Brooke B. AKA Jawbreaker

On October 1st Brooke Bailey AKA Jawbreaker #555 of Boonsboro, Maryland, blocker for MARS Junior Roller Derby, skated her heart out in Philadelphia, PA for a shot at the opportunity to be selected to represent the United States in the Junior Roller Derby 2023 World Cup. She competed against junior skaters from across the country for a chance to be selected for a coveted spot on the United States Open Division or Female Team.

The wait to find out the selections seemed to drag on forever, but on Nov. 2nd, 14 year old Brooke, AKA Jawbreaker, received an email that would forever "change the game" for this young athlete! A first round invitation to the Open JRDA USA Team!

In the coming months Brooke will travel to the USA team practices across our nation to prepare for Olympic level competition and in July of 2023 she and her teammates, compiled of top level junior roller derby athletes from across the country, will travel to Valence, France to compete against confirmed teams from Australia, Canada, France, Denmark & The United Kingdom with additional countries still being added.

Unfortunately, funding through the US Junior Roller Derby Association is limited, with athletes usually  receiving just enough to cover uniform costs. Athletes are required to fund their own trip and the JRDA has estimated that the cost overall, to include travel to practices as well as the world cup in France, will be about $6000-$10000.

Brooke is hoping to fundraise enough to cover her trip for this once in a lifetime opportunity. She promises to represent her community, her team and her Country with pride and integrity.

How did Brooke get started with Roller Derby?!

When she was 8 years old, Brooke was offered an opportunity to check out the MARS team at Turner's Skate Palace and decided to give it a try!

She quickly developed a passion that she had not found in other conventional youth Sports and fell in love with the game. Since then, she has continued to develop her skills working her way from a beginner skater to a master on the track! This past season, she and her MARS teammates, coached by dedicated volunteers from USARS Team USA, Beastside Roller Derby & WFTDA Team Maryland, debuted as a sanctioned JRDA team and brought home the Bronze medal in the 2022 JRDA East Coast Regional Playoffs.

Through roller derby, Brooke has developed relationships that she would have never imagined. Friendships with skaters from across the country and a sense of family from her teammates and their parents!

When asked about her team, Brooke says:

"They're more than just my teammates. They're my friends and my family! Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry, and sometimes we even argue but I wouldn't trade them for anything. I'm grateful to all of them for their support, especially my coaches, Scruff & Stretch Harmstrong, who believe in me and always push me to always do my best!"