From birth, Pippa Meyer was pretty much destined to thrive in the sport of roller derby.
“Raygun is my middle name, and my derby nickname,” said Meyer, 18, of Lower Burrell, who goes by Pippa Raygun in roller derby circles. “My mom gave me a derby name at birth.”
It fits.
The Burrell High School senior has participated in the rough-and-tumble sport of roller derby for eight years, most recently joining an elite team in the Philadelphia area and being selected to represent the United States for the Junior Roller Derby World Cup this summer in Brisbane, Australia.
“I really love the sport,” she said. “It’s fun to do, and I put a lot of work into it. I spend most of my time watching derby and studying teams because I really care about it.”
Roller derby isn’t for the faint of heart. The sport has five players on each team competing at one a time — four blockers and a “jammer.”
Meyer is skilled at all aspects, and a true “triple threat,” said Faith Cortright, coach of the Philly Roller Derby Juniors.
“On the track, Pippa brings confidence and control, strategic thinking and power,” Cortright said. “(She’s) always looking for ways to improve her game — she is highly skilled at multiple player positions as a blocker, jammer and pivot (a position that starts as a blocker with the potential to finish as a jammer.)”
There are two 30-minute periods, and skaters try to block opponents so their jammer can pass by multiple times and score points.
Players must block within the rules or they are penalized. They wear protective equipment, including a helmet, wrist guards, elbow and knee pads and mouth guards.
“It does get physical,” Meyer said. “It can be mentally and physically exhausting.”
When selecting the national teams, coaches look for players’ ability to perform skills and their understanding and knowledge of sport rules and strategies, said Heather Egger, vice president of the Junior Roller Derby Association.
“Good teamwork, good sportsmanship are all going to be components when making player selections,” she said.
The World Cup tournament is “the pinnacle” for competitive junior skaters, and an appropriate finish to Meyer’s junior career, Cortright said.
“As she has already begun playing in the adult ranks in Pittsburgh, we hope she will continue playing and have an amazing adult career — which you could say is something she has been preparing for during her years on the track as a junior player,” Cortright said.
Meyer’s mother, Autumn Cook, helped form a women’s roller derby league in Pittsburgh about 20 years ago. Meyer, who grew up loving to skate, joined a roller league when she was 10. She played for the Pittsburgh Derby Brats for seven years before criss-crossing the state to Philadelphia this year.
“We saw how much she poured into this — literally her own blood, sweat and tears,” said her father, Bill Meyer. “It was her final season. She asked, and we’re lucky enough to have family that way, so it worked out.”
And Pippa Meyer has put in the work: she did a stint on Burrell’s girls wrestling team and lifts weights. She wanted to join the Philadelphia team because of the greater opportunities there — it won the Junior Roller Derby Association (JRDA) championship the past three years.
The team also has girls from New York and Boston.
“Even within the last year, I’ve grown so much as a player,” Meyer said. “It was a little weird playing with people I used to play against, but we’re all really good friends now.”
The sport can be a lot. Weekly travel to Philadelphia for practice alone can cost anywhere between $400 and $500, Bill Meyer said.
That commitment isn’t lost on Cortright.
“Weekly trips to Philadelphia for early morning — 7 a.m. — practices to further develop her skills but in addition learn new strategies, work with different teammates and adjust to a diverse team culture have been exhausting, no doubt,” Cortright said. “But not once has her dedication wavered.
“She has added so much to our team and has stepped in to be a player who is trusted, relied on and respected by her peers and has been a great addition to our roster.”
Recent tournaments were held in Nebraska, South Carolina and Michigan. Meyer’s family established a GoFundMe to cover costs for the trip to Australia in July.
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Meyer said she cried when she learned she made it on the junior national team.
“I’m looking forward to playing at a high level, and representing the United States,” she said.
Worldwide, the sport of roller derby has grown. In 2006, there were 160 roller derby leagues worldwide, which grew to 1,896 leagues in 2020, according to The Sport Journal. Leagues typically have somewhere between 14 and 40 members in them, which would equate to up to 79,000 roller derby players internationally.
Sanctioned Junior Roller Derby Games have grown from 158 in 2022 to 357 last year, Egger said.
“There has been a good amount of growth in gameplay,” she said. “Our sport popularity is also growing. More people are hearing about it — especially at the junior level — and are building teams to play more.”
Meyer would like to see roller derby become an Olympic sport one day.
“It’s been getting a lot more popular and a lot more inclusive,” she said.
Egger expects the sport to continue to grow.
“Our space has a little bit of something for everyone,” Egger said. “… I think we bring in a lot of kids that want to try something new, exciting and different. I think a lot of kids see it and go, ‘That’s interesting, and it’s not your traditional sport.’”
Meyer would like to continue competing in roller derby in her adult life. Upon graduation from Burrell this fall, she plans to attend PennWest Edinboro and study art education. She also is a multimedia student at the Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center.
“As a parent, I’m really proud to see her reach the goals she set for herself,” Bill Meyer said. “It’s nice to know anyone who really puts in the effort really can achieve.”