduation from Fresh Meat and stay with that team until their retirement.

Jacksonville Roller Derby supports local charities and community organizations by making public appearances at local events, volunteering time, and donating money. During each home game, a local organization is invited to host a table to raise both money and awareness and a portion of the game's proceeds are donated on behalf of the league. In recent years, the league has partnered with The Arc Jacksonville{{cite web|title=Intuition Ale Works presents Running of the Bulls 5K 2016|url=http://www.arcjacksonville.org/rotb2016/|website=www.arcjacksonville.org|publisher=The ARC Jacksonville|access-date=6 December 2016}} for an annual Running of the Bulls 5k where the skaters serve as the bulls, chasing down and marking the runners.{{cite web|title=3rd Annual Running of the Bulls - Jacksonville Magazine|url=http://www.jacksonvillemag.com/event/3rd-annual-running-bulls/|website=www.jacksonvillemag.com|publisher=Jacksonville Magazine|access-date=6 December 2016}}

{{update section|date=October 2023}}

The all-star team, New Jax City Rollers, plays at the highest level of competition. Their rank has steadily climbed from 24th in 2013,{{cite web|title=Rankings: December 31, 2013|url=https://wftda.com/rankings-december-31-2013/|publisher=WFTDA|access-date=6 December 2016}} 15th in 2014,{{cite web|title=Rankings: December 31, 2014 – WFTDA|url=https://wftda.com/rankings-december-31-2014/|website=wftda.com|publisher=WFTDA|access-date=4 December 2016}} to 8th in 2015.{{cite web|title=Rankings: December 31, 2015 – WFTDA|url=https://wftda.com/rankings-december-31-2015/|website=wftda.com|publisher=WFTDA|access-date=6 December 2016}}

For the first time in league history, the team ended their 2015 season at the WFTDA Championships tournament, earning their place with a 2nd-place finish at WFTDA Division 1 Playoffs at home in Jacksonville. In 2016, Jacksonville returned to WFTDA Championships after finishing 3rd at the 2016 Division 1 Playoff in Columbia, South Carolina. After winning their first game against Minnesota Rollergirls,{{cite web|last1=Gardiner|first1=Kelley|title=WFTDA Champs: Day One Roller Derby Recap|url=http://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2016/11/05/18677628/wftda-champs-day-one|publisher=Portland Mercury|access-date=6 December 2016|date=5 November 2016}} Jacksonville lost to the eventual 3rd-place team, Victorian Roller Derby League, 231–98.{{cite web|last1=Deadwards|first1=Lisa|title=WFTDA D1 Champs: Victoria takes down Jacksonville, 231-98|url=http://www.derbycentral.net/2016/11/2016-wftda-d1-champs-2-victoria-takes-down-10-jacksonville-231-98/|publisher=Derby Central|access-date=6 December 2016|date=5 November 2016}} As the third seed at the 2017 Seattle Division 1 Playoff, Jacksonville suffered a rankings upset in the quarterfinals to Rat City Rollergirls, 186–170,{{cite web|title=D1S: #6 Rat City squeaks past #3 Jacksonville, 186-170|url=http://www.derbycentral.net/2017/09/d1s-6-rat-city-squeaks-past-3-jacksonville-186-170/|publisher=Derby Central|access-date=4 January 2018|date=2 September 2017}} and finished their weekend with a consolation bracket victory over Charlottesville Derby Dames, 318–161.{{cite web|title=D1S: #3 Jacksonville avalanches #12 Charlottesville, 318-161|url=http://www.derbycentral.net/2017/09/d1s-3-jacksonville-avalanches-12-charlottesville-318-161/|publisher=Derby Central|access-date=4 January 2018|date=3 September 2017}}

As the third seed at the 2018 Playoff in Atlanta, Jacksonville finished in second place, losing the gold medal game 172–155 to Texas Rollergirls.{{cite web |title=2018 Playoffs Atlanta Game 16: Texas vs. Jacksonville – WFTDA |url=https://wftda.com/2018-playoffs-atlanta-game-16-texas-vs-jacksonville/ |website=wftda.com |publisher=WFTDA |access-date=10 January 2019 |date=23 September 2018}} At Championships in New Orleans, Jacksonville lost their opening round game to Angel City Derby 248–85,{{cite web |title=2018 Championships New Orleans Game 2: Angel City vs. Jacksonville – WFTDA |url=https://wftda.com/2018-championships-new-orleans-game-2-angel-city-vs-jacksonville/ |website=wftda.com |publisher=WFTDA |access-date=10 January 2019 |date=9 November 2018}} and then lost their consolation round game to Crime City Rollers, 173–160.{{cite web |title=2018 Championships New Orleans Game 7: Crime City v. Jacksonville – WFTDA |url=https://wftda.com/2018-championships-new-orleans-game-7-crime-city-v-jacksonville/ |website=wftda.com |publisher=WFTDA |access-date=10 January 2019 |date=10 November 2018}}

• CR = consolation round

Jacksonville Roller Derby previously had a television program which began airing weekly on CW17 September 25, 2010, with some games being available for viewing in their entirety online.{{cite web|title=RollerGirls {{!}} YourJax {{!}} WCWJ and BCWJ|url=http://www.yourjax.com/rollergirls|website=www.yourjax.com|publisher=WCWJ|access-date=6 December 2016}} The league is included in the station's promotional appearances as local celebrities.{{cite needed|date=October 2023}}

{{reflist|2}}

• [http://www.wftda.com Women's Flat Track Derby Association]

{{WFTDA Division 1}}

{{Florida Sports}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jacksonville Roller Derby}}

Category:Sports in Jacksonville, Florida

Category:Women's sports in Florida

Category:Women's Flat Track Derby Association Division 1

Category:Roller derby leagues in Florida

Category:Roller derby leagues established in 2006

Category:2006 establishments in Florida