LOS ANGELES, CA – At first glance, the cluster of girls looks like a lot of pushing and shoving, but then you see that the referees are not blowing their whistles, and suddenly two skaters break free of the mayhem.
- Los Anarchists Junior Derby League gaining traction
- Junior Roller Derby Association is an educational organization
- Parents cheer on their kids in the derby world
They fly around the track and then crash back into the mash up. As the crowd cheers it's apparent that what looked like chaos is just Junior Roller Derby at its best, which these fans say is the hottest kid sport in town!
"It looks really scary and people usually get scared about it but at the end of the day. It's actually really fun," said 11-year-old Hudson, whose derby name is Missfit.
Hudson is a part of the all-girl Los Anarchists Junior Derby League. Her mom, Morningstar Schott, is screaming on the sidelines with a few dozen other parents who are jumping up and down cheering their daughters on.
"She’s definitely really, really excited. This is her first big meet," said Morningstar who likes that her daughter is using her "physicality" and getting comfortable with being assertive.
Missfit’s team, LA Revolt, is associated with the junior roller derby association, which connects youth leagues across the U.S., Canada, Australia and Europe. They are currently ranked third in the world.
The Junior Roller Derby Association a public nonprofit educational and amateur sports organization that is dedicated to developing teamwork and athletic ability while treasuring individuality within a culture of integration, encouragement, and service to others. JRDA partners with competitive leagues, recreational junior leagues, communities, schools, mentors and families to empower youth through the international sport of roller derby.
Anthony Galindo, the Operations Director for the league, said "Roller derby is a very physical sport, it's a very exciting sport. There's a lot of falling and getting back up which is exciting so doesn't matter it's just that you get back up that's important."
Despite all the falling down the only real blood seen today was outside at the blood drive for cedar Sinai.
Missfit’s team didn't win, but she has no intention of letting one loss stop her momentum. She will be putting her skates back on with mom's full encouragement.
Find out more about the Los Anarchists Derby League.