It’s been three years, but the Bay State Brawlers are getting back on the track.
The women’s roller derby team will kick off its 10th season with an exhibition (its only home game of 2022) Saturday, July 30 at 5 p.m. at Fitchburg’s Wallace Civic Center.
It will be the squad’s first contest since 2019, with the 2020 and 2021 seasons scrubbed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It feels wonderful,” the Bay State Brawlers board said in a statement to the Leominster Champion. “The energy at practice has just been so joyful. Our veteran skaters and officials are all so relieved to be back and we’ve also just welcomed our largest new recruit class ever to our ranks. Our Bay State community continues to grow and thrive.”
Veteran skaters from the Brawlers and nearby leagues will play the exhibition contest, while a skills demonstration will mark the debut of the Brawlers’ new recruits.
The Brawlers, based in the Twin Cities of Fitchburg and Leominster, began in 2005 as Central Massachusetts Roller Derby and morphed into the current program in 2011. The squad has been an internationally-ranked member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association since 2015.
The modern iteration of roller derby mixes some of the old, like pseudonyms for the players, and new, like no longer using the over-the-top theatrics of yesteryear.
“It’s a full-contact sport,” player Annie Morphs said in a 2017 interview. “These days, though, there’s no fighting, and nothing is fake or staged.”
She described modern roller derby as “a cross between racing and hockey. Skaters are sprinting around the track for points, but there is also hitting and blocking strategy to stop jammers from getting past us. It’s most definitely an athletic game.”
The Brawlers practiced at the Roll On America roller skating center in Lancaster for 10 years, until it closed in April 2021. An affiliate of U-Haul bought the property for a self-storage facility.
“The loss of Roll On is not only felt by our organization, but by the entire community,” the Brawlers’ board said in their statement. “It was an exceptionally special place with so many good memories for so many people. Bay State has hosted our home games at the Wallace Civic Center for a number of years, so we felt right at home pivoting to practice in the space. We are so grateful that the administration at Fitchburg State was open to a practice arrangement and the staff at the Civic Center have been so welcoming and accommodating. We love our summer home.”
The Brawlers are looking for a permanent location to hold their practices.
“Space is hard to find, especially for a nonprofit such as Bay State,” the board’s statement said. “We’re on the hunt for a permanent practice home base, and need 8,000 [square feet] of flat, skatable space such as a warehouse or building with an open floor span, ideally in Fitchburg or within a 30 min drive or along a major thoroughfare. We’d love to align ourselves with another local nonprofit, business, or real estate company and are open to mixed use or shared space options where we can build a long-lasting community.”
The Wallace Civic Center at Fitchburg State University is located at 1000 John Fitch Highway. Doors for Saturday’s exhibition and skills demonstration open at 4 p.m.
Tickets are $10 online in advance, or $12 at the door. Children under 12 are admitted free. Family four-packs are available at a discounted price. Proceeds and donations will help the Brawlers find a permanent practice space. Advance tickets may be purchased at baystatebrawlers.com/tickets.
For more information on the Bay State Brawlers, follow the program on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, or visit its website, baystatebrawlers.com.