Boredom to Derby: Roller derby team provides fun exercise, inclusive community for adults
When she’s not skating around the track, she’s Paris Jordanger, a 23-year-old paralegal only a couple of years out of college. When the skates and helmet are on, she’s “Rocket,” one of the newest skaters on the Richland County Regulators.
But Rocket didn’t intend to become a skater. She originally joined to help out with the administrative side of the sport. However; the first time she laced up her skates, Rocket fell in love with roller derby and never looked back.
“It’s a weird addictive feeling – you just want to keep going back,” Rocket said. “We have a lot of people who started – they were there for one or two practices and didn’t end up coming back. I don’t understand it.”
Rocket wasn’t just a new skater on the Regulators, she was a completely new skater – never roller skating until she made it to the team. She was ‘fresh meat,’ or a skater who hadn’t been assessed on her ability to take hits.
Despite being completely new to skating, Rocket didn’t let that intimidation hold her back.
“Everybody that was there started out where I am. No matter how experienced you are, you will still end up on your ass at some point.”
Rocket, first-time skater
Assistant coach Jim Looby knows about ending up on his rear end. Prior to joining the Regulators, Looby was looking for something to do after all of his friends went off to get married, have kids, move away or all of the above.
He loved skating – and he had friends in the roller derby community who “kept telling me over and over” that he needed to attend a game.
It was the game changer.
“I was like, ‘yeah dude, this is for me. I can play. I can do this and that,’” Looby said.
For head coach Shawn “Dell” Corley, roller derby had always been a passion of his. Dell fell in love with the sport during the 1980s. He jumped at the opportunity in the mid-2000s when derby was regaining some popularity.
Dell originally joined as a referee, but became a coach for another team prior to the creation of the Regulators. After the Regulators were created, Dell became the head coach of the team and hadn’t looked back since.
Although Dell had faced a lot of health issues – having aphasia and surviving a stroke – continued to coach and share the love he’d received in the community with the new skaters. He said that it “keeps my powder dry,” allowing him to be calm and prepared for the future.
The Regulators Show
According to Looby, the Regulators were in a rebuilding period, especially after COVID19. The pandemic rocked the team hard, knocking the roster down to three remaining skaters. It needed a new life.
Player McKayla “Sassy” Cosimato was able to provide that new life after joining the team in 2021. She became a promoter for the team, recruiting players in and around Richland County for the team.
Sassy’s impact resulted in the team rostering over 20 skaters, and it doesn’t have to borrow players from other local teams to play games.
While the team can boast a full roster of players after a rough period, the coaching hasn’t changed. Dell still coaches his players regardless of the star cover on their helmet or lack thereof.
“Generalists not specialists here,” Rocket said.
The Regulators’ practices are more laid-back.
The players sometimes do themed practices where they dress up. Themes – like “Looby Night,” where everyone showed up in a Looby-like outfit – keep the team involved, create memories and unite the team closer.
The Regulators aren’t just best friends on the track, they’re also close off the track. With weekly post-practice trivia Thursday nights and the occasional bar hopping, the team like the community that they’ve built with each other.
“(Looby) calls us ‘the island of misfit toys,’” Rocket said. “We don’t fit out there, but we fit all together.”
Derby’s Future, from the players
The derby scene in Columbia is steadily growing.
“Hopefully soon, we’ll have enough people (where) we can have two teams: an A and B team,” Looby said. “Roller derby in general, I wish more people knew about it. I wish it was more out in the public eye. I wish we could advertise on billboards and stuff like that, but sadly we don’t have that kind of money.”
But there are some restrictions prohibiting its growth, like the lack of space around Columbia.
The Regulators don’t have a secure “forever home” to practice in currently. According to the 2024 April Fools Day Instagram post, the team needs to have between 8,000 and 10,000 square feet with a smooth floor.
However, for now, the Regulators have planned to host the Tuesday practices at a local, outdoor park.
“It’s nice to have somewhat set place to practice while we look for our new home,” Rocket said.
No matter where the team practices, the team lives by Coach Dell’s motto of “We have fun.”
Kyaia Villegas is the editor-in-chief of The Palmetto. They created this website as a way to continue doing journalism. Their main focuses are sports and LGBTQ+ issues, both nationally and in South Carolina. If you have a comment or tip for Kyaia, feel free to contact them on social media or through email.
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