Contents of Ballantyne Magazine - SPRING 2012

Ballantyne Magazine covers news, events, real estate, restaurants, shopping, health, schools and business in the upscale Ballantyne Area of Charlotte, NC.

Page 85 of 99

BALLANTYNE | feature
teaching the rules, and there are a lot that need to be taught," he says. "We constantly grill our girls on the rules to know that they understand the way the game is properly played." And how is it played? Roller derby is a sport of speed and precision, with blockers protecting the oval track as jammers race around and try to attain points. It's an easy game to pick up, Bailey says, but if audience members have a hard time learning the ropes, team ambassadors at events answer questions and explain what's happening. The Speed Demons are always on the lookout for new talent. They recruit mostly through word-of-mouth but also post flyers in neighborhood gyms to lure interested parties to contests. The current age range of the Speed Demons is from late teens to early 40s. The team plans to establish a farm team in the near future that would train interested players before they move up to become a Speed Demon.
Seeking Olympic Status Long term, the sport has Olympic
aspirations. Bailey's Race City Roller
a sport of speed and precision, with blockers protecting the oval track as jammers race around and try to attain points.
Roller derby is 84 BALLANTYNE MAGAZINE
Efird likes the professionalism of the Charlotte Speed Demons.
SPRING 2012