“It was a really big deal because within derby itself, we are a small organization, so the fact that we were recognized for the work we do in tournaments and we were asked to put on this high-level thing is a big deal,” Maksimchuk said. “Some of these skaters here are people you essentially grew up with, like you wanted to be them. And now we get to host them and watch them play.”

Teams from Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Minnesota are set to play in the tournament, attracting people to Lansing from all over the nation.

For fans and players, the tournament is like the March Madness of roller derby.

12 teams will compete in the tournament this weekend, and the top two will earn a bid to the champs in Malmö, Sweden, at the final Hydra Cup in October.

Gina Mutz (39), a Detroit derby player also known as Gigi Spitfire, recently transferred back to Detroit from Flint derby for the opportunity to be in the tournament.

“High-level roller derby challenges your mental grit like so, so much. The physicality is definitely up, but the mental game when you get to this level of roller derby, it's like chess,” Mutz said. “It's not checkers anymore. We're playing full-on chess.”

Roller derby is a full-contact sport where one offensive skater, or "jammer," attempts to pass opposing blocker groups to earn points.

To start a game, jammers line up behind blockers and wait for the jam-starting whistle to begin competing for superior position. Blockers must simultaneously prevent opposing jammers from passing them and help their own jammer get through.

Friday morning, the Detroit AllStars battled The Windy City Second Wind from Chicago and kicked off the tournament with a win.

“A win first thing in the morning, you can't beat that,” Mutz said afterward. “Now, we're gonna play Minnesota, and we're gonna give them an upset tonight.”

Coming all the way from Lexington, Kentucky, Nicole Begg (54) said she and her family “pretty much eat, breathe and sleep derby,” and that she’s excited to see this level of play in-person for the first time.

“I just love the opportunity to see so many different teams at once. Our typical games are doubleheaders, I mean, you got four teams typically,” Begg said. “But this is the first time I've been to a tournament, you know, seeing teams at this level compete, and that in and of itself is a really cool experience. I'm really glad to be here.”

Maksimchuk, Begg and Mutz all emphasized the reason they have stuck around the derby community for years is because of how supportive the environment is. 

"If you're into derby, you're in," Begg said. "And it's also welcoming to fans, volunteers, coaches, everybody involved."

Maksimchuk said, "You're getting the best of the best this weekend. All derby is fun to watch, but this is like another level of derby. I mean, we all play this for fun, and everybody's here to win," adding that the people involved are playing for something bigger and put a lot of money, sweat and work into the sport.