What is the derby roller? Do you have to explain it many times?
Although it is becoming increasingly known, it may be useful to explain what it is: the roller derby is the high-contact sport played on quad skates. In each game, five people leave each team on the track and by means of blocks the player called jammer must pass the wall generated by the other team's blockers. The jammer on the two teams should try to pass and the blockers hinder the jammer.

Jammers and blockers are selected based on: At
first, out of prejudice, I thought that jammer should have some characteristics: to be smaller than anyone, thinner, thinner, faster or more intense... Thanks to the referrals in other groups, I saw that this is not the case, and that there are big, thick players playing like jammer. Finally, the derby roller also makes visible bodies outside the usual rules.

Despite being a contact sport, is it based on respect?Derby roller
is often said to be “aggressive” but not “violent”. However, in other sports activities, violence can be seen in dynamics and relations between players, but in the roller derby, although the violent situations that can occur, what is promoted is based on respect, collaboration and friendship.

Are you a community?There
are situations where there are moments of tension because the game demands it, but it is very present that we are all community and that collaboration is necessary. There is solidarity between the groups, we have figures called madrinas and larger groups help the smaller ones. Because it is a very minority sport, it is very common to ask players to another team or to ask players to help other teams. There is a great relationship between groups, and we often don't know who it belongs to.

You do a third time or after party to foster collaboration. What is it about?
Players are recognised by awarding prizes and delivering three prizes. Prizes are not awarded to those who have played “better”, but to those who have tried a lot or to players who have done a lot of work. In other words, players are rewarded who, despite having some difficulty, have been there.

In my first game, I received the prize for the best blocker, and I wasn't the best, but these kinds of symbolic issues help us address the problems that we can find along the way. In addition, we usually go together for dinner.

How did it become part of that community?
I got attracted to a sign that I saw on the street, and as they said it wasn't necessary to know how to skate, I encouraged myself to try it. I immediately saw it could be an interesting space. However, at first it was hard to practice a sport of great contact without knowing how to skate.

For the newcomers you have a reference person called godmother. What is your role?
We try to assign a reference person every time someone joins the group. Sometimes it is not easy to express needs or ask questions in a new group. In addition, as reference persons, he is responsible for advancing the project and supporting the team. Because it has a lot of militancy, sometimes we wake up.

So besides sport, is it political action?
It is a political practice that is done from the body. In the Derby community it is expressed that it is a transfeminist and queer space or support for queer people. These values are very present in all activities and processes performed. The derby Roller is undoubtedly a space of support, empowerment and solidarity.

Does it have some art?It has a
very characteristic character of queer, while it has a creative character. I relate it to art, perhaps not formally, but most of our group have had to do with art ex officio or with character, and it's no accident. In the end, it's a space related to flipping.

It's based on self-management. How do they finance it?
We try to get money through merchandising or with specific activities. Otherwise, we pay the daily fee and with it we pay the expenses. We are very simple: the place where we train is very cheap, also precarious. We are looking for a more dignified space that is not very expensive.