This month Proudly DeKalb had the honor of getting to know more about the Barbed Wire Betties, a local nonprofit roller derby group.
The Barbed Wire Betties are a women’s flat-track roller derby team based in DeKalb Illinois. Roller Derby is a full-contact sport played on roller skates, the object of the game is for the scoring skater to pass as many opposing skaters as possible in two minutes. We have three to four games home games a year at the Kishwaukee YMCA where teams from other parts of Illinois and neighboring states come to compete against us. We also travel out of town to play other Roller Derby leagues as well. Our primary focus is to play the sport of Roller Derby and to maintain our international ranking. We have found that through that focus, we are also changing the lives of our members. By giving our members a support system of a team environment, our members can discover new parts of themselves through the challenges presented during training and competing.
1.) How long has your organization been a part of the DeKalb community?
The Barbed Wire Betties have been a part of DeKalb since July of 2012
2.) What resources do you have to offer to the DeKalb community?
The Betties volunteer with other local non-profit organizations in the Dekalb / Sycamore area.
The Betties are owned and operated by our team members. Because we are managed by our membership, our members have opportunities to learn business and management skills in a low-pressure environment.
Roller Derby gives women and non-gender identifying individuals in our community a chance to play sports in a supportive, non-judgmental environment as adults.
3.) What is your organization’s mission?
Barbed Wire Betties Roller Derby, NFP (BWBRD) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit sports organization fostering the amateur sport of Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby in DeKalb County, Illinois. BWBRD embraces members of all shapes, sizes, backgrounds, and skill levels. The members of BWBRD train to the full extent of their abilities, respect their teammates and competitors and love the sport of roller derby. Barbed Wire Betties is a competitive Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) recognized league, with goals to foster a sense of camaraderie, empowerment, and teamwork among our members, and carry on the tradition of roller derby. BWBRD plays a physically demanding sport to inspire, entertain, and enrich our community.