MUNCIE, Ind. — One Muncie sports organization is uniquely helping Delaware County citizens. Cornfed Roller Derby was founded in 2010, and since its inception, it has prided itself on supporting athletes from across the entire gender spectrum.
“Roller derby is largely a queer community; there are outliers, sure, but it’s such an accepting community. You can be whoever you want to be, on and off the track, and you will be accepted here,” said Cornfed Roller Derby athlete Faith Jones-Smith.
Roller derby also offers an outlet for many people to express themselves, not just physically, but emotionally as well.
According to roller derby athlete August Hazzard, “It has helped boost my self-esteem, because everyone is here to do the same thing and everyone is supportive of you no matter what.”
LGBTQ+ representation in roller derby dates back to the sport's inception, as roller derby athlete C.S. Hendershot said,
“Roller derby was founded on the premise that a lot of the folks that join it are challenging society's norms. We include everyone, and you don't often see that in professional sports these days.”
Cornfed Roller Derby’s gender representation is not the only thing that makes it diverse, as most athletes come from very different backgrounds in sports. As Jones-Smith said,
“I played a lot of different sports growing up, from basketball to cross country, to tennis and softball. Nothing that has as much physical contact as this one, but it helped me gain a level of sportsmanship.”
However, in the case of Hendershot, they have a different story.
“I was not very competitive in sports growing up… I really struggled in my teen years, but roller derby has helped me find a sport where I feel included.”
In a sport based on inclusiveness and gender representation, this helps some athletes find people like themselves that they can connect with.
“I started off in an all gender league, and we didn't have a lot of guys on our team. With me being trans, I connected with some more of the trans and queer people on my team. Even if they aren’t queer, or if they weren't any sort of the LGBTQ, nobody would judge you for anything,” said Hazzard.
Contact Stephen Grata with comments at stephen.grata@bsu.edu.
