Ballantyne Magazine covers news, events, real estate, restaurants, shopping, health, schools and business in the upscale Ballantyne Area of Charlotte, NC.
Roller derby is early in the process of attaining status as an Olympic sport, Bailey says. In all honesty, he calls it "a long shot."
Derby organization is a member of USA Roller Sports, the national governing body for all competitive roller sports. The organization is recognized by the Federation Internationale de Roller Sports, known as "FIRS," which in turn is recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee. Roller derby is early in the process of attaining status as an Olympic sport, Bailey says. In all honesty, he calls it "a long shot." "But roller derby has become so big across the globe, that the Olympic Committee … has accepted us," he says. "Now they'd like us to come up with a standardized rule set that we can play in international competition. So we've passed the first hurdle. Now we're going on to the next hurdle." For now, the Speed Demons are focused on the latest season, which just got underway Feb. 25 with a contest against the Appalachian Roller Girls. The season extends through October, with one match per month. Their home matches are at Breakaway Sports, north of uptown at 3917 Trailer Drive. "I chose to play for this team because I believe so
SPRING 2012
much in what we represent," Efird says. "The main reason, for me, is how much confidence they (the organizers) have in our players. You're not going to get that from other roller derby teams. We are a little different. … We don't have crazy requirements. We don't have to do the marketing. We just get to show up and concentrate on being a great
player, becoming a better skater and being better as a team." For details on the Charlotte Speed Demons, check outt www.CharlotteSpeedDemons.com, where you can find player profiles, a season schedule, team photos, an online store and, of course, contact information in case you're interested in lacing up your skates or taking in a contest.
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