BY SARA WARD
The Thunder City Derby Sirens roller derby team will be playing their first game of the season on April 12 against the Gainesville Roller Rebels. Home looks a little different for the skaters this year, as this is the first season they won’t be playing at The Rink in DeLand, which closed its doors in October 2024. This season opener will be held at the new location — the DeLand Family YMCA — which will be the first game the team has ever played at this venue.
“I’m excited,” Lisen Esmeraldo (Brawler) — Secretary on the Board of Directors and plays as a blocker on TCDS — said. “Hopefully it will be a good change. We haven’t played there yet, so it’s still going to be new for us.”
The team practices in the DeLand High School gymnasium.
“We’re super thankful that they’re willing to let us hang out there twice a week,” Esmeraldo said. “But it’s a little small, and we’re very much dependent on school days. We’re hoping to find somewhere more permanent.”
The team later hosted a “mock bout” on March 30 at the YMCA, to work out some of the kinks of playing at a new location, before the actual game commences about two weeks later.
No matter where they play, whether that’s a school gym or at the YMCA, the team holds an overwhelming sense of camaraderie and community for one another.
“We really look out for one another on our team…your teammates become a family, and it’s more than just a sport,” Esmeraldo said. “We don’t see each other during practice night, and that’s it. We hang out all the time, and we are the first people to be there for you when something comes up.”
TCDS not only supports its members but also contributes to various nonprofit organizations, primarily in the West Volusia area. These include New Hope Animal Shelter and The 321 Society, along with initiatives like a back-to-school drive for DeLand High School and the Baby DJ toy drive in December. Through its service efforts, TCDS highlights the role of sports in the community.
“I think it’s important to have sports in the community,” Esmeraldo said. “We want to showcase all these strong people, women and women’s identities.”
Since the derby’s start in 2010, it has grown from one team, to multiple teams that offer something to players of all skill sets. TCDS has been able to split into two teams with its amount of engagement.
“We used to have to borrow players every game to be able to be put on the roster,” Esmeraldo shared. “Now we almost have to have some people sit out because there’s too many of us, which is a great problem to have…we have so many different levels on our team, so everybody feels like there’s a room for them, with a home for them.”
With the growth of the team, including new players and new venues, they’re ready to rock’n’roll into a great season. Watch them skate at 6 p.m. at 761 E. International Speedway Blvd in DeLand. Tickets cost $8 presale, and $10 at the door.
