When the words “roller derby” come up, people often think of pro-wrestling on wheels.

“It’s not that at all,” said Sheree "Crush" Cater, a skater for Montgomery Roller Derby. “We do get hit hard, and sometimes you can hear the whole crowd go ‘Ohhhhh!’ just like you would in a fight. But that’s not what it’s all about.”

Cater invites everyone to witness the full-contact sport she loves Saturday when Montgomery Roller Derby’s season opens with a “September Smackdown” at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl, 1037 Pelham St.

“We have skaters from all over the state that travel,” said Cater, who has been skating since she was three, and said she was raised as a “rink rat.”

“I always used to joke around that I wanted to be a derby girl when I grew up,” she said. “I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It’s scary, but at the same time it’s rewarding.”

Basically, both all-female teams are on the track together. Each team has a single skater called a “jammer” that can score points. There are also four blockers on each team playing both offense and defense at the same time. They’re trying to stop the opponent’s jammer, while helping their own move forward. The jammer’s goal is to score by lapping as many opponent blockers as possible.

“We play jams, and each jam is 2 minutes long,” Cater said.

They keep going that for 30 minutes, have a halftime, then go for 30 more minutes.

“There’s definitely a lot of strategy behind some of the things that we do,” Cater said.

Saturday, they're part of a double-header at the Multiplex that starts with two junior teams — Fort Walton Junior Bombers vs. Nashville Roller Derby. They’ll be on the track at 5:30 p.m.

“We haven’t had any bouts in the Montgomery area since the pandemic,” Cater said. “This is going to be the first once we’ve had in a little over two years.”

In the main event at 7 p.m., Montgomery Roller Derby faces the Beach Brawl Skater Dolls from Fort Walton Beach.

“We’ve got a lot of new skaters on our team,” Cater said. “They’re all learning things and having a great time.”

Tickets are $15 at the door, or $10 for military with ID. A limited number of pre-sale tickets are available for $12 at https://montgomery-roller-derby.square.site. Ages 5 and under get in free.

“There’s nothing like seeing the little kids’ faces, wanting our autographs and stuff,” Cater said.

Montgomery Roller Derby is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit group.

“We don’t make money. We actually pay to skate,” Cater said. “We like to raise money for different charities in the area.”

A portion of the proceeds from Saturday will be donated to the Montgomery Humane Society.

Along with giving back to the community, Cater said roller derby is about fitness and making friends.

“The friends that I’ve made, there are so many different people from all walks of life,” said Cater, who is a court reporter. “We have realtors. We have nurses. We have accountants. We have teachers. It’s amazing, the type of individuals that have come together.”

Follow them on social media: Facebook @montgomeryrollerderby, Instagram @montrollerderby, TikTok @montgomeryrollerderby, and Snapchat @mgmrollerderby

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Shannon Heupel atsheupel@gannett.com.