Steel City Roller Derby Explained

Steel City Roller Derby
Founded:2006
Metro Area:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Country:United States
Tracks:Flat
Venue:Pittsburgh Indoor Sports Arena (Cheswick, PA)
Teams:Steel Hurtin' (A team)
Steel Beamers (B team)
Blitzburgh Bombers (developmental team)
Former Teams: Allegheny Avengers
Mon Monsters
Penn Bruisers
Affiliations:WFTDA

Steel City Roller Derby or SCRD, is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2006, the league celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2016.[1] Steel City is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).[2]

History and league structure

Steel City was founded as the "Steel City Derby Demons" in 2006,[3] after Natalie "Busty Brawler" Gilchrist, Pam "Suzy Sydal" Simmons, and Becky "Elsa Slam" Bauer were inspired to recruit skaters for a potential roller derby team after hearing from a friend about the L.A. Derby Dolls.[4] By early 2007, Steel City was ready to hold its first public games at BladeRunners in Harmarville,[5] and was announced as a new member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) in May 2007.[6]

Upon its founding, Steel City had four teams, the Bitch Doctors, the Hot Metal Hellions, the Slumber Party Slashers and the Wrecking Dolls.[7] As of 2016, SCRD features two travel teams, including the WFTDA all-star A-team, Steel Hurtin', and the B-team (formerly known as the "Blitzburgh Bombers"),[8] Steel Beamers. Steel City also has a three team home league comprising the Allegheny Avengers, the Mon Monsters, and the Penn Bruisers.[9]

Then-league member Jennifer "Snot Rocket Science" Gaskins was a member of Team USA at the 2011 and 2014 editions of the Roller Derby World Cup.[10] [11]

In 2011, Pittsburgh city councillor Natalia Rudiak sponsored a proclamation at Pittsburgh City Council that led to a declaration of September 13, 2011 as "Steel City Derby Demons Day" in recognition of the league's "community involvement, commitment to athleticism, and positive international representation of Pittsburgh".[12] [13]

For much of its history, Steel City played its home games, and practiced at Romp N Roll, a roller rink in Glenshaw, which was announced to be closing in late 2016.[14], Steel City is holding its home events at the Pittsburgh Indoor Sports Arena in Cheswick.[15] [16]

WFTDA competition

After gaining WFTDA membership in 2007, Steel City first qualified for WFTDA Playoffs in 2009, as the seventh seed at that year's Eastern Regional Tournament.[17] After opening the weekend with a sound defeat against Philly, Steel City bounced back with victories over the Dominion Derby Girls and DC Rollergirls to finish the weekend in seventh place. In 2010, Steel City improved their Eastern Regional performance by taking the fifth-place game 151-121 over the Carolina Rollergirls,[18] and improved yet again in 2011, losing the third-place game 189-94 to Charm City to finish in fourth place.[19] At the final East Region Playoff in 2012, fifth-seeded Steel City lost their first games to Charm City and DC, but rebounded to set a then-new Playoffs record by defeating the Dutchland Rollers 476-107 to take ninth place.[20]

In 2013, the WFTDA moved to a top-40 Division system for Playoffs, and Steel City qualified at the Division 1 level for the tournament in Asheville, North Carolina, where they entered as the fifth seed and finished in fifth place with a 202-185 victory over Houston Roller Derby.[21] At the 2014 Division 1 Playoff in Evansville, Indiana, seven-seed Steel City finished in eighth place with a 184-170 loss to Toronto Roller Derby.[22] Steel City took seventh place at the 2015 Division 1 Playoff in Jacksonville with a 281-134 win over Charlottesville Derby Dames,[23] and as the tenth seed in 2016 in Columbia, South Carolina, Steel City defeated Ann Arbor Derby Dimes 258-105 to finish in ninth place.[24]

Rankings

SeasonFinal ranking[25] PlayoffsChampionship
2007NR[26] DNQDNQ
20088 E[27] DNQDNQ
20097 E[28] 7 EDNQ
20105 E[29] 5 EDNQ
20114 E[30] 4 EDNQ
20129 E[31] 9 EDNQ
201318 WFTDA[32] 5 D1DNQ
201429 WFTDA[33] 8 D1DNQ
201528 WFTDA[34] 7 D1DNQ
201641 WFTDA[35] 9 D1DNQ
2017104 WFTDA[36] DNQDNQ
2018103 WFTDA[37] DNQDNQ

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Shaw. Aly. Steel City Roller Derby: A Queer Yinzer's Dream Team - QueerPGH. QueerPGH. 28 December 2016. 18 September 2016.
  2. Web site: Steel City Roller Derby – WFTDA. wftda.com. 12 September 2016 . WFTDA. 27 December 2016.
  3. Web site: Batz Jr.. Bob. Rink leaders bond while starting roller derby league. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. https://web.archive.org/web/20060630003452/http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06081/674317.stm. 30 June 2006. 22 March 2006.
  4. Web site: Conboy. Sean. The Steel Hurtin'. www.pittsburghmagazine.com. Pittsburgh Magazine. 28 December 2016. May 2010.
  5. Web site: Batz Jr.. Bob. Steel City Derby Demons put their bodies on the line for the thrill of the game. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 27 December 2016. 18 January 2007.
  6. Web site: WFTDA Newsletter - May 2007. WFTDA. 10 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20080512091902/http://wftda.com/newsletters/05_2007.html. 12 May 2008.
  7. Web site: Yogmas. Cindy. Roll Call. Pittsburgh City Paper. 28 December 2016. 25 January 2007.
  8. Web site: Hare. Krystal. Pittsburgh's roller derby league is recruiting new members for 2013 – Point Park News Service. Point Park News Service. Point Park University. 28 December 2016. 20 December 2012.
  9. Web site: Sholtis. Brett. Pittsburgh's Roller Derby teams provides aggressive outlet for the women who play - The Pitt News. The Pitt News. 27 December 2016. 8 December 2013.
  10. Web site: Weisberg. Deborah. Roller derby more than 'just a workout'. TribLIVE.com. 28 December 2016. 25 March 2016.
  11. Web site: Talionis. Lex. 2013-14 Team USA Roster Revealed Derby News Network. Derby News Network. 28 December 2016. 15 October 2013.
  12. Web site: City of Pittsburgh - File #: 2011-2083. pittsburgh.legistar.com. City of Pittsburgh. 28 December 2016. 13 September 2011.
  13. Web site: Steel City Derby Demons Day Proclamation. Steel City Roller Derby. 28 December 2016. 13 September 2011.
  14. Web site: Deitch. Charlie. Pittsburgh's Steel City Roller Derby searching for new home in wake of Romp n' Roll closing. Pittsburgh City Paper. 27 December 2016. 24 October 2016.
  15. Web site: Intraleague Schedule. Steel City Roller Derby. 28 December 2016.
  16. Web site: Deitch. Charlie. Pittsburgh's Steel City Roller Derby finds a new home in nearby Cheswick. Pittsburgh City Paper. 11 January 2017. 11 January 2017.
  17. Web site: Marshall. Justice Feelgood. Eastern Regionals Capsule Recaps Derby News Network. Derby News Network. 28 December 2016. 11 September 2009.
  18. Web site: Marshall. Justice Feelgood. 2010 East Region Playoffs Recaps Derby News Network. Derby News Network. 28 December 2016. 26 September 2010.
  19. Web site: East 3rd Place: 3E Charm City Advances to Championships Over 4E Steel City, 189-94 Derby News Network. Derby News Network. 28 December 2016. 18 September 2011.
  20. Web site: Talionis. Lex. East 9th Place: 5E Steel City Pulverizes 9E Dutchland, 476-107 Derby News Network. Derby News Network. 28 December 2016. 30 September 2012.
  21. Web site: Talionis. Lex. D1A 5th: (5) Steel City Comes Back On (7) Houston, 202-185 Derby News Network. Derby News Network. 28 December 2016. 22 September 2013.
  22. Web site: Jennings. Hannah. D1E: Toronto Roller Derby Survives Steel City, 184-170. Derby Central. 28 December 2016. 21 September 2014.
  23. Web site: Deadwards. Lisa. D1J 7th Place: #8 Steel City Meddles With #10 Charlottesville, 281-134. Derby Central. 28 December 2016. 20 September 2015.
  24. Web site: D1C: #10 Steel City irons #9 Ann Arbor, 258-205. Derby Central. 28 December 2016. 11 September 2016.
  25. "Current Rankings", WFTDA
  26. "Current WFTDA Rankings", Derby News Network, October 2007
  27. Web site: Rankings – WFTDA. wftda.com. WFTDA. 28 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20090202070211/http://wftda.com/rankings. 2 February 2009.
  28. Web site: Current Rankings. WFTDA. 28 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20100430194525/http://wftda.com/rankings. 30 April 2010.
  29. Web site: Current Rankings. WFTDA. 28 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20110302222136/http://wftda.com/rankings/. 2 March 2011.
  30. Web site: Current Rankings. WFTDA. 28 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20120125085842/http://wftda.com/rankings. 25 January 2012.
  31. Web site: Current Rankings. WFTDA. 28 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20130320122723/http://www.wftda.com/rankings. 20 March 2013.
  32. Web site: Rankings: December 31, 2013. January 2014 . WFTDA. 28 December 2016.
  33. Web site: Rankings: December 31, 2014 – WFTDA. wftda.com. January 2015 . WFTDA. 28 December 2016.
  34. Web site: Rankings: December 31, 2015 – WFTDA. wftda.com. January 2016 . WFTDA. 28 December 2016.
  35. Web site: Rankings: December 31, 2016 – WFTDA. wftda.com. 6 January 2017 . WFTDA. 6 January 2017.
  36. Web site: Rankings: December 31, 2017 – WFTDA . wftda.com . 5 January 2018 . WFTDA . 25 March 2019.
  37. Web site: Rankings: December 31, 2018 – WFTDA . wftda.com . 7 January 2019 . WFTDA . 25 March 2019.

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