Ann Arbor Roller Derby Explained

Ann Arbor Roller Derby
Founded:2010
Metro Area:Ann Arbor, MI
Country:United States
Teams:A2RD Travel Team (A team)(B team)
All League Team
Tracks:Flat
Venue:Buhr Park Arena, Ann Arbor
Affiliations:WFTDA
Url:https://a2rollerderby.com

Ann Arbor Roller Derby (A2RD) is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 2010, the league consists of two travel teams, A2RD Travel Team, which competes against teams from other leagues, as well as a home "All League" team.[1] Ann Arbor is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).[2]

History

The league was started in May 2010 by Kellee Gallardo and Milinda Villegas, with an open meeting in Ann Arbor,[3] and held other recruitments during the year.[4] By 2011 the league was being led by a board of directors and was coached by J.T. Slyde, who had helped train Elliot Page and Drew Barrymore for their roles in the roller derby film Whip It, when it filmed in Detroit and Ypsilanti.[5] When formed, the league featured two home teams, the Tree Town Thrashers and the Huron River Rollers, and also their travel team, the A2D2 Brawlstars, before evolving to the present team structure. The A2D2 Brawlstars played their first bout ever on June 11, 2011, losing to the Floral City All-Stars of Monroe,[6] and hosted their first public bout on September 17, 2011, at Buhr Park Arena, a 131-96 loss to Flint City Derby Girls from Flint.[7]

WFTDA competition

The Ann Arbor Derby Dimes are a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), having been first accepted in the WFTDA'sApprentice Program in July 2012,[8] and graduating to full membership in December 2013.[9] As of June 2015, the Ann Arbor Derby Dimes were ranked 64th in the world by the WFTDA, and a member of the WFTDA Division 3.[10] In 2015, Ann Arbor barely missed the cutoff for WFTDA Division 2 Playoffs, and then made their WFTDA Playoff debut at the WFTDA Division 1 level in 2016.[11] That year Ann Arbor entered the tournament in Columbia as the 9th seed, and finished in 10th place.[12] Ann Arbor returned to Division 1 Playoffs in 2017 at Seattle, Washington, but lost to Tampa Bay Derby 280-99[13] and 255-105 to 2×4 Roller Derby to finish out of the medals.[14] In 2018 at the WFTDA Playoff in Atlanta, Ann Arbor finished out of the medals, but ended their weekend with their first victory at WFTDA Playoffs in the consolation round, 213-185 over Windy City Rollers.[15]

Rankings

SeasonFinal ranking[16] PlayoffsChampionship
201486 WFTDA[17] DNQDNQ
201556 WFTDA[18] DNQDNQ
201632 WFTDA[19] 10 D1DNQ
201738 WFTDA[20] CR D1DNQ
201825 WFTDA[21] CRDNQ
201928 WFTDA[22] CRDNQ

Notes and References

  1. Web site: About us . 27 July 2014 . Ann Arbor Derby Dimes.
  2. Web site: Ann Arbor Roller Derby – WFTDA. wftda.com. WFTDA. 27 June 2017.
  3. Web site: Retyi. Richard. Roller derby girls in your own backyard - the Ann Arbor Derby Dimes are forming. The Ann Arbor News. 27 July 2014. 25 May 2010.
  4. Web site: Ann Arbor Derby Dimes, Michigan's Newest Women's Roller Derby League . WJBK FOX 2 . 27 July 2014 . 19 November 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140811210603/http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/18487132/ann-arbor-derby-dimes-michigans-newest-womens-roller-derby-league . 11 August 2014 .
  5. Web site: Perkins. Lucy. Women on Wheels: Rolling into Ann Arbor's roller derby scene. The Michigan Daily. 27 July 2014. 6 November 2011.
  6. Web site: 6/11/11: Ann Arbor (67) @ Floral City (201). Flat Track Stats. 27 July 2014.
  7. Web site: Retyi. Richard. Roller Derby packs Buhr Park in the A2D2 Brawlstars home debut. The Ann Arbor News. 27 July 2014. 19 September 2011.
  8. Web site: WFTDA Accepts 36 Apprentice Leagues. WFTDA. 27 July 2014. 16 July 2012.
  9. Web site: WFTDA Welcomes 22 New Full Member Leagues. WFTDA. 27 July 2014. 23 December 2013.
  10. Web site: Current Rankings . WFTDA . 10 September 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120125085842/http://wftda.com/rankings . 25 January 2012 .
  11. Web site: Fristoe. Chelsea. Turning Idols Into Rivals: the Ann Arbor Derby Dimes. Derby Central. 26 November 2016. 7 September 2016.
  12. Web site: D1C: #10 Steel City irons #9 Ann Arbor, 258-205. Derby Central. 26 November 2016. 11 September 2016.
  13. Web site: Deadwards. Lisa. D1S: #7 Tampa topples #10 Ann Arbor, 280-99. Derby Central. 3 January 2018. 1 September 2017.
  14. Web site: Deadwards. Lisa. D1S: #8 2x4 muscles past #10 Ann Arbor, 255-105. Derby Central. 3 January 2018. 3 September 2017.
  15. Web site: 2018 Playoffs Atlanta Game 9: Windy City vs. Ann Arbor – WFTDA . wftda.com . WFTDA . 17 January 2019 . 22 September 2018.
  16. "Current Rankings", WFTDA
  17. Web site: Rankings: December 31, 2014 – WFTDA. wftda.com. WFTDA. 26 November 2016.
  18. Web site: Rankings: December 31, 2015 – WFTDA. wftda.com. 26 November 2016.
  19. Web site: Rankings: December 31, 2016 – WFTDA. wftda.com. WFTDA. 6 January 2017.
  20. Web site: Rankings: December 31, 2017 – WFTDA. wftda.com. WFTDA. 5 January 2018.
  21. Web site: Rankings: December 31, 2018 – WFTDA . wftda.com . WFTDA . 17 January 2019.
  22. Web site: Rankings: December 31, 2019 – WFTDA . wftda.com . WFTDA . 2 January 2024.