Sports

St. Charles County Derby Team Prepares for First Bout of Season

Team members say once they started doing derby, they couldn't stop.

Some women hear about the game through friends. Others see it advertised on a poster. Curiosity drives them to check out a practice. 

By the time they lace on their skates, they are hooked on Roller Derby. 

"A lot of people think it's people punching each other in the face," said Deanna Seithel, 34, who joined the St. Chux Derby Chix in October. "It's much more in-depth than people believe. There's a lot to learn." 

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Roller Derby has undergone a resurgence since the 1970s and 1980s. Today, there are more than 450 teams across the country. The St. Louis area has several teams: the Arch Rival Roller GirlsSt. Chux Derby Chix, and a men's team, the St. Louis Gatekeepers.

when a group of women in the suburbs were looking to start a derby team closer to home. Arch Rival Roller Girls practice in St. Louis. The women are coached by , a member of the St. Louis Gatekeepers, the area men’s Roller Derby team.

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St. Chux Derby Chix practice at Skate Galaxy in unincorporated St. Charles County near Highway 94 and Interstate 40. Team members come from across the area, including Wentzville, St. Charles, Creve Couer, even Desoto. They range in age from their early 20s to early 40s. 

Many women are initially attracted to the game as a way to get in shape. It's a physically challenging game. However, most said they have gotten more out of it than just fitness.

Darci McAfee, 32-year-old mother of two from St. Peters, said roller derby has given her back a sense of self. 

"It's given me an identity besides, 'I'm Caden's mom, I'm Aidric's mom,'" she said. "There are so many women who say, 'What identifies me besides my status as a mom or a job or a married woman?' For many women, this is it."

Victoria Gee, a 38-year-old production supervisor for a pharmaceutical company, said Roller derby is an outlet for her. 

"I feel like I've become a stronger person personally, not just physically," she said. 

In the team's first full season it went 3-3. This season the team is looking to improve. The first bout is March 19 against Western Kentucky Rockin Rollers.

"I cannot wait," said Jamielee Conner, 25, from St. Charles. "I am just chomping at the bit." 

Deanna Seithel, 34, is a new team member. The March 19 bout will be her first. 

"I'm nervous," she said. "I think it's nerve-wracking being out there for the first time." 

The bout will be at , 3051 Industrial Park Place West, in St. Peters. Doors open at 7 p.m., the bout starts at 8 p.m.


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