Athens Roller Derby bridges OHIO and community through sport and solidarity
At the heart of Athens Ohio Roller Derby is a powerful community of skaters, many of them part of the OHIO community, who bring grit, strategy and school spirit to the track. What starts as a skating clinic often turns into a lifelong connection, both to the sport and to the region.
August 25, 2025
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Founded in 2010, Athens Ohio Roller Derby (AORD) is a skater-owned and operated amateur nonprofit made up of women+ from Athens and the surrounding Appalachian region. Guided by the rules and ethics of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), AORD embodies the resilience, camaraderie and grassroots spirit that define both roller derby and southeast Ohio.
This women+-led sport has drawn a multi-generational roster of skaters, many of whom have strong ties to 窪蹋勛圖including current students, staff, and alumni. With a competitive season that runs from March through August and travel bouts as far as 4.5 hours away, AORDs members are committed not just to competition, but to supporting one another on and off the track.
To the untrained eye, roller derby might look like chaos on wheels, but its a fast-paced, strategic sport with clearly defined rules. Players take on playful or fierce alter egos, ranging from puns to pop culture villains, that reflect their style on the track.
Games are played in two 30-minute halves with teams of 14, five of whom are on the track during two-minute jams. The scoring player, known as the Jammer (marked by a star on their helmet), earns points by passing opponents. Each team also has a Pivot, a blocker who may become the Jammer mid-play, adding layers of strategy. Legal contact is allowed on the front and sides; penalties land players in the box for 30 seconds, creating Power Jams, akin to power plays in hockey.
AORD has two teams that travel regionally for their bouts, the Appalachian Hell Betties (A Team) and the Black Diamond Betties (B Team), but also have opportunities for month-to-month recreational membership, opportunities to learn how to skate derby available for all level of skaters and even are developing a Junior League for highs school aged skaters.
Photo by James Hamilton
Photo by James Hamilton
Many skaters first join through a 10-week Learn to Derby clinic at Dows Rollarena in nearby Nelsonville, running each fall from September to November.
I wasn't planning on playing derby, I was just like I'll learn to skate that seems fun to do, Angela Sprunger (aka DOOMspringa), associate professor of instruction in the School of Art + Design, explained. Thats a key draw of this clinic: is its not a commitment to derby, its non-contact, and can be just for personal enjoyment and a way to meet new people. Sprunger estimates that around a third of participants are from the OHIO community.
Miranda Salvia (aka Joy Rider), an OHIO alum and video producer for University Communications and Marketing, came up through the clinic as a way to rebuild community after a friend encouraged her to get involved when she returned to Athens.
Salvia estimates the age range of the AORD to be from early 20s to 60s and thinks it's really cool to see athletes at a high caliber in a tough sport.
I was absolutely shocked when I joined, Salvia said. Everybody was out there getting hit, giving hits and just really enjoying the amount of contact and the amount of athleticism地nd I've been able to really challenge myself physically, as well.
Sprunger adds that the professional rules and safety of the league has added to the intergenerational component of the longevity of being able to stay in the sport.
Photo by James Hamilton
Rachel Terman (aka Helladonna), associate professor of Sociology and Anthropology in the College of Arts and Sciences, concurs with the level of effort on the track saying she remembers one of her friends coming to a bout last year and saying oh my gosh, you were airborne, you got hit so hard!
It is a full contact sport, Terman said. But there are rules for safety and to make the game fun, so that it's not only just about hitting but there's a lot of strategy involved, too, thats really entertaining to watch.
As a rural sociologist in Athens since 2015, rural derby fascinated Terman, but she was also apprehensive of her own skill level, initially admiring from a distance.
These women are so amazing, you know, like I wish I could do that, but thinking I would never be tough enough and I couldn't imagine being fearless enough to try it.
But Terman explains the skaters clinic eventually was her gateway into derby after the pandemic.
It was so great to have this group of people who were encouraging and didn't seem to mind that I was really bad and still wanted me to keep coming back, she added.
The impact of AORD also extends beyond the track. The leagues mission includes supporting local nonprofits through donations and volunteer efforts. AORD has adopted a stretch of highway and regularly gives back to Athens-area organizations aligned with social causes.
Terman believes it's so exciting to live in a community where this is an open space for people.
We have all different types of skaters not across just generations, but also abilities, body types, and walks of life. Its a gem in our community and Im excited about the next batch who will be joining this year and getting to know and welcome them, Terman said.
For Salvia, the league has been both physically empowering and personally transformative.
As a queer person myself and somebody coming back to the community who was removed for a few years, I think it's brought me so much surprise in my own abilities, Salvia added. To be a part of a group of people who are constantly encouraging and where there is truly no room for judgment, is new for me and has been genuinely life changing. So, if anybody's interested in joining but doesnt think its for them, our league will prove you wrong and thats our goal.
AORD welcomes new skaters, fans, volunteers, referees, sponsors and community collaborators year-round. You dont need to skate to get involvedand as the nonprofit grows, so do its needs. The biggest expenses remain practice and bout venue rentals, and support of all kinds makes a difference.
Learn more about Athens Ohio Roller Derby, upcoming events, and how to get involved at . Kids 10 and under get in free.
Photo by James Hamilton