A Word from the Brawlin’ Betties

Roller derby has been part of my life for over a decade now. It’s been part of who I am and my identity for nearly half of my time on this Earth. Where I would be without this beautifully chaotic sport, I couldn’t tell you. But what I can tell you is where I am now because of it.

I started derby when I was 14 years old. It taught me confidence and perseverance at such a young age. I still remember my very first practice on skates; I completely biffed it and fell on my back the moment I put on my skates, all in front of our head coach. I thought she would roll her eyes at me or have this look of disappointment at a new skater with no potential — but I was dead wrong. She smiled encouragingly, she reached out her hand toward me while saying, “Nice one! Are you alright? It’s okay to fall as long as you get back up.”

In derby, we have a saying. You fall seven times, you stand up eight. That’s how it works in this sport. From my very first moment on skates, 11 years ago to today, our community claps when someone takes a fall. Because that means they were giving it their all. We support our community.

Flash forward seven years to when I first moved to our lovely town, Santa Barbara, California. Like many fellow Santa Barbarians, I journeyed to this paradise by the beach to attend the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). When I had made my decision to go to college at UCSB, I didn’t think there was a roller derby league in town. I had never heard of a team in this part of the state. To think that my last year of high school also meant my final year of my derby career broke my heart. But, I was wrong, and I couldn’t have been happier about it.

I had brought my skates and safety gear with me on move-in day at UCSB in the hopes I would somehow find a way to continue skating. One Saturday morning, a few friends and I had taken the bus into Goleta to buy some groceries for our dorm floor. I had shared with them before this day that I used to play roller derby and was quite sad to not have it in my life anymore. While I was waiting in one check-out aisle at the store, my friend at the other side of the store suddenly screamed my name — “Andrea! Andrea! Get over here now!”

Thinking she was in trouble, I darted over. She was pointing at a small, hand-written sign that had said, “Interested in roller derby?” I screamed. I whooped. Hell yeah I was interested! I immediately found the employee who had written the sign and found out about the upcoming recruitment night for the derby league here in town.

And so I found the Brawlin’ Betties.

And they’ve been my home ever since.

The Betties have practiced at Earl Warren Showgrounds for 14 years now. Ever since the conception of this league, they’ve called Earl Warren home. Yet our home has now become hostile toward us.

If you’re not caught up about the pickle we’re currently in, please refer to the press release.

As you’ve read, we have not been able to host a home game (if you play derby, you know that home bouts are the primary source of income for a league) since before 2017. I myself, personally, have attempted to speak to Ben Sprague, CEO of Earl Warren Showgrounds, and his assistant, Rosie Miranda, many times to find out the prerequisites necessary to schedule home games. Sprague has not once done me the courtesy of a single response; Rosie has only ever deflected and asked me to check in at another time.

Earl Warren Showgrounds has made claims in the past within local Santa Barbara outlets that they care about our local community. Sprague himself has been quoted in the press saying, “We want to serve the current and changing needs of the Santa Barbara community.” Earl Warren’s mission statement claims itself to be a “multi-use community event center” that serves the “existing and changing needs of Santa Barbara’s culture, history, and community.” Last time I checked, community spaces weren’t meant to pander to for-profit businesses seeking to displace long-established local sport communities.

Which brings me to Dynamite Pickleball. Quite frankly, the only words I have for Dave and Tracy Wilcox, owners of this pickleball league, is how dare you. How dare you betray the trust of the nonprofit organizations who called Earl Warren Showgrounds home since the 1990s. How dare you attempt to make a profit off a community space and displace several of those, from at-risk youth to LGBTQ adults, who have called this rink home.

Earl Warren Showgrounds is the only derby-friendly roller rink in Santa Barbara county. We have nowhere else to go. There is no other option for us. And there are 100+ pickleball courts (source: https://www.independent.com/2023/06/14/the-birth-rise-and-briny-future-of-pickleball-in-santa-barbara/) currently across Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Carpinteria.

Losing access to the roller rink puts the Brawlin’ Betties and other Santa Barbara athletes at risk. We’ve fought hard to rebuild our league after the pandemic. Blood, sweat, and tears were spilled to keep this team alive. And we won’t stop now. We’re not letting our home go without a fight.

The Brawlin’ Betties aren’t going anywhere. Santa Barbara Roller Hockey isn’t going anywhere. And Joga Fustal isn’t going — you guessed it — anywhere.

The Betties have fought hard to get to where we are as a league now. And we have plans for the future. Many of my teammates and I share the dream of starting our own junior team here in town. We’ve even started the motions to make it happen and learn how to kickstart the process. The Betties want to teach and introduce the Santa Barbara youth to the world of wheels and life on skates. For me personally, it would be my dream to teach the future of the sport how it’s okay to fall, as long as you get back up.

We desperately need your help. Sign this petition today (link: https://tr.ee/NwY8KUEuiX) and let your voice be heard in support of diversity, inclusivity, and the preservation of our beloved roller rink. Together, we can ensure that Santa Barbara continues to thrive as an inclusive and vibrant city for all its residents.

Andrea Alvarez, aka Cinco de Mayhem, has been skating for 11 years. She currently skates for two competitive travel teams in Southern California, but the Brawlin’ Betties remains her home team. She currently holds the position as team manager and coach of the Santa Barbara team, having also previously served as a captain and gaming director.