Don't slow your roll: The Big Easy Roller Derby team
Rollin' on the river pt 2
by MJ Hébert
(read our match report from their triple header with a visiting team from Orleans, France)
Having watched the Big Easy skaters fight it out on the track, it’s hard to believe that it’s been 4 years since they’d played an official game. Jessie Alvarez, whose derby name is Kine Lee Killz, started roller derby in 2007, and is entering her second season skating with BERD as a team captain.
Kine and her teammates have tremendous pride in their team and immense passion for the sport. She tells me that her involvement in roller derby has given her the opportunity to connect with amazing people across the world and from all walks of life. Skaters are not only grateful for these experiences, but also for the growth and strength their involvement in the sport has enabled them to achieve.
Kine says, “This sport created a feeling of empowerment for me. I get to push myself to be the strongest athlete I can be with no expectations other than the ones I give myself.
The Big Easy team is incredibly close-knit, a community and a home for everyone involved. Kine says she is, “Incredibly lucky to find a league that welcomed me with open arms after leaving the league I had skated with for so many years. I considered [my former team] as family…I can honestly say I've found that same sense of family with BERD.”
Kine moved to New Orleans over the pandemic, and she tells me “I had the honor of playing a role in rebuilding this league following Covid.” During the pandemic, BERD struggled to stay afloat. Even now, they are in danger of losing their practice space. The team relies on fundraising events to cover rent for an enormous warehouse, which is also the space they need to host the very fundraisers the team relies on for their survival.
Roller derby is unique in the world of professional sports in that most teams, like BERD, are self-funded. Their success is fueled primarily by passion and by the support of their community. While their future isn’t promised, if the match against their French opponents is any indication, Big Easy Roller Derby isn’t going to give up without a hell of a fight.
To see the 2023 season schedule visit: bigeasyrollerderby.com
For updates on the team, event announcements, and information about how to donate to BERD – follow the team on Instagram @bigeasyrollerderb
by MJ Hébert
(read our match report from their triple header with a visiting team from Orleans, France)
Having watched the Big Easy skaters fight it out on the track, it’s hard to believe that it’s been 4 years since they’d played an official game. Jessie Alvarez, whose derby name is Kine Lee Killz, started roller derby in 2007, and is entering her second season skating with BERD as a team captain.
Kine and her teammates have tremendous pride in their team and immense passion for the sport. She tells me that her involvement in roller derby has given her the opportunity to connect with amazing people across the world and from all walks of life. Skaters are not only grateful for these experiences, but also for the growth and strength their involvement in the sport has enabled them to achieve.
Kine says, “This sport created a feeling of empowerment for me. I get to push myself to be the strongest athlete I can be with no expectations other than the ones I give myself.
The Big Easy team is incredibly close-knit, a community and a home for everyone involved. Kine says she is, “Incredibly lucky to find a league that welcomed me with open arms after leaving the league I had skated with for so many years. I considered [my former team] as family…I can honestly say I've found that same sense of family with BERD.”
Kine moved to New Orleans over the pandemic, and she tells me “I had the honor of playing a role in rebuilding this league following Covid.” During the pandemic, BERD struggled to stay afloat. Even now, they are in danger of losing their practice space. The team relies on fundraising events to cover rent for an enormous warehouse, which is also the space they need to host the very fundraisers the team relies on for their survival.
Roller derby is unique in the world of professional sports in that most teams, like BERD, are self-funded. Their success is fueled primarily by passion and by the support of their community. While their future isn’t promised, if the match against their French opponents is any indication, Big Easy Roller Derby isn’t going to give up without a hell of a fight.
To see the 2023 season schedule visit: bigeasyrollerderby.com
For updates on the team, event announcements, and information about how to donate to BERD – follow the team on Instagram @bigeasyrollerderb