IN RECESS
Jam Session
An Austin attorney trades the courtroom for the world of roller derby.
Interview by Eric Quitugua
Jessica Johnson, aka Legal Knievel (center), waits for the start of a
jam at the Austin Sports Center South on May 20, 2017. Photograph by
Eric Quitugua.
Inside Austin Sports Center South on a
Saturday night in late May, Jessica Johnson, clad in her team colors of
black and pink, put a star cover over her helmet. The 5-foot-11 Texas
RioGrande Legal Aid attorney, who rolls at night with the Hotrod Honeys
of the Texas Rollergirls league, stoically sized up her opponents, the
Hustlers. As the referee blasted a whistle, Johnson darted from the back
of the pack to the front, right into a human wall determined to stop her
from passing. But she broke through.
The sport is roller derby,
where two teams skate counterclockwise on either a banked or flat track.
“Jammers,” who are the scorers for their teams, win points by lapping
their opponents. The game is played in two half-hour periods consisting
of several bouts of action, or jams, of up to two minutes each. It’s an
endurance check of trucking through or finessing around
“blockers”—business as usual for 27-year-old Johnson, known on her team
as Legal Knievel.
How did you get started with roller
derby?
I moved back to my hometown in Virginia after I
finished school, and I was searching for a new hobby. I saw an ad
looking for people interested in roller derby to go to an information
session. I went. I’d never seen it before. I used rollerblades when I
was little but that was the extent of my skating experience. I saw the
girls playing roller derby, and I thought, That looks a little
rough, but you know what, I’ve got nothing to lose. I’ll give it a
try. I started skating there in Richmond with a league called River City
Rollergirls.
What was it like the first time you played?
Step one was picking up skating skills. There was no contact, there
was no blocking, there was no hitting. Just learning how to stop and how
to fall. Many of the moves are awkward because they use tiny muscles
that you didn’t know existed and you’ve never had a reason to use
before. It was difficult, but the strong group of intelligent, diverse,
interesting people was absolutely wonderful. That I happened to stumble
upon a really supportive, uplifting community definitely kept me coming
back.
Where does “Legal Knievel” come from?
I
was about to head to law school—I knew I wanted to become an
attorney—and was trying to think of a play on words that fit my
interests and my future career.
Does your roller derby persona ever show through in your approach to
the courtroom?
I would say yes. I primarily work with
survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and when I go to
court, I never want to show an ounce of doubt because that can make my
clients even more nervous about what’s happening. I think to a certain
extent I use my confident roller derby persona when I’m in court too.
That confidence—the client can feel it and I think opposing counsel and
the judge can too. When I’m confident, I’m functioning as the best that
I can.
Johnson, who played roller derby in her hometown in Virginia, became
an attorney for Texas RioGrande Legal Aid in Austin, where she soon
joined the Texas Rollergirls league. Photograph courtesy of Jessica
Johnson.
Does Jessica Johnson the attorney show up to the track?
I wouldn’t say the lawyer shows up on the track. However, outside of
the time when we’re actually playing, there’s a lot of diplomacy, team
dynamics, and problem solving. On top of that, Texas Rollergirls is a
nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, and I’m serving on the board. Legal
training is helpful because occasionally we need to read contracts and
make business decisions. The attorney side of me definitely comes out
when helping the league and the organization move smoothly.
What’s next?
After I’m done serving on the board, it might be more feasible for me
to try out for a travel team. Right now we’re really focused on winning
Champs this year.
What are three essential tips you’d give to someone new to the
sport?
Get fit. Anyone with any body type can excel at roller derby. However,
I’ve seen many people get injured because they didn’t have a baseline
level of fitness.
Be patient. Roller derby involves many unnatural movements as well as
extreme multitasking. For example, during a game skaters have to play
offense and defense at the same time as well as calculate distances
between skaters, be aware of where other players are on the track, avoid
committing penalties, and communicate with their teammates among other
tasks. It takes a while to be able to do all of these things effectively
at the same time—and it can be incredibly frustrating when someone is
first learning.
Be bold. Often skaters stifle their own potential by underestimating
themselves. I always encourage newbies to push beyond their comfort
zone, whether it’s a different kind of stop or jumping on their skates
for the first time. When I’m training newer skaters and they are falling
frequently, I always praise them because it usually means they’re
pushing themselves to where they’re a bit uncomfortable. The discomfort
zone is where the most growth occurs.TBJ
