Hurricane Alley Roller Derby is working to keep the sport alive in the Coastal Bend while providing a support system.<\/p>\n
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas \u2014 Hurricane Alley Roller Derby is keeping the spirit of the sport and sisterhood alive in Corpus Christi.<\/p>\n
While the sport isn\u2019t as popular as it once was, it remains a powerful outlet for people going through difficult times.<\/p>\n
The team is still rolling up its sleeves, tightening its pads and letting the good times roll.<\/p>\n
Leading the charge is Monica Tijerina, also known as Vicious Nikki but don\u2019t let the name fool you.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel energized. I feel important because I know I\u2019m not out there by myself. I\u2019m out there with my team, and that\u2019s the main thing – is to be there for each other,\u201d Tijerina said.<\/p>\n
She joined the team a decade ago, but her reason goes beyond sisterhood. It\u2019s personal.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy daughter did roller derby, and I used to watch her skate. I taught her how to skate when she was little, and she joined derby and, long story short, she passed away,\u201d she said. \u201cI get emotional sometimes telling the story, but I skate in her honor,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Now, the sport is taking on a whole new meaning. It\u2019s become an outlet.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel I\u2019m not healed, but I\u2019m healing. Skating in her honor makes me feel that she\u2019s on the track with me. Not only that, roller derby helped me heal my wounds by meeting other skaters who have been through a lot like I have,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Roller derby is known for its speed, strength and hard hits. But the women in this league say what matters most is getting back up and never giving up.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s what Lacy Zars, known to teammates as Redhead Redemption, said is important.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was going through a period in my life where things had gotten pretty quiet. I wanted to be more physically active and have more of a social life, so I looked it up online, decided to try it out, and I\u2019ve loved it ever since,\u201d Zars said.<\/p>\n
She said the sport doesn\u2019t discriminate.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019re all in the soup together. We have a really broad range of ages, from 18-year-olds up to 57-year-old skaters, so everyone is welcome. There\u2019s a really intense sense of sisterhood, and it\u2019s a safe place to be athletic and to be vulnerable,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
With the sport not as popular as it once was, Tijerina said they\u2019ve overcome challenges and are still fighting to keep it alive in the area.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re trying to rebuild the team after COVID hit. We lost a lot of skaters, and I took over. We are recruiting more skaters, but what we really need is a home. We need somewhere to skate,\u201d she said. \u201cWe practice out here in the park, it\u2019s free and it does the job but we really need a place of our own.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe main thing I like to do is ask everybody how their day was, so they know they can come here and talk to us. Whatever they\u2019re going through, we\u2019ll be there for them. Everybody needs that, especially on a bad day, you want someone to listen,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
For Tijerina, aka Vicious Nikki, seeing other women find their strength is exactly why she keeps the league going.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis sport to me is like life – you get hit, you get knocked down, but you get up and keep going,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s what I tell the girls: it\u2019s going to get better. Derby is a lot like that, we\u2019re all going through stuff, and when you get knocked down, you get right back up. And you\u2019re not alone, you have someone there with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you’re interested in joining the team, visit their Facebook page here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n More from 3NEWS on KIIITV.com: \u00a0<\/p>\n