Roller derby league opens doors in Texas City

TEXAS CITY — Esther S. Conolly propped the doors open at 6:30 p.m. Monday, and the once-empty, desolate old Kmart building at 3502 Palmer Highway came to life.

About 60 members of the all-girls South Side Roller Derby league, the occupants, slowly filed in for their first practice. Some got their first glimpse of the place while others, who had helped renovate the deserted 25,000-square-foot building, admired the product of months of work.

All soaked in the moment that included hugs, smiles, laughter and even a few tears. Then, they got down to work and put on their skates to experience the track.

After years of fundraising and months of hard work, South Side Roller Derby, which started in 2006 and has 100 members and eights teams, finally had a home. Though the place still needs work and has a couple of blemishes, it did not matter. It’s perfect. It’s theirs.

“Unbelievable,” league member Jane Doe, of Texas City, said. “This is great. A dream come true for a lot of us.”

The grand opening and league’s first game will take place at 6 p.m. May 22.

‘A Long Time Coming’

Roland Belmarez set up the folding chairs for the bench. He looked around with a feeling of accomplishment and let out a sigh of relief.

Belmarez never will skate on the banked track — he’s male. Yet, as the boyfriend of Mary Jo Gould, one of the founders of South Side Roller Derby, he helped. A lot.

“This is a long time coming for these girls and a dream come true,” Belmarez said. “They really love it. So I support and do what I can, or else I would be single.”

South Side formed four years ago without a permanent home. The league used Pearwood Skate Center to practice and host league games.

Though thankful for a place to play, the temporary housing caused headaches. The girls could practice only at certain times. The league also was at Pearwood’s discretion. Birthdays often canceled games and practices, and, at times, the air conditioning was off.

Of course, Pearwood has a flat track, not made for true roller derby.

“It was a good start,” Conolly, a Kemah resident and co-owner, said. “But this is our dream.”

Now South Side can practice whenever it likes. The league can schedule games on any day of the week and boasts one of the best tracks in the world.

It took more than three years to raise money to buy the track — $15,000 — and to lease the building. Conolly did not want the terms of the lease disclosed.

Most of the funds came from league dues. Others came from fundraising events that included oil wrestling at bars, poker runs and barbecues.

The Place

As players walked into the building Monday, one came up to Conolly with an important question: Where’s the toilet paper?

Conolly ran around the place, to the back and through the cleaning supplies, before she finally found some. She also reminded people to use the second toilet — the first one has some issues.

Conolly and Gould are discovering all the little things one must consider when having a business property, from toilet paper to passing city inspections.

The league has a temporary permit, so only 30 people can compete in the building at once. Conolly had to play hall manager Monday, shuffling people in and out between a practice on the track and one outside. The full capacity is not known yet.

“The city has ben really helpful,” Conolly said. “Because we didn’t know a lot about this.”

South Side still needs bleachers, which it’s hoping to get from the city as a donation. The building does not have air conditioning either — the league can’t afford a big unit but plans to have three portable ones by the home opener.

Making Repairs

The three co-owners, Conolly, Gould and Brenda Cooper, chose the place for simple reasons: location, affordability, ease and space. The vacant building on Palmer Hwy fit the bill, which South Side started leasing in January.

Like any newly bought home, it needed fixing. The place had no plumbing or electricity. The co-owners found blood on the walls, most likely from vagrants who frequented the place when no one occupied it. Soot covered the floors and walls.

For some issues, the league hired contractors. Everything else, the members did themselves.

Conolly and Gould estimated they spent about 40 hours a week — a second job, since they both have other employment — making the building look like a home.

Belmarez said he ate a lot of dinners away from home during the last four months.

“Mary Jo and Esther were up here all the time; they practically lived here,” Belmarez said.

The Track

Doe tied up her laces and got on the banked track for the first time. She walked on the surface and started flying.

“It’s fast,” she said.

The track is 101 feet, 9 inches across by 57 feet, six inches. It weighs 12,170 pounds.

South Side is just one of five leagues in the nation — and the second largest in the world — to have a banked track. The style, which went out of favor because of injuries, has had a resurgence, along with the sport.

It’s safer now. The banked track also allows more hitting, and players don’t need to worry about going out of bounds or falling off.

“This is how the sport is supposed to be played,” Gould said.

The Future

At 34, Conolly doesn’t know how much longer she’ll skate. She started roller derby as a way to work out but can’t recover from injuries as fast as she used to. Those bumps and bruises take days, sometimes weeks to heal.

Still, Conolly, along with Gould and Cooper, work relentlessly. What started as a hobby has become a life.

“I know how much this sport means to all these girls,” Conolly said. “Though it may not be my passion, my love is making sure the league is there so they can enjoy it.”

Though one dream is accomplished, others are on the horizon. Conolly envisions expansion into the vacant building that sits next to South Side. She imagines fans lining up to get in to see exhilarating action and passionate players.

There’s more work left and goals to accomplish. The new building and track are just steps, albeit big ones, to making South Side Roller Derby one of the best leagues in the nation.

“If we can get here from a few players to 100, to a new building in a few years, just imagine what we can do next,” Conolly said. “This is a piece of history, right here in Texas City, with hopefully more to come.”

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Fast Facts

The Building

• 3502 Palmer Highway, Texas City

• 25,000 square feet

The Track

• 101 feet, 9 inches by 57 feet, 6 inches

• 12,170 pounds

• One of five banked tracks in the nation

• Cost: $15,000

South Side Roller Derby

• All girls

• 100 members

• Eight teams

• Practice three times a week with games on weekends

• Tryouts and boot camp available once a month for new skaters.

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At A Glance

WHAT: South Side Roller Derby Grand opening and league’s first game

WHEN: 6 p.m. May 22

WHERE: 3502 Palmer Highway in Texas City

COST: Presale tickets $10

ON THE WEB: www.southsiderollerderby.com