By Tom Rohrer
Already well-known in the area for producing top roller derby talent, the Oly Rollers bolstered Olympia’s reputation in the sport even more, thanks to another national championship victory.
In mid-December, the Oly Rollers took home the inaugural USA Rollers Sports (USARS) National Championship, by defeating the San Diego Starlets at the Fresno Convention Center in Fresno, Calif.
With their victory, the Rollers were presented with the first ever Seltzer Cup, marking the second time since 2009 that the team has brought home a national championship. In 2009, the Rollers won the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) Championships and in 2012, the team was the runner-up in the same championship.
Winning another national championship brought excitement to the team, even more so due to the fact that it was an inaugural event.
“It means a lot, it really does,” says Layla Lawdown, a member of the Oly Rollers. “USARS has been around for roller hockey and speed skating, but it’s the first roller derby event. We hope it gains momentum going forward, but we will always be able to say we made history.”
Armed with a collection of both experienced and younger talent, the Rollers were able to instill their game plan amongst relatively unfamiliar competition.
“The local teams, you have an idea of how they play,” said Whammy, who has been a member of the Oly Rollers for five months. “It’s a little more unfamiliar at the national level and you build stuff up in your mind. It’s important to just go out and work hard and let everything take care of itself.”
“We had a mix of skaters that have been to nationals and some that have never seen a national track ever in their lives,” Layla Lawdown said. “This tournament that we went to was huge because we had such a diverse group of skill and experience. But we all know what’s needed to get us where we want to go.”
Regardless of their level of experience, each Oly Roller team member appears to have the ability to block out all distractions and focus on the task at hand.
“After a match, I don’t remember anything,” said Decoda Sordahl, a 2-year member of the Rollers. “People will ask me about a particular moment, and I won’t remember it. I think it’s because I’m just so focused on skating hard and everything else is out of my frame of mind.”
That type of focus is expected by all members of the Oly Rollers.
“I know when you walk on an Oly floor, you know what’s expected of you as a skater,” Layla Lawdown said. “Regardless of your skill level, (teammates and coaches) are going to invest in you as much as you invest in yourself.”
Already having a target on their back on a national scale, the most recent national title will surely bring more pressure on the team and raise the level of play in their competition. The Rollers response? Challenge accepted.
“Olympia has always had a reputation for producing some of the best talent in the northwest and when someone sees you see you skate for Oly, they are going to know what you do as a skater,” Layla Lawdown said. “It’s important that we don’t focus on what other teams do or how they view us. We need to focus on what we can control, and that’s working hard as a team and skating hard. We want to instill our style on our opponents and we’ve been able to do that.”
That talent and style of play is backed by a family like fan-base that according to the Rollers is unmatched.
“It’s a family. Some of our fans are literally family, and they care about us,” Layla Lawdown said. “We have super fans that come watch us scrimmage every Monday. They know you, who you are and your family members. We have some of the best fans and the most loyal fans. That’s because of the sport and because the Olympia community is such a great place.”
For more information on the Oly Rollers and their upcoming bouts, visit www.olyrollers.com.
For more information on the Underground Derby League in Olympia, visit www.undergroundderby.com.
