Ronnie Robinson (roller derby)
Encyclopedia
Ronnie Smith Robinson was an American roller derby
skater and coach.
The son of boxer Sugar Ray Robinson
, Robinson grew up distant from his father, who divorced his mother shortly after his birth. Sugar Ray counseled him against following him into the world of boxing. After watching roller derby on television, he decided to join the sport, and enrolled in its training school in March 1958, initially under the pseudonym "Ronald Smith". He turned professional after only five months, being placed on the New York Chiefs team. In the early years of his career, he also skated with the Chicago Westerners, Brooklyn Red Devils, Braves, San Diego Clippers and Mexico City Cardenales.
Robinson was the third African American to play roller derby professionally, after George Copeland and Darlene Anderson. He received numerous plaudits, being named for the All-Star team for more than ten years in a row, and was twice named the Most Valuable Player
. On one occasion, Robinson fractured his arm in several places, and was unsure whether he would ever be able to use it again. He also lost his front teeth in a fight with Bob Woodbury, and suffered several concussions.
From 1969 to 1972, Robinson also acted as a coach for the New England Braves. He then acted as a player representative and men's captain for the Chicago/Midwest Pioneers in 1972 and 1973. The promotion ended in 1973, and he then signed with the California Thunderbirds for 1974. The following year, Robinson joined the Roller Stars league, but soon moved to coach for the World Skating Derby. His final return was as a coach in the International Roller Skating Derby.
In 2004, Robinson was inducted to the Roller Derby Hall of Fame.
Roller derby
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups in which both teams designate a scoring player who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team...
skater and coach.
The son of boxer Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson was an African-American professional boxer. Frequently cited as the greatest boxer of all time, Robinson's performances in the welterweight and middleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create "pound for pound" rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight...
, Robinson grew up distant from his father, who divorced his mother shortly after his birth. Sugar Ray counseled him against following him into the world of boxing. After watching roller derby on television, he decided to join the sport, and enrolled in its training school in March 1958, initially under the pseudonym "Ronald Smith". He turned professional after only five months, being placed on the New York Chiefs team. In the early years of his career, he also skated with the Chicago Westerners, Brooklyn Red Devils, Braves, San Diego Clippers and Mexico City Cardenales.
Robinson was the third African American to play roller derby professionally, after George Copeland and Darlene Anderson. He received numerous plaudits, being named for the All-Star team for more than ten years in a row, and was twice named the Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
. On one occasion, Robinson fractured his arm in several places, and was unsure whether he would ever be able to use it again. He also lost his front teeth in a fight with Bob Woodbury, and suffered several concussions.
From 1969 to 1972, Robinson also acted as a coach for the New England Braves. He then acted as a player representative and men's captain for the Chicago/Midwest Pioneers in 1972 and 1973. The promotion ended in 1973, and he then signed with the California Thunderbirds for 1974. The following year, Robinson joined the Roller Stars league, but soon moved to coach for the World Skating Derby. His final return was as a coach in the International Roller Skating Derby.
In 2004, Robinson was inducted to the Roller Derby Hall of Fame.