{"id":222031,"date":"2026-03-16T12:39:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T12:39:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/222031\/"},"modified":"2026-03-16T12:39:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T12:39:10","slug":"how-to-get-involved-in-sacramentos-roller-derby-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/222031\/","title":{"rendered":"How to get involved in Sacramento’s roller derby community"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Abridged version:<\/p>\n

A new skating facility in Sacramento\u2019s River District has generated\u00a0more energy among the Sacramento Roller Derby\u2019s local enthusiasts.<\/p>\n

Sacramento has been home to a roller derby community for almost 20 years.<\/p>\n

Anyone can get involved, as a participant, volunteer or fan.<\/p>\n

Cole Bogue leads a double life. By day, she works in the insurance industry. But three nights a week, and many weekends a year, the redhead dons roller skates, a mouthguard and protective gear to transform into \u201cShock N\u2019 Auburn,\u201d her Sacramento Roller Derby alter-ego.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Over a decade and a half ago, Bogue wanted to be a roller derby girl for Halloween. Her costume search led to a tryout.\u00a0And now she is the league\u2019s most-tenured player with 16 consecutive seasons under her belt.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI tried out, and I fell a lot, but I loved it,\u201d Bogue, now 44, said at the 2026 season opener<\/a> on Feb. 21. \u201cAnd they said, \u2018All right, come back next week. We\u2019ll teach you how to skate.\u2019 And the rest is history.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SacramentoCole Bogue AKA \u201cShock N\u2019 Auburn,\u201d coaching Sacramento Roller Derby\u2019s Capital MaulStars, in a season opener game on Feb. 21st, 2026 in Sacramento. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n

The Bearhouse arrives<\/p>\n

Just three years ago, Sacramento\u2019s roller derby community was wandering<\/a> \u2014 practicing and playing at various spaces as they waited for their current facility at 1701 Thornton Ave, a warehouse in Downtown Sacramento\u2019s River District, to get up and running.<\/p>\n

The 26,000-square-foot, $1.5 million new home, called the \u201cBearhouse,\u201d opened in October 2024. It was made possible by a generous gift from an angel donor, who also covered the $600,000 in construction costs.<\/p>\n

\"SacramentoA sign for Sacramento Roller Derby\u2019s season opener on Feb. 21, 2026. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n

On Feb. 21, the Bearhouse and SRD hosted teams from Auburn, Mexico and Utah for four games over an eight-hour day. Judy \u201cRhodes Warrior\u201d Licciardello was especially proud of what settling into a permanent location meant for a community she finds near and dear to her heart.<\/p>\n

\t\tSign Up for the Morning Newsletter<\/p>\n

The Abridged morning newsletter lands in your inbox every weekday morning with the latest news from the Sacramento region.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur building has only been open for a year and a half, and every month we find a new thing to add to,\u201d said Licciardello, the special education teacher and member of the league\u2019s Capital MaulStars. \u201cNow we can really have a growth mindset, instead of a survival mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n

Licciardello, who juggles roles as player, referee and the league\u2019s executive director,\u00a0said one of her great hopes for SRD is that the wider Sacramento population learns more about them and finds ways to participate.<\/p>\n

\"SacramentoSacramento Roller Derby\u2019s junior team, Beastie Bears, compete in a season opener game on Feb. 21, 2026 in Sacramento. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n

Roller derby approaches 100th anniversary<\/p>\n

Roller derby began in earnest in the 1930s and over time developed a dedicated fanbase attracted to its somewhat playful but rowdy<\/a> participants. It was was popularized in the 2009 movie \u201cWhip It,\u201d based on the 2007 book \u201cDerby Girl.\u201d The website<\/a> of its governing nonprofit organization,\u00a0the Women\u2019s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), says it oversees more than 450 leagues on six continents.<\/p>\n

Sacramento Roller Derby is an all-volunteer, nonprofit league consisting of six adult and two junior teams of varying skill levels.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"SacramentoSacramento Roller Derby\u2019s junior team, Beastie Bears, celebrating a win at a season opener game on Feb. 21, 2026 in Sacramento. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n

\u2018Marginalized gender\u2019 skaters welcome<\/p>\n

The league is open to all adults who identify as being part of a \u201cmarginalized gender\u201d<\/a> which includes women, transgender individuals and nonbinary individuals among other identities. The junior teams, ages 8-17, are co-ed.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust because it\u2019s an all-female sport, I don\u2019t feel discriminated at all,\u201d said 14-year-old Emmett Weiner, AKA \u201cPercy Smackson,\u201d a he\/him player on Beastie Bears<\/a>, a junior team. Like many of the junior players, Weiner had his pronouns sewn on his jersey.<\/p>\n

Roller derby seasons run 18 months, though Sacramento Roller Derby recognizes an annual season and is currently in its ninth.<\/p>\n

When Bogue emerged on the roller derby scene nearly two decades ago, the league included two teams \u2014 Sac City Rollers and Sacred City Derby Girls. It merged into one league<\/a> in 2018. Today, Bogue is player #451 on Capital MaulStars<\/a>, one of the six adult teams.<\/p>\n

\"SacramentoSacramento Roller Derby junior team, Beastie Bears, during a practice game. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n

Jammers and blockers<\/p>\n

Games are played<\/a> with five players in two 30-minute halves, each consisting of 15 two-minute \u201cjams.\u201d Players are on offense and defense simultaneously. Scoring occurs when a team\u2019s designated jammer manages to circle the track and get by the opposing team\u2019s blockers.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re constantly thinking, \u2018I\u2019m playing offense now, oh, I\u2019m playing defense now\u2019\u201d Bogue said. \u201cAnd that switch has to be incredibly quick, and you have to be doing it in unison with your teammates.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bogue is a jammer. \u201cI like to think of them as Mario,\u201d she said, likening her role to the video game icon. \u201cWe collect the coins.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"SacramentoSacramento Roller Derby\u2019s Capital MaulStars compete against Mexico\u2019s Juarez All Stars in a season opener game on Feb. 21, 2026, in Sacramento. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n

No one too old<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re reading this and thinking, \u201cI\u2019m too old for this,\u201d well, think again. Many SRD players wear their age as a badge of honor.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cDerby keeps you young,\u201d said I.M.GoodzElla, civilian name: Aura Ella Abasolo-Rabino, #96 on Bruin Trouble<\/a>. \u201cI am 53, and unlike my other friends, I\u2019m not on high blood pressure medicine or high cholesterol medicine. I get motivated to go to the gym, because all my (roller derby) peers around me go to the gym too.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sign up to learn, train<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking to learn and play, start with the 101 training program<\/a>, a series of six-week classes for adults and juniors. The fee is $76. Come fully clothed with a mouth guard and a water bottle.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t need any gear, you don\u2019t need any skates. We\u2019ll provide everything to you,\u201d Licciardello said. \u201cYou just have to be willing to try and willing to fail and willing to try again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SacramentoSacramento Roller Derby\u2019s junior team, Beastie Bears, compete in a season opener game on Feb. 21, 2026 in Sacramento. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n

Joy is worth injury risk<\/p>\n

Skaters move around the flat track quickly, and the basic movements of the game \u2014 trying to race through human walls while others use their arms and hips to block them \u2014 is not for the faint of heart. The risk of injury is real.<\/p>\n

To many involved with Sacramento roller derby, that is worth the reward.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, you\u2019re gonna get hurt in every sport,\u201d Tedey \u201cTrash Panda\u201d Vincent, a high school freshman on Beastie Bears junior team, said. \u201cI think that this one\u2019s just more fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

It might help ease one\u2019s mind to know that credentialed medics are at every game, and coaches have their CPR\/First Aid certifications.<\/p>\n

\"SacramentoRachel Harrell, aka \u201cMerle Hazard\u201d of Sacramento Roller Derby\u2019s Capital MaulStars, competes in a season opener game on Feb. 21, 2026, in Sacramento. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n

Something for everyone<\/p>\n

On the day of the season opener, Tedey Vincent wore her war paint \u2014\u00a0 a face of expressive blue and glitter make-up and a helmet hand-painted with \u201cEAT THE RICH\u201d and \u201cMELT ICE.\u201d Vincent was one of the many teens<\/a> who participated in late January\u2019s ICE protests,\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cRoller derby is one of those sports where everybody\u2019s just kind of going all out with everything. I just do a different makeup look every time,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I thought I would go with some blue, since our team is blue.\u201d<\/p>\n

A safe place for self-expression was just one of the many benefits participants said they get from the sport. \u201cCommunity\u201d was another big buzzword, followed closely by \u201cfriends.\u201d Satisfying one\u2019s mental health was also spoken about as a big attraction of the sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of my very close friends are all from Derby,\u201d Hannah \u201cRed\u201d Frank said. Frank is a controller at a local private high school and has been skating with SRD for 15 years. \u201dIt\u2019s all kinds of different people that I would have never met outside of here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have really bad anxiety, and I tend to huddle myself up in a ball,\u201d said 12-year-old Violet \u201cDanger Mouse\u201d Emery, a Beastie Bear, while holding her mouthguard in one hand and a cookie in the other. \u201cDerby kind of makes me feel like I don\u2019t have to do that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Christina Ann \u201cJessamine KillaWatts\u201d Davis Watts, a mother of three, said roller derby was a form of mom-self-care.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe balance our lives for our kids. We have to have balance for ourselves,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"SacramentoViolet \u201cDanger Mouse\u201d Emery of the Beastie Bears during a team practice in Sacramento. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n

Rolled around and fell in love<\/p>\n

Another possible perk of a life on the flat track? You could fall in love.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Judy Licciardello did just that when she met her now husband, Michael Don Scoreleone Licciardello, at a 2013 game in Merced. Judy was skating, Michael was \u201cin stripes\u201d as a referee. Cupid was clearly flying around.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe magic moment was when she was smiling at me, and I felt like I was hit by a bus, said Michael Licciardello, who works at Hewlett Packard Enterprises in Roseville. \u201cAnd we found each other through the community afterwards.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their wedding cake was topped with a silhouette of the couple kissing on skates.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"SacramentoJudy \u201cRhodes Warrior\u201d Licciardello of Sacramento Roller Derby\u2019s Capital MaulStars competes in a season opener game on Feb. 21, 2026, in Sacramento. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n

Donors, volunteers always welcome<\/p>\n

Donations are always good<\/a>, and you can also look into becoming an official. Volunteering \u2014 and thus getting a free ticket to a game \u2014\u00a0 is also a fun option<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cVolunteer shifts include snack bar, track maintenance, check-in, clean up, bathrooms, parking attendant, security, announcing, running the Twitch live stream<\/a> and getting the crowd excited.\u201d Judy Licciardello said.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoller derby is for everyone,\u201d Bogue added, echoing a common\u00a0SRD mantra spoken by many at the season opener.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Everyone, of course, includes the audience. The season opener drew 245 ticket-buying fans. By the end of the day, it was standing room only.<\/p>\n

One set of bleachers was packed with parents of junior skaters, aka the \u201cBeastie Bears Battalion.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Bearhouse is looking for help on that.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need bigger bleachers,\u201d Judy Licciardello offered. \u201cSo we\u2019re officially on the hunt!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AudienceParents watching a Sacramento Roller Derby junior team at the season opener on Feb. 21, 2026. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n

Helen Harlan\u00a0is a Sacramento-based freelance writer and cocktail waitress.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Abridged version: A new skating facility in Sacramento\u2019s River District has generated\u00a0more energy among the Sacramento Roller…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":222032,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[7999,121,123,122],"class_list":["post-222031","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sacramento","tag-highlight","tag-sacramento","tag-sacramento-headlines","tag-sacramento-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222031","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=222031"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222031\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/222032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=222031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=222031"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=222031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}