Most people have a vague understanding of roller derby. Either they haven't heard of it, or they glimpsed it on television (which is oh-so accurate too). To be more specific, many assume that derby is not a sport, something close to mud wrestling.

Roller derby is a highly intense activity. Skaters volunteer their time (they are not paid to play the game) and devote many hours a week either practicing as a skater or working as a businesswoman. If you thought roller derby was epitomized by skating around on a track in fishnet hose, think again! Forx Roller Derby, among other established leagues, is a non-profit organization in addition to being a challenging sport. It contributes to the community by volunteering at and donating to local charities and fundraisers. Playing the sport requires that a skater passes a minimum skills test in addition to volunteering her time for team projects and/or community events. In other words, skaters are not dressing up in strange clothes and duking it out on the track.

Roller derby is a strategic game with numerous complexities that force skaters to work together and improve their skills, which may include speed, jumping, hitting with the shoulders and hips, forming walls with other skaters, giving/taking whips, cross-cutting the track, and so on.

Not all skaters are in their early twenties. In fact, most are at least in their late twenties, and in some leagues there are women in their mid to late fifties. Roller derby is open to all ages, races, sexes, and sexualities. Without a doubt, Forx Roller Derby is very diverse in that it is comprised of college students, mothers, nurses, customer service agents, sales associates, waitresses, artists, musicians, and engineers. They are a mature and (mostly) gossip-free group of women. They each have their own histories and backgrounds, but all of them work together during the game to succeed.