User:JenniferBodiford/Columbia QuadSquad Rollergirls

The Columbia QuadSquad Rollergirls (CQS) are a skater governed all female flat track roller derby league in Columbia, SC.

History
In March 2007, seven women joined Auntie Psychotic in a coffee shop to discuss the possibility of introducing a roller derby league to Columbia, SC. Surprisingly, the sport they were bringing back from the era of Roller Jam would soon become a citywide and nationwide phenomenon. After six months of recruiting friends and practicing with other and state teams such as Myrtle Beach and Greenville, CQS made their debut in August 2007 in SC’s first invitational bout affectionately dubbed Labor Pains. The 2008 season presented CQS with many challenges but were overcome with six wins and two losses. On April 26th, 2009, CQS hosted the first annual state championship on Capital ground in Columbia, SC. With three teams competing for the title of State Champions, CQS defeated the Richland County Regulators and Charleston’s Low Country High Rollers making CQS the state’s official derby champions. In October 2009, with the premiere of Whip It, roller derby hit all new heights of popularity. As a result, a plethora of new girls joined CQS’s ranks to form the Columbia Quadsquad Miss B-Havers. With two teams now comprising the Columbia Quadsquad league, the 2010 season will prove to be one of the most challenging and exciting!

Although the roster of girls has changed drastically from its very beginning, CQS is still a group of independent hard-headed and hard-hitting women moving the sport forward. Each season the hits get harder, the jammers faster, and CQS’s passion for derby grows thanks to CQS derby sisters and supportive fans!

Charity
The Columbia QuadSquad Rollergirls are a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. Roughly $1 from every ticket sale goes to Columbia, South Carolina's great charities such as Tamika and Friends, the American Cancer Society, and the Columbia, SC Women's Shelter.

Rules
Flat track roller derby is a fast paced, hard-hitting sport requiring athleticism and agility. Bouts consist of a series of two minute jams with four blockers and one jammer, designated by a star, from each team on the track. On the second whistle, jammers from each team make their way through the pack of blockers. The first jammer to successfully maker her way through the pack without penalty receives the lead jammer status and can call off the jam at any point. The jammer begins to score a point for each opposing player she passes legally on her second pass through the pack.

CQS uses current WFTDA rules. If you REALLY want to learn about flat track roller derby, visit WFTDA. Founded in 2004, the WFTDA promotes and fosters the sport of women’s flat track derby by facilitating the development of athletic ability, sportswomanship, and goodwill among member leagues. The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association is “by the skaters, for the skaters.”