Cincinnati Rollergirls Explained

The Cincinnati Rollergirls is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 2005, the league currently consists of two teams which compete against teams from other leagues, and is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).^[1]

History and structure

The league was founded by Paula Estes and Christa Zielke in April 2005, wanting a new way to exercise.^[2] By the following year, they had enough skaters to form four teams: the Bloody Sundaes, Cincinnati Riots, Dames of Destruction and Full Metal Corsets.^[3] They played their first public bout in September 2006, selling out the 700-seat venue.^[4] By the following year, the league rationalized to two teams,^[5] and from 2008 it focused entirely on bouts against teams from other leagues.^[6]

The league affiliated with the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) in 2007,^{[7] [8]} and reached fourth place in its North Central Region by 2009.^[9]

After playing its home games at the Cincinnati Gardens since 2006, where a 2011 high-water mark for attendance was 4100 fans,^[10] the league was forced to look for a new home when the Gardens was announced in 2016 to be slated for demolition.^[11] In February 2017 it was announced that the league was moving to the Schmidt Memorial Field House at Xavier University in time for its 2017 season.^[12]

Cincinnati Rollergirls is a limited liability corporation with two teams; the Black Sheep is the league's A team, and its B team is the Violent Lambs.^[13]

WFTDA competition

For their first season as a WFTDA member in 2008, Cincinnati was placed in the East Region, and competed at that year's Eastern Regional Tournament as the 11th seed, and went 2-2 with victories against Grand Raggidy Roller Girls and Minnesota Rollergirls and losses against Boston and Charm City Roller Girls to finish in ninth place.^[14] In 2009, now part of the North Central Region, Cincinnati was the fourth seed at the North Central Regional Tournament, and finished in fourth place with a 126-62 loss to Detroit.^[15]

The league started 2010 strongly, winning their first seven bouts against WFTDA opposition, leading to them being seeded fourth for the 2010 North Central Region Playoff,^[16] where they again finished in fourth place, losing 164-143 to Mad Rollin' Dolls.^[17] In the 2011 Playoffs, Cincinnati were seeded fifth, but ultimately took eighth place, after a 157-99 loss to Brewcity Bruisers.^[18] As the seventh seed at the 2012 North Centrals, Cincinnati lost their first two games but recovered to defeat Chicago Outfit 180-166 to claim ninth place.^[19]

In 2013, the WFTDA changed their playoff structure, and Cincinnati qualified for the WFTDA Division 1 International Playoff tournament in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the eighth seed, finishing in eighth with a 275-95 loss to Wasatch Roller Derby.^[20] After missing Playoffs in 2014 and 2015, Cincinnati returned to Playoffs at the WFTDA Division 2 level in 2016 as the fourth seed in Lansing, Michigan, where they went 1-3 and ultimately finished in eighth place after a 220-174 loss to the Sac City Rollers.^[21]

Rankings

Season	Final ranking[22]	Playoffs	Championship
2007	NR[23]	N/A	N/A
2008	3 NC[24]	9 E	DNQ
2009	4 NC[25]	4 NC	DNQ
2010	5 NC[26]	4 NC	DNQ
2011	8 NC[27]	8 NC	DNQ
2012	9 NC[28]	9 NC	DNQ
2013	38 WFTDA[29]	8 D1	DNQ
2014	98 WFTDA[30]	DNQ	DNQ
2015	70 WFTDA[31]	DNQ	DNQ
2016	61 WFTDA[32]	7 D2	DNQ
2017	NR WFTDA[33]	DNQ	DNQ

• NR = no end-of-year ranking supplied

Notes and References

1. Web site: Cincinnati Rollergirls - Women's Flat Track Derby Association. wftda.org. WFTDA. 18 March 2017.
2. 101 Of Our Favorite Things. Cincinnati Magazine. December 2006. 40. 3. 144. 18 March 2017. Emmis Communications. en.
3. Bergantino. Matt. Girls On Skates. Cincinnati Magazine. June 2007. 40. 9. 76. 18 March 2017. Emmis Communications. en.
4. Web site: Zummo. Maija. Events: Hugs & Bruises Cincinnati Rollergirls offer camaraderie and competition. Citybeat Cincinnati. 18 March 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20081219101321/http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/article-1550-events-hugs-bruises.html. en. 6 September 2006. 19 December 2008.
5. Andrea Hopkins, "Rollergirls hold back no punches in derby revival", Reuters, 29 June 2007
6. "About The Cincinnati Rollergirls", Cincinnati Rollergirls
7. Web site: Stevens. Sarah. Cincinnati Rollergirls: Punk Rockin' and Rollin' to Success. soapbox cincinnati. 18 March 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304023526/http://www.soapboxmedia.com/features/0623rollergirls.aspx. 4 March 2016. 22 June 2009.
8. Web site: The WFTDA Newsletter December 2007. WFTDA. 18 March 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20080513183136/http://www.wftda.com/newsletters/12_2007.html. 13 May 2008. December 2007.
9. Kristy Conlin, "Roller girls beat stuffing out of Grand Raggidy", The News Record, 31 May 2009
10. Web site: Steigerwald. Shauna. Cincinnati Rollergirls team turns 10. Cincinnati.com. 18 March 2017. en. 8 March 2016.
11. Web site: Thompson. Ann. Teams Scrambling To Find New Practice Sites. wvxu.org. WVXU. 18 March 2017. en. 25 July 2016.
12. Web site: Mains. Brian. Cincinnati Rollergirls reveal new home, share 2017 schedule. WCPO. WCPO-TV. 18 March 2017. 18 February 2017.
13. Web site: Watkins. Steve. EXCLUSIVE: Cincinnati Rollergirls rebrand after a decade of derbies (Video). www.bizjournals.com. Cincinnati Business Courier. 18 March 2017. 11 February 2016.
14. Web site: Marshall. Justice Feelgood. Eastern Regionals: Complete Capsule Recaps Derby News Network. Derby News Network. 18 March 2017. 10 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20150104040117/http://www.derbynews.net/2008/10/10/eastern_regionals_complete_capsule_recaps/. 4 January 2015. dead.
15. Web site: Marshall. Justice Feelgood. North Central Regionals Capsule Recaps Derby News Network. Derby News Network. 18 March 2017. 18 September 2009.
16. Justice Feelgood Marshall, "2010 North Central Regional Preview", Derby News Network, 10 September 2010
17. "2010 North Central Region Playoffs Recaps", Derby News Network, 24 September 2010
18. Geoffrey Saucer, "North Central 7th Place: 7NC Brewcity Takes Down 5NC Cincinnati, 157-99", Derby News Network, 9 October 2011
19. Web site: Talionis. Lex. NC 9th Place: 7NC Cincinnati Comes Back on 8NC Chicago Outfit, 180-166 Derby News Network. Derby News Network. 18 March 2017. 16 September 2012.
20. Web site: Marshall. Justice Feelgood. D1FW 7th: (7) Wasatch Shuts Down (8) Cincinnati, 275-95 Derby News Network. Derby News Network. 18 March 2017. 8 September 2013.
21. Web site: Deadwards. Lisa. D2L 7th Place: #2 Sac City Punishes #4 Cincinnati, 220-174. Derby Central. 18 March 2017. 28 August 2016.
22. "Current Rankings", WFTDA
23. "Current WFTDA Rankings", Derby News Network, October 2007
24. Web site: Rankings – WFTDA. wftda.com. WFTDA. 18 March 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20090202070211/http://wftda.com/rankings. 2 February 2009.
25. Web site: Current Rankings. WFTDA. 18 March 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20100430194525/http://wftda.com/rankings. 30 April 2010.
26. Web site: Current Rankings. WFTDA. 18 March 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20110302222136/http://wftda.com/rankings/. 2 March 2011.
27. Web site: Current Rankings. WFTDA. 18 March 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20120125085842/http://wftda.com/rankings. 25 January 2012.
28. Web site: Current Rankings. WFTDA. 18 March 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20130320122723/http://www.wftda.com/rankings. 20 March 2013.
29. Web site: Rankings: December 31, 2013. January 2014 . WFTDA. 18 March 2017.
30. Web site: Rankings: December 31, 2014 – WFTDA. wftda.com. January 2015 . WFTDA. 18 March 2017.
31. Web site: Rankings: December 31, 2015 – WFTDA. wftda.com. January 2016 . WFTDA. 18 March 2017.
32. Web site: Rankings: December 31, 2016 – WFTDA. wftda.com. 6 January 2017 . WFTDA. 18 March 2017.
33. Web site: Rankings: December 31, 2017 – WFTDA. wftda.com. 5 January 2018 . WFTDA. 8 January 2018.