During the spring and summer a small congregation of people gather in Champs Rollerdome in Lyndon — not to just skate, but to watch people being skated over.

Sophie “Sockeye Slammin” Palmer, and her mother, Shelly “Auntie Virus” Palmer, gathered for a bout on a cool February evening for a good ol’ game of roller derby. For those of you who have seen Whip It, directed by Drew Barrymore, you know roller derby is a sport for women as well as men.

Around since the late ’70s, roller derby is not a sport for the meek. The ladies in this league are muscular.

“Kimmy Krippler” (aka Jessica Carpenter), the owner of the league in Louisville, said people have to come in with an open mind — it is a rough sport. She said learning how to play was the hardest thing for her, and that owning a team has “made her grow.”

Roller derby isn’t new to “H1N1: Auntie Virus.”  Roller derby is Shelly Palmer’s profession. She has been in the game for a while, as has her husband, Adam, who has lived in Louisville since he was a kid, skating at Champs in the ’80s. Adam co-coaches the junior and senior leagues.

To join the Derby City Roller Girls, competitors must be at least 18 years old. The team has roughly 20 members. Here are some of the rules:

Penalties

1. Punching.   Not allowed, ever.

2. Pulling hair.   Not allowed ever.

3. Elbowing.   1:00 in penalty box.

4. Forearming.   1:00 in penalty box.

5. No mouth guard or gear.   No playing.

Those are just the penalties. The list below are the rules.

* Those who wear a star: This person is called the jammer. The jammer must go around the wall of players without being stopped to collect points– four points each time around.

* Those who wear a stripe: This is the pivot. The pivot must make sure the wall of players stick to the plan, help the jammer, and prevent the opposite team from gaining points.

* Wall of children/adults waiting to be knocked over: Their purpose is the title itself.

* Numbers/letters: They’re the IDs for the teams, for example “H1N1.”

In addition to the women’s league, there is a Junior Roller Derby League. Children aged 8-17 are eligible to play. Among the players is “Monkey,” a second-grader. The youngsters are amazing on roller skates and play extremely well, and they have a lot of fun.

Fifteen-year-old Sophie Palmer enjoys playing in the junior league. Palmer said, “You don’t know their actual names, just their derby names, and it in a way almost becomes their real name.”

If you’re looking for more than just leisurely, delicate skating, stop by Champs and sign up.