As coach Laura Wombwell puts it, they are the "future of roller derby."
Junior-aged derby players from Guelph got to play on their home floor for the first time ever Saturday night in an exhibition match that pitched team Liquorice against team Cotton Candy in front of friends and family at the Victoria Road Rec Centre.
The roughly 20 Guelph girls, aged 9 to 17, are members of the Tri-City Junior Roller Skaters, a group made up of girls from Kitchener-Waterloo and Stratford that started a couple of years ago.
Overall the junior program has roughly 70 girls enrolled. Players practice in their hometowns then get together for matches.
The program has been running for five years, but just 18 months in Guelph.
"Really, the future of roller skating is the junior program," said Wombwell. "These are all skaters will hopefully stick around and skate as adults eventually."
It also gives the girls a competitive, fun sport that is all inclusive, regardless of athletic background.
Saturday was the first match ever in Guelph for the Guelph members.
"We rolled out junior derby in Guelph in January of 2017 and they've played in New Hamburg and Kitchener, but this is the first time they've got to play at home," said Wombwell.
"It's super, super exciting for them to play for the home crowd."
Guelph's Stella Copoc, 12, who goes by the roller derby name interSTELLAr on the oval, got into the sport through a friend.
"My friend saw an invite thing on Facebook. I decided to go and now I'm hooked on it," Copoc said. "It took a while to get better at skating. That's the hardest part."
She said the best part has been meeting a bunch of new friends. "Plus I also like the physical part."
Tess Charlton, 13, aka "Tornado Tess" said the social part is the best.
"I feel like the roller derby community is like its own world, almost. Everybody is so kind and welcoming and the sport is so unique."
She got involved after seeing a pamphlet in a coffee shop.
"It's an amazing sport. It's so much fun," said Charlton, who had never been on roller skates before attending her first practice.
The group is open to anyone interested in trying the sport, with players separated by skill level.
They have to pass a skating, safety and skill test before they can move up to the next level, Wombwell said.
The new season is just getting underway. More information on the junior roller derby program can be found here.
