March 2011 Featured League: Hard Knox Roller Girls

You might recognize them because of their neon green uniforms with the iconic Knoxville Sunsphere prominently displayed in their logo, but you'll always remember them after you get a chance to see them play. This 503(c) organization is making things happen in big ways with less than 30 skaters in their membership. Not only are they experienced at beating up a car, but they beat a lot of teams to participate in the 2010 South Central Regional Playoffs. Learn more about the Hard Knox Roller Girls.

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Location:
Knoxville, Tennessee

How does your season run?
Our home season runs April to August. It's nestled perfectly between UT football and the Knoxville Icebears (hockey) seasons. A long-term goal of HKRG is to help roller derby be viewed as a true sport. It only made sense to wedge our season between football and hockey so that folks can enjoy full contact sports year round.

Are you close to any other WFTDA leagues?
Nashville Rollergirls and Atlanta Rollergirls are the two closest leagues but we also have two sister leagues (Chattanooga and Little City) within an hour and a half of us that are in the Apprentice Program.

How many skaters/teams do you have? And how is your league structured (home teams, travel team, management)?
We have 26 skaters and two teams, the All-Stars and the Brawlers.

Our league runs as a 501c3 non-profit organization. We use a democratic process for league decisions and have a seven member Board of Directors that runs the business and organizational aspects of the league.

Before joining the WFTDA we had three intraleague teams. In order to build team cohesiveness we scrapped the home teams and created a WFTDA charter team and a farm team. Our league practices as one team and everyone is held to the same standards.

How many days a week do you practice?
We have four scheduled practices a week. Two are skating and two are conditioning or strategy.

Who is HKRG's biggest rival? And have you had any outstanding, memorable moments against them when you bouted?
Memphis Roller Derby would be our biggest rival. Every time we have played each other, the bout has been intense. More than one bout has come down to the last jam. We know that each time we're scheduled to bout, both teams are going to bring it. Last year we played them four times and each game was viewed as the most important game of the year.

Do you have any sister leagues you’d like to give a shout out to?
The 580 Roller Girls out of Southwest Oklahoma. The 580's founder is Kelly Rimmer, aka Violent BeaureGuard, who was an HKRGer before moving to OK. We told her, “No derby where you're moving? Start your own league”, and she did! The community has been extremely supportive of her and the new league. We are so proud of our derby sister for all that she has accomplished. The 580's have been around for less than a year and already have the same number of skaters that we do. Congratulations ladies!

What are the individual challenges of your city?
Knoxville is a large college town and the city's blood runs orange as though UT football is the only sport in existence. Over 100,000 people flock to Neyland Stadium on game day to watch the Tennessee Vols play. We have designed our home schedule to not conflict with theirs in hopes of larger turn outs.

In addition to college ball, K-Town is the buckle of the bible belt and derby doesn't lend itself to conservatism. Our long standing goal has been to educate the community about the legitimacy of flat track roller derby. We focus on charitable events and fundraisers that allow us to showcase our philanthropy and professionalism.

Who are some of your favorite sponsors?
All of them! With the recession at full force, it has been difficult for sponsors to give money. Many of our sponsors now support us through trade. The Roane County Skating Rink and the Tri County Roller Arena allow us to rent at a discounted rate in exchange for advertisement. We are very grateful to have awesome working relationships with our sponsors. Thanks to all of you!

What are your biggest training challenges?
Practice space would have to be our number one challenge. Most of our girls travel an hour to get to practice, and some drive two hours! It's difficult to recruit new skaters when the drive is so far. We encourage interested women to make the trip because once they get to practice, they're hooked.

Who are the best "behind the scenes" skaters who make your league run?
Our 2010 Board of Directors spent hours outside of practice for the betterment of our league. This year we are extremely fortunate as we have four returning board members and have added three highly motivated committee heads. Our 2011 Board of Directors are: Goblynn—President, Kell's Inferno—Vice President, Unsweet T—Secretary, Chrome Armored Angel—Treasurer, DaNapalm—Events Coordinator, Battle Ready Betty—Public Relations Coordinator and Drop Dead…Gorgeous—Training Head.

Who are some of your star on-track skaters and why?
Knox Villain is HKRG's MVP (Most Valuable Pivot) and has been for the last three years. She is underestimated due to her size and her sweet demeanor. Miss Kat A'Kombs and Trace of…Death are extremely valuable because they can play every position and play them well. Unfortunately, they are both on medical leaves of absence. We wish them both a speedy recovery. Goblynn and Drop Dead…Gorgeous are jammers that stand out during game play. Their skating styles are completely opposite from one another. Drop Dead…Gorgeous is fluid and agile, and nimble and quick on her feet, which makes her difficult to pin down. Goblynn is punishing, powerful, and isn't scared to engage while jamming. She mothers the bench and encourages her teammates to work hard and never give up.

What kind of training/bouting facilities do you have?
We train at several facilities. In addition to the two skating rinks listed above we hold conditioning practices at a domestic violence crisis center, local parks and at a community pool. Halfway through our 2010 season we changed venues to the Knoxville Coliseum. It was a risky move but we had outgrown our old space and were excited to start competing in a “true” sports arena. The Knoxville Coliseum seats over 5000 not including the suicide seating. Management at the Coliseum has been wonderful to work with. And, the floor holds the record as the world's largest cheese grater!

Your league logo features a Knoxville, Tennessee icon, the Sunsphere. Can you tell us a little bit about the Sunsphere and how it came to be a part of the Hard Knox logo?

The Sunsphere was built in 1982 as part of the World's Fair. It has since become a notable part of Knoxville's skyline. In 2006 we had a "Design Our Logo" contest. Our logo was selected from the submissions, and represents the strength of our league and uniqueness of our city. The simplicity of the design makes it very recognizable. We love our logo and think it's perfect.

2011 marks Hard Knox's 5th year as a roller derby league. What advice would you give to the many new leagues that have just started rolling?
Don't be scared to reach out to other leagues. Without each other, derby wouldn't exist. I have never been turned away when asking for help from any league. Discuss and design a league structure then put it in place and stick to it. If you realize a policy isn't working, change it. This way everyone will know what is expected and your growing pains won't feel so sharp. Transparency is important too. Make sure your Board of Directors explains decisions to league members because it helps minimize speculation and drama. Knowledge is power—your entire league needs it.

Your league made it to the South Central Region Playoffs tournament for the first time in 2010, and many of your nominators mentioned how impressive that is given your small team. Do you consider yourselves a small team? Is that an obstacle to your success?
Yes. We are tiny. Our 2010 regional charter was practically our entire league. We had 23 skating members at the time. Several girls on our charter had only played in 3 or 4 games before competing at Regional Playoffs.

Being a small league has its challenges. Money is constantly tight and everyone is expected to pay for their own gear, uniforms and travel. We lack in numbers and depth. When a skater is injured, there isn't a 2nd string skater waiting to jump in. Our newest skaters are thrown into high level game play because there is no one else to fill the positions. However, we don’t see being small as an obstacle to our success. In some ways we attribute our achievements to our size: so much of what we did worked because we are so small. We held pasta dinners at each others' houses, sleepovers after the after-after parties, and traveled together. None of this could have happened with a team of 80 or more women. We bonded as a team last year, and without that connection, we would never have played as well as we did.

We understand you have a new head coach who has been instrumental in HKRG reaching Regional Playoffs and keeping your team competitive. How did you find your coach? What advice can you give to other leagues seeking a head coach?

Our 2010 coach was Goblynn's husband. At the end of 2009 we found ourselves without a coach. The Diddler stepped in and brought with him structure, discipline, and strategy. His goal was for us to play like a team, not as individuals. Our advice for other leagues is to look for the following traits: 1) Respects for the players and position. 2) Dedication to the league. 3) Willingness to work with the Board and abide by league policies.
 4) Knowledge of the game, rules, and strategies
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Your 2011 season is just getting underway, and you are currently ranked 9th in the South Central Region. What are your predictions for the 2011 season? What goals do you have with respect to ranking?
2011 is going to be a rebuilding season for us. Just when we started to get a few more skaters, several of our veterans left the league. We are focused on staying in the top 10 of our region. Our newest skaters are progressing well and looking forward to the challenge.

From what we understand you are a 501(c)(3) organization. Was that difficult to set up? What benefits has your league seen from making this move?
The best benefit of our non-profit status is the feeling you get when you give back to your community. We recognize a charitable organization at each of our home bouts. At one of our games, Special Olympics athletes were recognized. The crowd gave them a standing ovation that lasted for minutes. It was a heart warming experience we were proud to take part in.

It took our league almost two years to achieve our 501(c)(3) status. We benefit by having free Public Service Announcements and discounted advertising and purchasing rates. Businesses and individuals that donate to our league can use it as a tax deduction. Keeping up with all the tax law proves to be a full time job but there are viable rewards both emotionally and financially.

Your league has their very own independently started fan club—the Derby Dawgs. How did this come about and how does your league work with them?
We held a free admission scrimmage after moving to the Knoxville Coliseum. Our founding Derby Dawg, Axel Rotten, came to check us out. He had his face painted black and green. Our team is known for face paint so we got a kick out of seeing our first ever face-painted-fan. Axel and Derby Dawg D-lux (co-founder) immediately became additions to the Hard Knox family. They have shown support by painting faces at our bouts, helped set up a VIP fan section and even drove 16 hours to cheer us on at Regionals last year!

The Dawgs became so popular we created a second “fan” mascot to accompany "Sphere This" (our dancing Elvis Sunsphere). It is a scrappy looking dog named "Knuckles". We love our Derby Dawgs and try to include them in everything possible.

We've heard that your league organized a "Beat A Car" fundraiser. How exactly does that work as a fundraiser?
Living in the Tennessee hills, the "Beat A Car" proved to be a very lucrative fundraiser. Here's how it works: 1) Find an old car. Arrange for a junk yard to remove it after the festivities. 2) Gather a variety of destructive instruments such as sledge hammers, baseball bats, tire irons, chairs, chains, knives, spray paint, etc. to be used for defacement. 3) Rope off an area to safely contain the vehicle. 4) Charge people to hit the car. The cost depends on which instrument is selected. 5) Have all participants sign a liability waiver prior to participation.

We schedule this event the same day as a league yard sale that attracted a lot of customers. People couldn’t get enough. They kept spending more and more money to take whacks at the car. Our "Beat A Car" got so crazy folks were paying us to run their pick-up trucks into it!

Does Hard Knox have any special events planned for 2011?
Hard Knox is hosting the Tennessee State Roller Derby Championship taking place on June 4th at the Knoxville Coliseum. We want to have a sell out crowd. Please tell all your friends to make the trip for a day full of non-stop derby action.

Do you have a special message to your fans?
Without our fans we could have never made it as far as we have. We look forward to seeing you at the bouts and hearing you while we're on the track. Thank you for always supporting us.

Be on the lookout for a Hard Knox Roller Fan Package to be unveiled in April 2011. We promise it will be worth the wait!

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