Steel City Roller Derby

Steel City was founded as the "Steel City Derby Demons" in 2006,[3] after Natalie "Busty Brawler" Gilchrist, Pam "Suzy Sydal" Simmons, and Becky "Elsa Slam" Bauer were inspired to recruit skaters for a potential roller derby team after hearing from a friend about the L.A. Derby Dolls.[4] By early 2007, Steel City was ready to hold its first public games at BladeRunners in Harmarville,[5] and was announced as a new member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) in May 2007.[6]

Upon its founding, Steel City had four teams, the Bitch Doctors, the Hot Metal Hellions, the Slumber Party Slashers and the Wrecking Dolls.[7] As of 2016, SCRD features two travel teams, including the WFTDA all-star A-team, Steel Hurtin', and the B-team (formerly known as the "Blitzburgh Bombers"),[8] Steel Beamers. Steel City also has a three team home league comprising the Allegheny Avengers, the Mon Monsters, and the Penn Bruisers.[9]

Then-league member Jennifer "Snot Rocket Science" Gaskins was a member of Team USA at the 2011 and 2014 editions of the Roller Derby World Cup.[10][11]

In 2011, Pittsburgh city councillor Natalia Rudiak sponsored a proclamation at Pittsburgh City Council that led to a declaration of September 13, 2011 as "Steel City Derby Demons Day" in recognition of the league's "community involvement, commitment to athleticism, and positive international representation of Pittsburgh".[12][13]

For much of its history, Steel City played its home games, and practiced at Romp N Roll, a roller rink in Glenshaw, which was announced to be closing in late 2016.[14] As of 2017, Steel City is holding its home events at the Pittsburgh Indoor Sports Arena in Cheswick.[15][16]

After gaining WFTDA membership in 2007, Steel City first qualified for WFTDA Playoffs in 2009, as the seventh seed at that year's Eastern Regional Tournament.[17] After opening the weekend with a sound defeat against Philly, Steel City bounced back with victories over the Dominion Derby Girls and DC Rollergirls to finish the weekend in seventh place.[17] In 2010, Steel City improved their Eastern Regional performance by taking the fifth-place game 151-121 over the Carolina Rollergirls,[18] and improved yet again in 2011, losing the third-place game 189-94 to Charm City to finish in fourth place.[19] At the final East Region Playoff in 2012, fifth-seeded Steel City lost their first games to Charm City and DC, but rebounded to set a then-new Playoffs record by defeating the Dutchland Rollers 476-107 to take ninth place.[20]

In 2013, the WFTDA moved to a top-40 Division system for Playoffs, and Steel City qualified at the Division 1 level for the tournament in Asheville, North Carolina, where they entered as the fifth seed and finished in fifth place with a 202-185 victory over Houston Roller Derby.[21] At the 2014 Division 1 Playoff in Evansville, Indiana, seven-seed Steel City finished in eighth place with a 184-170 loss to Toronto Roller Derby.[22] Steel City took seventh place at the 2015 Division 1 Playoff in Jacksonville with a 281-134 win over Charlottesville Derby Dames,[23] and as the tenth seed in 2016 in Columbia, South Carolina, Steel City defeated Ann Arbor Derby Dimes 258-105 to finish in ninth place.[24]

• SCRD Official Website