The River City Dames of Anarchy roller derby team held their first practice Sunday at the North Iowa Fairgrounds. Practicing in the All Seasons Building, it was very hot with no air circulation, but the ladies didn’t seem to mind. They were pretty much getting down to business, stretching, warming up and drinking plenty of cold water. Above: Coach Kip Ireland instructs his team. See photos and video.|The River City Dames of Anarchy roller derby team held their first practice Sunday at the North Iowa Fairgrounds.
Practicing in the All Seasons Building, it was very hot with no air circulation, but the ladies didn’t seem to mind. They were pretty much getting down to business, stretching, warming up and drinking plenty of cold water.
Their coach, Kip Ireland, belted out instructions as the team circled a playing area laid out with orange cones. “Don’t pass the jammer!” was a common theme throughout the practice from Ireland. He was busy teaching rules of the game and techniques on how to prevent the opposing team’s “jammer” from passing. The object of roller derby if for a teams “jammer” to pass as many opposing teams’ skaters as possible, scoring points with each pass.
There were plenty of slips and spills during the practice, but most seemed to get right back up and continue skating. Everyone had on helmets and elbow and knee pads. The game of roller derby is known to be somewhat “physical” at times, and with skaters taking aliases such as “Shear Madness,” “Bipolar Betty,” “Mommy Fearest,” and “Ask Murderer” one could expect some bumping and pushing during a contest. 
The team is seeing interest grow steadily. Team “president” Calley Welch told NorthIowaToday.com that team membership has about doubled in recent weeks. “We went from twelve girls, now we have added thirteen or fifteen more.” About 25 to 30 teram members seemed to be present at Sunday’s practice after an unofficial count.
The team is in its off season currently and it preparing for next season, which would be from March to August. Until then, they will work on fundamentals and technique, learning the rules of the game and holding clinics and scrimmages.
You can learn more about the team at its Facebook page.
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