Hauppauge Skater Finds Her Niche in Roller Derby

Mary Moccia has found her “zen.”

And by “zen,” she means “the calmness and empowerment” she feels every time she laces up to skate for the Strong Island Derby Revolution, a women’s flat-track roller derby squad based in Suffolk.

“Derby is my zen, which sounds a little strange because it’s kind of aggressive,” Moccia said. “Some people, it gives them anxiety. For me it’s very calming. They teach you a skill, you learn it, you do it. It’s very empowering and very calming.”

Moccia, 39, joined SIDR at its initial recruitment session in July of 2011. The mother of four manages a medical office by day and was looking for something she could call her own. What she actually got was way better.

“I just wanted to something that was only for myself,” she said. “Honestly, I did not expect to find a whole other family. I thought I had enough family. It’s wonderful. They’re my sisters. It’s far exceeded what I thought it was going to be.”

In the tradition of roller derby, every skater picks a name for herself. Moccia calls herself Malocchia – the “evil eye” in Italian, which she said some people questioned because of the superstitions associated with the name. But all that mattered to her was the connection to her Italian heritage. Plus, it sounds pretty tough – and toughness is something you need to compete in this game.

Roller derby bouts consist of two 30-minute periods in which skaters, five from each team, square off in "jams" – similar to the breakdown of plays in other sports – of up to two minutes in length. The positions have names like "blocker," "pivot blocker," "jammer," and "lead jammer," with the lead jammer able to score the team's points by passing opposing skaters in laps. Blockers attempt to stop the opposing jammer from passing through. Referees skate inside the track and hand out penalties for rule violations. The team with the most points wins.

At the team’s first win this season – a 314-57 victory over the Finger Lakes Lunachicks – the team voted her as the MVP blocker of the game. Last year, she was rookie of the year, and is now co-captain and head of recruitment for SIDR.

“I think I really love the competitive part of it,” Moccia said. “I think that surprised me. I don’t think I realized I had that competitive drive in me to compete and win. I said, ‘Oh this is going to be fun, I’ll get to do something a little bit badass,’ but I really found that competitive side of myself.”

Interested in learning more about Strong Island Derby Revolution? Attend an open bootcamp and tryout session set for May 7 at 8 p.m. at World Gym. No skating experience is necessary – though having the right equipment is – and skaters should be at least 21 years old. See the league's websitefor more details.