YJRD
Ethnographic Study
Collaborators: Joy Lau, Isabella Areiza, Phoenix Cross
CC Images courtesy of Ethan Trewhitt on Flickr
YJRD, or Yellow Jacket Roller Derby, is a collegiate all-gender sports team, which competes in inter-collegiate and city games. Roller Derby is a close-contact sport played on quad skates, and it has had quite a resurgence in the recent years.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
To observe the interpersonal relationships and culture between members of the Yellow Jacket Roller Derby (YJRD)
How: shadow observation during a scheduled practice
Why: shadowing members reveals relevant information regarding the culture of the organization which cannot be expressed in words
To understand the organizational and logistical structures within YJRD
How: conducting formal interviews with executive members of YJRD
Why: interviewing an exec member with provide insights into the structure of the club which only internal members are privy to
To analyze the unique position which YJRD finds itself in as a collegiate team in contrast with the rest of the roller derby community
How: conducting formal interviews with members of YJRD who have experienced being in a city team
Why: this can provide a more well rounded comparative analysis due to the unique position YJRD finds itself in as one of the only collegiate teams in the world
To determine the difficulties as well as the the effects of such difficulties faced by the roller derby community as a whole
How: conducting formal interviews with members of YJRD who have experienced being in a city team
Why: this can provide insights into the whole roller derby community as it is not just regarding the Georgia Tech team which has a lot of funding and resources
YJRD PRACTICE SHADOW OBSERVATION AEIOU
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Activities
Gearing up • Stretching • Skating laps around track • Drinking water • Chatting • Whistles • Announcing into microphone • Squats • Practice drills • Practice bout - with pack (blockers) + jammers • End of practice chat/reflections - highs/lows
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Environment
CRC Auxiliary Gym • Large practice space • Benches for gearing up on the sides of the gym
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Interactions
Between members: Talking - small chats, laughing, reflections (end of practice)/Practice drills/Body slamming • Coach + loudspeaker • Coach + whistles • Members + water bottles • Members + safety gear • Members + track markers/cones - laying out/picking up after practice
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Objects
Shoes • Derby skates • Safety gear: helmets, knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards, mouth guards • Track markers • Water bottles • Phones • Track markers: rubber/flexible strips, cones
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Users
Derby skaters - level 2, level 3 members • Coach - senior member of YJRD
INTERVIEW PREPARATION
The interview subject for this project is Emily Primmer, the President of Yellow Jacket Roller Derby. In preparation for the interview, we listed specific questions which covered certain aspects which could not be understood about YJRD through observation only. These drew from the research objectives our team put together.
We used ChatGPT to generate some of the questions but tailored them to fit our needs during the interview. These questions targeted different aspects of roller derby culture and the interviewee’s unique insights into the sport. Cultural questions were used to provide greater insight into the workings of roller derby as a whole and the particular routines that the Yellow Jacket Roller Derby follows. Organizational questions were devoted to logistics, such as funding, material requirements, and the structural needs of practices. Physical questions were aimed at understanding the rigor of roller derby, and how its unique position as a contact sport gives it different needs than other sporting clubs. Outlook questions were used to understand what the future of roller derby is heading toward.
Below are a few of the questions used during the interview:
Cultural
Can you describe some of the rituals or traditions that your team practices, either on or off the track?
How do you manage team dynamics and resolve conflicts within the team?
How does your college roller derby team promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, both within the team and in the broader community?
Organizational
Can you describe the role of leadership and governance within the college roller derby team, including the roles of coaches, captains, and other team members?
How do you fund and sustain your roller derby team, and what are some of the biggest financial challenges you face?
Can you describe the recruitment and training process for new members of your college roller derby team?
Physical
How do you train and improve your skills as a roller derby player?
How do you prepare for a match, both physically and mentally?
How do you balance the physical demands of the sport with your other responsibilities outside of roller derby?
Outlook
How do you see the future of roller derby, and what changes or developments do you anticipate in the sport in the coming years?
How does being part of a college roller derby team differ from being part of a non-college team, and what are the benefits and challenges of each?
Emily Primmer has been involved with roller derby and skating culture since she was 11, and she has extensive knowledge about the community and how it has evolved both inside and outside of collegiate circles. Her experiences in both collegiate and city teams have given her diverse insight into the workings and culture of the sport, and how it differs between these two scenes.
Statement: “So, the biggest challenge that yellow jacket roller derby faces, probably one of them would be just adding new members to our club every semester.”
Insight: Not enough people out there feel comfortable with skating or have the required gear. This is something the organization attempts to overcome by providing gear to new members and providing a curriculum for new skaters to advance their skills.
Statement: “We also table a lot on campus, and I think we probably table the most out of any organization on campus. We are constantly out there tabling, pushing our fliers, handing them out, getting people engaged, giving people stickers.”
Insight: The team does a good amount of marketing by promoting themselves around campus. This can lead to people supporting the team by going to watch their bouts or by encouraging people who may not have known about the team to join.
Statement: “I would say at Yellowjacket roller derby and the roller derby community in general, there is just this wonderful sense of inclusion and a sense of belonging in the sport. And really anybody can join roller derby no matter who you are. And we really make it a place for anyone to skate at Yellowjacket Roller Derby.”
Insight: This sport is not just a game to the players. It provides a safe community for everyone involved where members are able to share who they are and what they feel while also being able to enjoy a sport they love.
Statement: “For the future of roller derby, I really see collegiate teams at the forefront.”
Insight: City roller derby teams often struggle with funding, recruitment, and finding practice spaces. Collegiate roller derby teams struggle with consistent training schedules/coach availability.
POST INTERVIEW REFLECTION + FINDINGS
ETHNOGRAPHIC FILM
This video was compiled using the interview as well as clips from the practice session which our team attended.
FRAMEWORKS
FRAMEWORKS
NEED HIERARCHY
MASLOW’S NEED HIERARCHY
YJRD Members…
Self Actualization:
Want to have a good time, push their physical capabilities and express themselves through the sport
Seek personal growth and satisfaction as a collegiate team
Esteem:
Want to emphasize their unique brand and draw in a larger fanbase from the college community as well as from the city
Would like to be given more recognition as a collegiate level sport & encourage the creation of a collegiate roller derby league
Evidence: “In terms of shaping the future in roller derby, I really see collegiate teams at the forefront of that. Yellow Jacket Roller Derby really pushed this sport into a new dimension already with Georgia Tech fans uniting behind us.”
Social:
Have a communal culture and create close relationships and lasting bonds
Hold socials and events often to foster a positive team environment
Pay attention to everyone’s highs and lows at the end of every practice session
Evidence: “We have an end of semester celebration where everyone gets nominated for a superlative and so many fun events where members can socialize with each other. And besides that, just at practices, it's so much fun. We love to do highs and lows at the end of practice, so we get to know each other a little bit more, hear about each other's days.
Safety:
Trust each other and work to create a safe environment especially since roller derby is a close contact sport
Emphasize that the club is a safe space regardless of race, class, gender, or sexuality
Evidence: “I would say that in Yellow Jacket Roller Derby, and in the roller derby community in general, there is just this wonderful sense of inclusion and a sense of belonging in the sport.”
Physiology:
Have frequent water breaks during practices
Depend on Georgia Tech to provide funding and spaces to practice
Evidence: “Georgia Tech as an institution gives us funding for our club. Georgia Tech provides us spaces for us to practice; free spaces, which a lot of teams in the community can’t get.
MINDMAP
Insights:
Community Centric:
The organization is very inclusive and encourages new member participation
Emphasizes interpersonal relationships and fostering connections between members
Prioritizes member needs, safety, and comfort over everything else
Structure:
No cut - welcomes people from all levels of experience; provides gear to new members
Works hard to recruit members - Tables, holds events, and passes out flyers/merchandise
Trains and tests members periodically each semester to build experience
Depends on Georgia Tech for funding and resources
Uniqueness:
Differs from city roller derby teams culturally particularly in due to the close knit nature
Much more organized for receiving funding and having a steady stream of recruits
SOLUTION FLOW
Imperative:
Create a structure for collegiate roller derby teams to collaborate with city leagues to provide a constant stream of opportunities for both collegiate and city teams.
Solution Flow:
The solution our team reached incorporates the insights we gleaned from our observations, interview, and frameworks. It involves creating a mutually beneficial relationship between a city league and the Georgia Tech YJRD team. It will also serve as an exemplary system for the future of roller derby as a sport. If YJRD were to establish a feeder program with a city team, it would provide a steady stream of trained recruits to the city team. This solves the issue which city teams have in finding recruits. This can also make YJRD seem more desirable to college students looking to join a club, as they can eventually continue to play the sport after graduation. Additionally, the city team can send members to Georgia Tech to coach YJRD. In exchange, YJRD can sponsor the city team to use Georgia Tech facilities and resources at a fraction of the cost of renting warehouses. After discussing the solution with Primmer we decided to move forward with this idea and create a solution flow as seen below:
