Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Cotton.
Hi Katie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Flint Roller Derby (FRD) was founded in 2007 as the 4th flat-track roller derby league in the state of Michigan. Since the world of flat track roller derby was relatively new at the time, it took many years to establish itself as the competitive, athletic sport we know and love now. At that time, we were known as Flint City Derby Girls (FCDG). Our first home game was held in January 2010 at Rollhaven Skating Center, where we still practice and play games.
Flint Roller Derby is an amateur sports organization, focused on fostering national and international athletic competition. Our mission is to train dedicated athletes to physically and mentally compete in roller derby and represent the city of Flint. Our league goes beyond skating with building confidence, independence, grit, professionalism, athleticism, and dedication to contributing charitably to other nonprofit organizations. Our league motto is “greater good,” and we are passionate about bringing that energy to all things we do. We are members of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), and are currently ranked 32nd in the North America Northeast region. This year, we revived our B team, who are currently undefeated this season. Our A team will be traveling this summer and playing at home this fall.
Our 2027 season will mark our 20th, and we look forward to celebrating not only our history but also our future.
For myself, I joined the league in early 2009. Except for a short break in 2011/12, I have been one of the longest-running members of the league. I have served as a captain of the A team since 2014, served multiple positions on the Board of Directors, and am currently the head of our Training program, focused on skater development. You can find me on the track wearing the number 911, and skating as K Cotton (formerly known as SlapHer Sally).
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No road is smooth, and FRD has definitely had challenges in the past. In 2015, we started the season with $5, 9 skaters, and a coach. Two of those skaters had never skated or played roller derby before that season. That was arguably the biggest turning point in our history. We were unable to afford to continue renting practice space, so we began practicing in local schools and church gymnasiums. That’s when our commitment to the greater good began. Through sheer grit and perseverance, we finished that season competing in a state tournament and finishing in 2nd place in the second division. The following season, we finished 2nd in the first division. In 2017, we were finally declared the state champions.
Of course, we wanted to achieve higher goals from there and began competing for WFTDA world rankings. In 2019, we made our debut ranked 124 in the world – the highest initial ranking ever. 2020 was looking to be a big season for us…and I’m sure readers will know how that story goes. As the world began opening up again, the world of roller derby was cautious to return, being a contact sport and traveling to different areas around the world. We started back on skates at the end of 2021 and have been working since on developing our team to be its strongest iteration yet. Our most recent group of onboarding new skaters was our largest since 2019, growing FRD to over 40 members.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
In almost 20 years of FRD, there are so many moments of pride in each practice, game, season, year, and beyond.
For me, one thing that really stands out is the league’s dedication to not only growing as a team but growing as individuals. Each person in the league has a unique story and reason why they want to be a part of a roller derby team. Each skater pays monthly league maintenance fees, in addition to gear, annual insurance, uniforms, any travel, etc. And with that, we also give our time back to the team and community.
We volunteer for organizations like the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan and Carriage Town Ministries. In the past few years, we have also partnered with local organizations such as the Humane Society of Genesee County and the YWCA of Greater Flint to raise funds and donations to support their missions.
Members also participate in different committees: community service, DEI, finance, fundraising, marketing, training, and more. I’ve seen people gain new passions and achieve incredible things because of the things they have learned through the league. Our coach was so passionate about teaching that they went back to college and became an educator. Anna Maniac was our Human Resources officer, and just received her Master’s in Social Work. From my marketing and design experience with the league, I now have a career where I get to use that knowledge every day.
Each person has their own journey, and they are all different. Roller derby doesn’t judge you for that. You can start at any age and become the best in the sport. You can truly make your own path and achieve something you didn’t know was possible.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I think grit is the most important characteristic for our success. We play a full-contact sport. We’re not being paid to do this, we pay to play. No one is asking us to spend hours each week cross-training, being on skates, doing committee work, or being out in the community. And it’s hard. It’s hard enough to skate… and then we have to hit each other! It takes a lot of dedication, passion, and love to make this thing work.
It’s also more than just the skaters out on the track. We have dedicated coaches, officials (skating and non-skating), volunteers, friends, and fans who are incredibly supportive. We couldn’t do it without them!!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/flintrollerderby
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flintderby
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flintrollerderby
