Cape Girardeau Roller Girls

FAQ

Who are the Cape Girardeau Roller Girls?
CGRG is made up of skaters, refs, non-skating officials and volunteers, and jeerleaders. There is a governing system in place, based on area leagues, with board of directors and committees, so that every skater is involved in decisions for the league.

 

Who are the Cape Girardeau Roller Girls? from cgrollergirls on Vimeo.

The Cape Girardeau Roller Girls (CGRG) is an all-female flat-track roller derby league in Southeast Missouri. The mission of the Cape Girardeau Roller Girls is to develop and promote sportswomanship, athleticism, and service to the Cape Girardeau Area. The league shall aim for the empowerment of women through challenges on and off the track. Members of the Cape Girardeau Roller Girls shall conduct themselves with honor in all situations, on and off the track, to bring distinction to our league and the Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby Association (WFTDA) as we seek official membership with the Association.

The Cape Girardeau Roller Girls will foster good rapport with the Cape Girardeau Community and the Southeast Missouri area by supporting local organizations through volunteer work and fund-raising.

The Cape Girardeau Roller Girls shall offer all eligible and interested parties an opportunity to become involved through a regular training and bout schedule, while fostering camaraderie and competition through intra- and inter-league play.

If you don’t already know a roller girl yourself, you probably know someone who does! CGRG members come from all over the Southeast Missouri area, employed as nurses, receptionists, factory workers, teachers. They are mothers, daughters, sisters, and our refs are a group of upstanding guys and gals.

What is the purpose of CGRG?

• To provide an opportunity to local women for athleticism, socialization and fun
• To be a non-profit organization and donate proceeds from every bout to charity
• To conform to WFTDA (Women’s Flat Track Derby Association) standards and eventually be a WFTDA league
• To be active in the Southeast Missouri community with volunteer work and tourism

What is roller derby?
Roller derby is an exciting sport for men and women where the players are on quad skates, wearing minimal protective gear (mouthguard, helmet, wrist, elbow and knee pads). In various incarnations, roller derby has been around since the early 1900s. Modern roller derby kicked off in the 60s and 70s with a WWF-like system of scripted villains and over-the-top violence.

That all came to an end with the mid-2000s revival: contemporary derby keeps the idea of personae and individuality through uniforms, but staged events and scripted fights are a thing of the past.

Contemporary roller derby is mostly female, played on banked or flat tracks, and has over 1000 leagues around the world. Leagues do battle on an amateur basis, brought together by DIY attitude and ethic. Athleticism, positive sportswomanship, and a feeling of community are key. CGRG is an all-female league, played on the flat track.

For more about the game of roller derby, read below, or check out Block & Roll, run by our own Holly Boo-Yah. Have a question about derby you’d like to read about in her blog? Send her an email!

How did CGRG get started?
In late February 2010, founders Bobbie Soxxx, Sylvia Smash and Revenjamin visited big-sister league Southern Illinois Roller Girls’ scrimmage and decided to bring it back to Cape. After determining that Southeast Missouri did not already have a roller derby league, they knew they had to start one up. Their newly-created Facebook group reached 50 fans in less than 24 hours, so it was apparent that the area was hungry for the game and they needed to act fast.

With the help of SIRG, the Girls learned about rules and infrastructure, most even needing to learn to skate as well.

I need to contact CGRG — how do I do so?
This page outlines each Board member and what you should contact them for. If you have general questions, please feel free to use the general email address; but the wait time on responses might be a little longer.

Where is your game/bout?
CGRG practices and plays at the A.C. Brase Arena in Cape Girardeau. Right off of Kingshighway, enter Arena park to access parking for the Arena. Arena Park also houses the SEMO District Fair. Parking for events gets crowded, so arrive early!

When is your next bout?
Check out our Schedule page. There, we have links to any big events coming up along with a calendar of practices and events. If you have Facebook, “like” our page there and you’ll receive invites to major events and bouts right in your inbox. Keep an eye on local news sources and radio for information close to a bout.

How much do tickets cost, and where can I get them?
The cost of tickets vary between what type of game we have. A double-header costs more to put on, so the ticket cost is slightly higher. Two times the derby for only $1 more? What a deal! Tickets usually cost $7, and two dollars more at the door. Children age five and under get free admission. Tickets can always be purchased from your friendly, local roller girls, but if you don’t know any… try PMac Music or Becking Chiropractic. PMac Music is next to Blockbuster on William St in Cape. Becking Chiropractic is right on Jackson Blvd, across from Hardees in Jackson. If you’re out of town or just looking for an easy way to get tickets, head to brownpapertickets.com: tickets are always available online!

I have special needs. Is there seating accommodations for me at your games?
Yes! When you come to a game, just check in up front with tickets, grab a program and get stamped. Then one of our security volunteers will escort you to the side door where there is ground-level access to seating, restrooms, merch and refreshments. You can also be admitted 15 minutes before doors open — just let security know that you’ll need some extra time to get settled and we’re happy to accommodate.

How can I find out more about a skater?
Check out their profile! You can also send Sylvia Smash an email or tweet (@cgrollergirls) requesting that your favorite skater be featured in our new Skater of the Month feature. A lot of our members have Facebook profiles, so pop their name in the search bar and see what comes up.

Our after parties and non-bouting events are also great ways to get autographs, and talk to your favorite skater about things like technique and the hardest hit she ever got.

You have a website. Where else can I find information about CGRG?
One of the best ways to keep up with CGRG is our Facebook. You’ll get invites to all of our events, and the latest news straight from the skaters themselves. If Facebook isn’t for you, try our twitter. We live-tweet scores and links to what’s new.

What does that star on her helmet mean?
Roller derby might seem confusing at first, but with a few simple rules following the game can be easy.

Each team sends out five players for each jam. These players are one jammer (the girl with the star), three blockers and one pivot (the girl with the stripe). The blockers and pivot make up the pack. The jammer scores the points. After the initial pass (the jammer must get through first without any penalties to be eligible to later call off the jam), each jammer scores a point for each blocker they pass. The pivot and blockers attempt to aid their jammer through the pack while simultaneously trying to stop the opposing jammer from getting through.

Unless called off, each jam lasts for two minutes. Opposing teams can be stopped or delayed by legal hits to and from the center of the body–from shoulders to hips. Penalties will be called for use of head, forearms/hands, and feet.

While roller derby can certainly be violent, fighting, bad-mouthing and disregarding the rules are not permitted. This is a serious sport with serious consequences. If you have questions about the sport and the rules, there are instructional videos available on YouTube, or you can always ask a member of CGRG!

I’ve read all about it and I’m interested in joining. How do I become a Cape Girardeau Roller Girl?
Once a year, CGRG recruits a new “fresh meat” class of skaters. Watch our site and web presence for information on when those come around, and what to do when they do!

But, where’s the ball?
There is no ball! Roller girls score points with their bodies, the jammer being “the ball” of the game and scoring points for her team with each legal pass of her hips.