ABC’s Derby Girl

What has 8 wheels, wears a tutu with fishnets, and is black and blue all over?

ABC’s newest team member, Account Manager Jamie “J Rocket” Leszczynski.

By day, she’s managing our clients and placing media buys. But, by night, she’s a totally different person: lacing up her skates, taking blows and whips, and racing around the track for the OZ Roller Girls, a newly formed roller derby team in Oswego County.

Among 20 other women ranging in age, profession, and skills, Jamie is hoping to partake in her first public bout this October as a “jammer” (scorer).

Derby 101

How about a few definitions and rules of the game for those of you who may be unfamiliar with the whole roller derby nitty gritty?

A roller derby “bout” (match) consists of 10 people: Two teams, each made up of five people. One bout is comprised of three twenty-minute periods or two thirty-minute periods. Each period allows for an unlimited number of “jams” a two-minute countdown period during which both teams attempt to score points. Each team consists of one “jammer,” (scorer), three “blockers” (defense), and one “pivot,” (a blocker who may become the jammer later in that jam). The blockers and pivots from both teams combined are called the “pack.”

Basically, some girl with a helmet panty on her head (the “jammer”) tries to pass a mob of skaters, appearing to get pummeled all the while, eventually escaping a few times and getting through by some miracle only to zoom around to catch up to the mob and do it all over again. Referees figure up how many points the girl scored based on how many opponents she passed legally, meaning she didn't appear to step out of bounds or punch anyone in the face while trying to get through.

That's a very general explanation. Visit www.ozrgny.com for more information about OZ Roller Girls and to follow Jamie.

Pssst! Here’s a sneak peak of Jamie meeting the pavement with a smile at the 4th of July parade in Oswego!