Meet Alayna Dalgleish | Public Relations Committee Head | Arizona Derby Dames

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alayna Dalgleish and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alayna, what do you want your legacy to be?
We are proud to say we are currently one of the largest banked track roller derby leagues in the world. Something we have always strived for is to be a leading force in modern banked track roller derby. Many of us remember old school roller derby as a thrilling, action-packed game. Since then it has progressed an incredible amount, delivering the same excitement with advanced rules and skills. We want to be remembered as one of the catalysts for the sport evolving into what it is today. Roller derby is an empowering sport to be apart of, whether you’re a skater, a referee, volunteer, or a fan, we want to leave a positive impact on those who are in our community.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

With roller derby being an already incredibly unique sport, banked track roller derby has its own special set of challenges. Although it has been historically popular, there are very few banked track leagues left in the world. We started out as a flat track league in 2005 but had the intention of transferring to banked. Since 2010, we have been skating on our banked track. Skaters who have been in the league since the early days shared that they used to have to set up and tear down the track before and after every game because they were held in a different facility. Now, we are fortunate enough to be able to practice and host games under one roof.

It has taken a lot of tenacity and dedication from everyone involved, but we have evolved into one of the largest banked track leagues in the world. Something we have adopted within our league is the motto of League, Team, Self, and we believe that is the mindset that has kept us going. This growth allowed us to start our nonprofit organization, AZDD Inspire, which is dedicated to coaching young female athletes into tomorrow’s leaders through the sport of banked track roller derby. Adult skaters and volunteers promote sportsmanship, healthy habits, leadership, and volunteerism. Through mentorship, youth skaters are taught the value and power of teamwork and community involvement. Keeping this alive for younger generations of skaters is something we hope to continue doing for a long time here in Arizona.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This is a great question, my best friend is visiting soon and we are trying to plan things out.

We both like hiking and luckily there are tons of easily accessible trails – my personal favorite has been the Phoenix Mountain Preserve 304, 1A, VOAZ, 8A, and 8B Trail. I love coffee shops with unique twists, so in the early afternoon we would probably end up somewhere like Snakes and Lattes to play board games and drink coffee or PIP Coffee + Clay to create some clay art while enjoying some caffeine.

If it happened to be around First Friday that would be absolutely wonderful, but regardless, Downtown Phoenix has some insanely underrated nightlife to offer such as Stardust Pinbar. Finally, we’d end the night at the Hall of Dames (home to Phoenix’s very own Arizona Derby Dames) at 2517 W McDowell Rd STE 118, Phoenix, AZ 85009 to watch some live action banked track roller derby!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

My name is Alayna Dalgleish, my derby name is Te’Killya. I am currently a skater on the Schoolyard Scrappers and the PR committee head for the Arizona Derby Dames. I had been a fan of Arizona Derby Dames since 2018, and I finally decided to try out in 2021 after I graduated from ASU and made the official move to Arizona. After just a little over a year of being involved in the league, I can’t believe how much my confidence and athleticism have improved. As cliché as this might be, everyone in the league deserves a shoutout. It’s an incredible thing when a group of people come together to commit to something they are deeply passionate about. Every time I walk into the warehouse I feel energized by others. During my team practice this week we were talking about growth in roller derby, and one of my teammates mentioned that there will never be a time where you plateau in your skills- there is always another goal to work towards. On top of that, we are all here to support one another and help each other grow. All of the skaters, referees, trainers, captains, coaches, and managers dedicate countless hours outside of their everyday lives to this unique sport. That kind of motivation, goal-setting, and excitement was something I needed in my life.

Website: https://arizonaderbydames.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arizonaderbydames/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/azderbydames

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arizonaderbydames

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWsedt7sOqO–9jqP1Po2-A

Image Credits
OhBradJamit Heyooooo Photos Derby With Recess