‘Pipsqueak’ holds her own as a member of the all-female Black-n-BlueGrass roller derby squad

By Andy Furman
NKyTribune reporter

She’s called “Pipsqueak” for a reason. Michaela Schierberg – all five-feet of her – is a member of the Black-n-BlueGrass. For the uninformed, that is the all-female roller derby squad that competes in Northern Kentucky.

And you might even call Michaela a – gulp – veteran.

Pipsqueak (Photo by Andy Furman/NKyTribune)

“I started roller derby when I was seven-years-old,” the seventh-grader from Gray Middle School told the Northern Kentucky Tribune the other day. “I was the smallest and youngest on that team.”

Now we know why ‘Pipsqueak’ – and its stuck.

But how would you even get started in such a physical sport?

“The daughter of my dad’s friend played, and I thought I’d give it a shot.”

She calls it a, “unique sport,” as well as “challenging.”

The challenge, she says is blocking taller people. In fact, she admits she’s suffered a concussion playing the sport.

But young Pipsqueak continues.

She did so last Saturday when her Black-n-Bluegrass mates defeated a club from Indianapolis, 263-160.

“We play a 10-bout schedule,” young Micki said, “with six home matches.”

Next up, a team from Lafayette, Indiana, Saturday, June 1st.

“We practice about twice-a-week,” she said, “And there’s three levels of performance.”

Level I is learning how to skate and stop, she says, and Levels II and III is where hitting is permitted – with lighter hitting at Level II.

“The hardest part of Roller Derby is the physicality, bumping and pushing,” she said.

But Pipsqueak can hit with the best of them.

“One time,” she says, “I blocked an Apex Jump.”

An Apex Jump, she explained, is one of the key techniques to escaping the blockers in Roller Derby. It is a move where the skater cuts the inside of the track by jumping over it. It is a legal move as long as the skater jumps from in-bounds, lands in-bounds, and does not make contact any other skaters in the process.

Sounds dangerous?

It did for mom and dad.

Pipsqueak and mom, Vanessa (Photo by Andy Furman/NKyTribune)

“My mom,” says Pipsqueak, “was a little scared at first, and so was my dad. But both are happy for me now.”

Oh, if you’re wondering, the Pipsqueak moniker – “That was from my dad,” she said.

It certainly fits.

Roller Derby is a fast-paced, full-contact sport played on quad roller skates. Each game is two 30-minute periods composed of two-minute plays, or “jams.” Each team starts with four skaters playing defense – blockers – and one player playing offense – jammer.

The jammer must pass each opposing blocker upright and in-bounds to make a legal lap. The first jammer to make it past the group of blockers – the pack – on their initial lap is designated as “lead jammer,” and has the power to stop the game before two minutes are up. After the initial lap, jammers accumulate one point for every opposing blocker they pass.

Roller Derby began in the 1930s as skating marathons during the Great Depression. Promoter Leo Seltzer discovered that the events were more exciting when the skaters would push and shove one another to gain position.

Currently, there are over 500 leagues on six continents playing the modern, flat-track version of the sport.

The Black-N-Bluegrass squad calls HITS home at 3785 Lake Park Drive, Covington.

You cannot miss Pipsqueak — or, maybe you can.

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