Fast-paced action, hard-hitting, exciting gameplay and women's empowerment are just a few of the things that can be found when watching roller derby. The Texoma area is now home to the Texoma Roller Derby, Texoma’s first flat-track derby league.
Texoma residents Lyndsey Manley and Missy Weaver founded the non-profit organization in 2020 to bring the exciting sport of roller derby to the area. Both women had extensive experience with roller derby as they participated in the sport when they were younger and wanted to bring something they loved to the area. Ms. Manley’s experience with social media marketing and Ms. Weaver’s networking abilities were put to good use as it was difficult to start something that often not many people know anything about. “We started with nothing,” says Ms. Manley. “We hadn’t put on our skates in years, but our positive experiences and memories just kept coming back, and we decided to do something about it.”
Derby culture is often mentioned when talking to anyone involved in roller derby. “This derby culture is just as important as the sport. It is a sisterhood. It is what drives us to make ourselves better both in the sport and in our lives,” according to Ms. Weaver. Both women are eager to share their past experiences with roller derby as it has played an important part in their lives. Ms. Manley shared that roller derby was an experience that helped her grow as a person. “I found roller derby when I was at the lowest point in my life. It helped me grow as a person. It was a place to belong to and be with other strong women, and it helped me to be more confident.”
Ms. Weaver also mentioned that roller derby is such a close-knit family. “We even have what we call derby wives that encourage, help and share struggles and successes with each other. These friendships can last a lifetime even after roller derby.”
The roller derby culture is something that can be found throughout the entire sport. You will find other teams supporting and encouraging each other. Often, other team coaches visit and share their skills and experience with the team. They provide advice, coaching and skills instruction to other teams. According to Ms. Manley, “We know that for our league to be successful, we have to be there for each other. Yes, we may hit and rough up each other during the bouts, but at the end of the day, we know we have to support and encourage each other. We want everyone to succeed on the track and in their personal lives.”
Another interesting aspect of roller derby culture is the light-hearted and fun names each team member gives themselves. “It’s almost like you have an alter ego. It is ok to have a different persona when you skate. You might be a mild-mannered housewife, mom or teacher, but you would never guess watching them play or by hearing their aliases,” says Ms. Weaver. They happily shared their derby names. Lyndsey Manley’s derby name is Paranormal Smacktivity. Missy Weaver’s name is Moonshine Missy, and coach Stacie Flood’s name is Punkslee Addamns. Learning the “game names” of the team members is one of the fun activities for fans. Ms. Manley states, “The players love to hear their names being cheered by fans. It really connects the fans to the team.”
Coach Flood agrees. “Sport and empowerment go hand in hand. The sport actually comes second to us. Empowering women is our main goal, but we want to do it in a fun and exciting way. It is not just about skill. It is about finding confidence in yourself, which they can take with them for the rest of their lives.”
Ms. Manley, Ms. Weaver and Coach Flood stress to the team that the team is a family-friendly organization. “There is zero tolerance for any kind of prejudice or nonacceptance. Every woman is accepted regardless of age, physical appearance, or abilities.”
Maintaining a positive image is an essential goal of the organization. According to Ms. Weaver, “Image is so important to us. We want to send a message to women that this is an organization that is positive, helpful, encouraging and where we build people up and not tear them down. Yes, we play rough, but, at the end of the day, we are a family, and families take care of each other.”
The team hopes to attract new fans to the sport by participating actively in the community. Ms. Weaver states, “We love to make appearances at different events and hope to teach our new fans the rules and culture. It is fast-paced and exciting, and we know it is new to so many, but we know they will find it exciting and fun. But it is a sport. Skills and abilities are involved, and we are always looking for new members for the team. We like to call them fresh meat. These newcomers have to pass a minimum skills test to be able to participate on game day. All new team members must attend a sixteen-week skate school to learn the basics of roller derby and the skills of skating, turning, stopping and falling.”
The Texoma Roller Derby begins their nine-bout season in April and continues until their last game on September 7, 2025. The team will host four home games and will have five away games. Information on bouts, purchasing tickets and this year’s schedule can be found on the Texoma Roller Derby Facebook page.