Published: May 02, 2008 11:42 pm            

New sport rolls into the Gateway area

CAMANCHE — A little over four months ago, a group of five young ladies met in Tara living room in LeClaire to discuss the formation of a roller derby skating team in this area.

The group, including Bebber, Annie Colby, Natalie Glenn, Danielle Colby-Cashman, all skaters, decided to go for it and contacted Sandy Mussman, owner of the Roller Den in Camanche. Sandy was very supportive of the program and has let the Roller Den become home of the Big Mouth Mickies.

Team members include Whiskey Whipper, Fannie McSpankin, Lil’ Miss Cheata, Femme Natale, Brutal Baby, Elizadeath 666, Dannie Diesel, Carbomb Betty, Molly Toy, Irish Pirate Queen and Deadly Dolly.

“We are now getting out, making ourselves known, and looking for more players. Sunday we will be at the March of Dimes benefit at the Roller Den,” Bebber said.

The occasion is a toy and book drive benefiting the neonatal intensive care unit at Genesis Medical Center’s East Rusholme Street campus in Davenport.

The Big Mouth Mickies, a part of the Boondock Babies roller derby league, plan on competing in volleyball at Clinton’s Riverboat Days, make appearances at Clinton LumberKing baseball games and help, as a team, at the annual Iowa-Illinois Mississippi River Tugfest on the LeClaire side of the river.

So how did the team get started?

“Danielle used to live in the same housing complex in Chicago with a member of the Windy City Rollers and became interested in the sport,” Tara said. “When Danielle moved back here (LeClaire) she brought the idea with her and is coach of the team.

“We have only been working at it for about five months and we have a team of 15 players, including three going through orientation,” she said. “Getting a team together snowballed much faster than we expected. Other newly formed teams in the region have taken a year to a year and a half to be bout-ready.”

Roller derby contests are called bouts. Each bout contains three 20-minute periods which are divided into two-minute jams. At the start of a jam, the pivots and blockers gather in formation at the starting line, and then skate as a pack. The “jammer,” the only player able to score, tries to catch up and break through. A team gets one point for each opposing team member the jammer passes in each lap of a jam.

“We could compete right now, however we will work through exhibition bouts until later this year to be good enough to win. Our players come from Camanche, LeClaire, Clinton, Rock Island, Bettendorf and Davenport.”

Tracey V. Wilson, writing for Entertainment’s “howstuffworks” wrote, “Imagine a hockey game, but replace the ice with a roller rink. Swap out the baggy jerseys for fishnet hose and tank tops, and abandon ordinary names in favor of pseudonyms such as Hot Legs Hooligan, Tanya Hyde or Demi Gore. What you have is a reasonable facsimile of women’s roller derby.”

The league, which may consist of one team or as many as five, is a member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. Bouts are held on flat tracks, such as the Roller Den, not on banked tracks as with professional derby bouts.

The Big Mouth Mickies will be competing against teams from Cedar Rapids, Rockford, Des Moines, Peoria, the Quad-Cities, Waterloo and other area clubs.

“We selected that name (Big Mouth Mickies) because most of us are Irishmen and thought we could identify with it very well,” said Annie Colby

“At the present time we have one team but have a satellite team in the works,” Bebber said. “Anyone interested in becoming a player may contact Sandy Mussman at the Roller Den, (563) 259-1613, or go to our Web site, www.myspace.com/bigmouthmickies.”

Girls must be 18 years old to play.

The oldest team member on the local team is 38, with most in their mid-20s to mid-30s. Each girl goes through rigorous qualification and testing to be ready for competition.

The team should be able to start scrimmaging and playing exhibitions in July.

Endurance and skating practice use traditional roller derby drills, modified hockey drills or exercises players have developed themselves for ability to start and stop, skate at high speeds, dodge obstacles, dodge other players and fall without injury.

The group, according to Bebber, is not a group of so-called roughnecks but a group of “girly-girls.”

She said, “Our team (Big Mouth Mickies) is composed of Barbie Dolls, cheerleaders and fighters. They come from all walks of life — waitresses, students, medical assistants, and even an exotic dancer.

“I am a full-time student at Scott Community College in pre-law. Annie is full time at SCC then will attend St. Ambrose University with a physical therapy major. Natalie is a real estate agent with Ruhl & Ruhl,” said Bebber.

Because of their schedules, practice times are in the evening.

“We have four practices a week and everyone must be there for two unless there is a legitimate excuse,” Tara said. “We practice at 7 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, 8 p.m. on Wednesday, and 9 p.m. on Thursday. Our practices include games like bloody musical chairs and blood and thunder, roller derby’s version of ‘King of the-Hill.’”

Annie, who is the “quiet one but noisy when I have to be,” said, “Tuesday is sort of a play day practice and not really as structured. Practice Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday lasts three hours and Thursday two. We have a lot of moms on the team, why we have late practices, but they can fall down and take a bruise. Someone has described roller derby as hockey meeting NASCAR with skirts.”

Bebber said, “Everybody has to be insured and have a supplemental insurance covering roller derby to be sanctioned,” said Bebber. “The supplemental is an inexpensive coverage. And one of our major (corporate) sponsors is Dr. Jay Kitzman, a chiropractor, who has arranged for the girls to have chiropractic care.”

The Big Mouth Mickies include President Tara Colby Bebber, Le Claire; Treasurer Annie Colby, Le Claire; Coach Danielle Colby-Cushman, Le Claire; Tammy Remry, Clinton; Amy Hook, Clinton; Mary Jane Baldwin, Clinton; Linda Roelens, Rock Island; Natalie Glenn, Davenport; Mary Corsiglia, Bettendorf; Lisa Corsiglia, Bettendorf; Becca Clark, Davenport; Keegan Heisner, Le Claire; Nicole and Kamera, Clinton.

        

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