Community, competition and confidence flourish on the track as skaters of all shapes and sizes come to play with Classic City Roller Derby. The full-contact sport is accessible and welcoming to all ages and abilities of skaters and also provides a safe space for queer athletes in Athens.
Brianna McNew, a 30-year-old skater who goes by the derby name Scarlett’s Web, joined the league in 2019 as a way to find a new community after returning to Athens for work after having been a student at the University of Georgia. McNew is now the head of recruitment and works to organize CCRD’s biannual skate camp to grow and expand the league.
“I think roller derby probably really screams itself as a queer sport, and so I hope that whenever people see that they automatically think ‘Hey, that place is going to be welcoming for me,’”
Brianna McNew
Three times a week at the Fun Galaxy roller rink off Cherokee Road in Athens, Georgia, the Classic City Roller Derby team meets to practice on their skates. The team was founded in Athens in 2006, and in 2012, they became an official league in the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a large portion of the league retired, and since 2021, CCRD has been steadily building its numbers back up and expanding the league. The team is made up of players of all different ages and life stages, with skaters as young as 18 and some in their late 40s.
McNew notes that not everyone is comfortable with competing and getting hit as a bouting skater, but there are still ways for people to be involved in the league.
“If it’s something that you’re interested in being a part of, there is a place for you with Classic City Roller Derby,” said McNew. “Everyone who’s a part of it is not a bouting skater. If you are not interested in contact, you don’t have to do that.”
With the many hours each week that the team spends together, they have grown to be more than just teammates but a family.
“I think the community aspect is really huge for people because you come to stake camp, you do it for five weeks, and you realize what a big cheesy family we are,”
Brianna McNew
Ashtin Barker 