Help SmashTag get to the 2023 World Cup

Team fundraiser

Morgan Fitz Gibbon and 2 others are organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

With the end of my junior roller derby career on the horizon, my focus is on competing at the highest level. You may know that youth sports can be costly. Competing at an elite level is an even more significant expense, which is why I created this campaign. I hope to find people who are interested in my story and want to support my dream of competing at the Junior Roller Derby World Cup in Valence, France, before I age out this summer. Below you will find more information about me and my roller derby achievements.

Let me start by telling you a little about myself. My junior roller derby experience began when I was 5, watching my sister's practices early every Saturday morning. I finally started playing roller derby when I was old enough to join at eight years old. It quickly became the thing I eat, sleep, and breathe. In my first season as a skater, I was accepted to the All-Star team for skaters in the 8-12-year-old age group and remained on an All-Star team for the last ten years.

My parents have supported my choice to play and compete at the highest levels available to me while also supporting my siblings in the sport. There have been some seasons where I have gratefully relied on scholarship funding to help cover the cost of uniforms and travel.

I have watched thousands of hours of roller derby footage which has dramatically improved my knowledge of skills and strategy. I have used this knowledge to enhance my performance and coach new skaters at practices and summer camps. For example, this season, I helped coach an 8-12-year-old team through their first season as a team to a win against a team that has only lost a few games over the last ten years.

I have been team captain multiple times and was awarded MVP Blocker for the 2022 home team season. I feel fortunate to have skated with my All-Star team at two Junior Roller Derby Association Championships. We will be defending our title as National Champions in 2023. I am very grateful for the time I've spent in the Rose City Rollers Juniors Program and for the coaches and teammates who helped make me a better all-around player.

Now that I'm about to turn 18, I'll compete in my final season with the Rosebuds All-Stars. I have also earned a spot on Team USA with the opportunity to skate in the Junior Roller Derby World Cup in France this summer. So I am very excited to be able to compete at the highest levels of this sport.

With that being said these events are very costly, and even with an after-school job and support from my family, it won't be enough to cover the cost of uniforms, gear, and travel expenses for two teams and four tournaments. Expenses for the World Cup alone are estimated at $6000.

The journey to the JRDA World Cup is costly; however, it is one that I have worked for and dedicated myself to for a very long time. It is my passion, and I plan to continue into adulthood. Below I have included some of my past accomplishments, which I hope one day will include skating with the adult World Champions, Rose City Rollers' own Wheels of Justice.

I appreciate you taking the time to read my story and taking an interest in my goal of reaching the JRDA World Cup. I have realized that reaching these goals will be tough without help and support from people like you who want to help me achieve my dreams. I appreciate all the support I have received thus far from family and friends, and I know that I will continue to work hard to make my dreams a reality!