ROANOKE (WSLS 10 SPORTS) - It's not hockey, it's not football, this is roller derby.
"There are similarities to hockey, but honestly we hit more than hockey players do. And there are some similarities to football, because they hit as much as we do," explained Lauren Carroll.
The Star City and New River Valley roller girls joined forces. Jointly called the "Valley All-Stars," they are preparing for their bout this weekend.
"We're really excited about this season because we are going to be a strong force to be reckoned with and I think it's going to take a lot of teams by surprise," explained Christina Rouse, one of the captains.
Before they women showed me how to play the sport, they showed me the basics, starting with the gear. Then I got some pointers.
"My best tip for skating is don't be afraid to fail, if you're falling you're learning," Shannon Lugar said.
Oh, I was learning. Avoiding falls, but barely. I tried to test my speed against Lauren, aka Suzi Stormcloud. I got lapped, and no, she wasn't trying.
The game, in a nutshell, is one player, called a "jammer," is trying to get past four blockers for points. As you can expect, the outcome gets physical.
"Every hit, all the power behind things are real," Rouse said.
"It's serious and there is a lot of adrenaline running," added Lugar.
The Valley Allstars will test their toughness in their season opener Saturday at 6pm at the Berglund Center.