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MEDFORD Derby daughters Girls who've had moms, friends in roller derby give it a try in junior league Comment By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 6, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 6, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Nearing their two-year anniversary of establishing the region's first junior roller derby league, coordinators of the Southern Oregon Junior Rollergirl Pear Blossoms say their budding superstars will make an appearance in the city's signature Pear Blossom parade Saturday. One of a growing number of junior derby leagues on the West Coast, the local group was born out of sheer demand by young girls and teens who had family members or friends involved in the sport. The league has grown from two dozen skaters to three distinct groups: age 9-11, age 12-17 and a travel team that competes throughout the region. League members will join their adult counterparts for an annual skate in the Pear Blossom Parade, which starts at 11 a.m. Saturday at Court Street and North Central Avenue and travels down Central to Main Street and west to Alba Park. Coach Linda O'Connor says the junior league provides a niche in the valley for "derby daughters" who grew up watching their moms compete and is an ideal way to introduce girls to the sport. "I used to play myself and I stopped playing because I had an injury and because life happens, so I wasn't able to dedicate as much time as I wanted for me as a mom to participate in a sport," O'Connor says. "When SORG (Southern Oregon Roller Girls) gave me the opportunity to create the junior league, it was really great to be able to finally share it with my daughter. She had always watched me do derby and wanted to try when she got older." Skaters take a basic skills class, attend biweekly practices and move up to the competitive team when their age and skill level allow. The girls develop their derby personae out of special interests or are given their nicknames by newfound friends, O'Connor says. The league draws all types of girls, she adds. "It's fun for girls who might not feel like volleyball or softball or basketball or soccer are right for them, but at the same time we have girls involved in other sports and even varsity cheerleaders," she says. "We have shy, quiet girls, loud girls and every type of girl in between." Ashland High School sophomore Clara "Tater Masticator" Ireland, 16, says the benefits she'd gained from the local league were too many to count. "Me and my cousin have always been very competitive, so I started derby just because she was doing it. But, as I progressed, I realized I was doing it for myself. I've fallen in love with the sport," she says. "Doing derby has changed me into a stronger person and it's gone from being a hobby to more of a lifestyle. I used to be shy and let people walk all over me, but my confidence has grown because of derby and because of the family I've gotten by being part of this." Fourteen-year-old Saoirse "JuggerNaughty" Webb, O'Connor's daughter and league jammer, says she always hoped to be part of roller derby, having seen the friendships and skills gained by her mom. "There are some girls on our team you wouldn't expect to play derby — girls that are really small and quiet and you wouldn't picture being very aggressive," she says. "But they get out there and it really lets them unleash their fierceness." High school junior Kryslynn "War Kitten" Seany says she was drawn to the derby by the same fliers she'll help pass out at this year's parade. "I was going through kind of an emotional phase and one day my dad mentioned that some roller girls had given him a flier. I had tried (boxing) and that didn't pan out, and some other things. I decided to go check out derby," she says. "I'd never been really good at skating, but they were all just super nice and they looked really cool and like they were having so much fun. I went to my first practice and fell so many times I didn't want to go back, but decided I had spent so much money I might as well try to stick it out. ... Now I'm one of the veteran skaters and when I age out of the program in a year, I plan on becoming a trainer and helping other girls get involved with derby." Coach Edilia Armenta-Tipton says she sees the league growing in coming years. "When we talk to parents and community members about what kind of girls belong in derby, the answer is every kind of girl. We have such a diverse group of kids and young women," says Armenta-Tipton. "We have girls from different social settings, different schools around the valley, girls who were being bullied in school, home schoolers. Several of the girls can't even skate when they start, so it's exciting to watch the transformation as these girls are empowered." The season's opening skirmish for the Southern Oregon Junior Rollergirl Pear Blossoms will begin at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 11, at the Medford Armory, 1701 S. Pacific Highway. The women's bout against the Red Bluff Roller Girls will begin at 7 p.m. There'll be a beer garden, bake sale and other concessions. Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for youth and can be purchased at http://evrd.us/owrmm . Buffy Pollock is a freelance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected]. By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 6, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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