A teacher with a wild side

JERSEY DEVILS / COURTESY PHOTO Alexis Pyszka After most of the kids had left, Alexis Pyszka sat in the lobby of her elementary school chugging a half-pint of chocolate milk. She looked as unassuming as any grade-school girl waiting on her parents to pick her up, but the 28-year-old is actually one of the teachers.

"We got through math and we got through reading," she said of last Friday afternoon's curriculum. Then, shortly after her students were dismissed for the day, Ms. Pyszka discussed with a reporter her alter-ego. She has a wild side. And it's called Jersey Devil No. 333.

On some evenings and weekends Ms. Pyszka plays a full-contact team sport called roller derby. The game takes place between two teams of women, ages 21 and up, who often body check each other as they race around a track on roller-skates.

Ms. Pyszka is a member of The Fort Myers Derby Girls team, the Palm City Punishers. The local league was formed in 2007 and competes with teams from around the region, like the Bradentucky Bombers from Bradenton.

Like most national roller derby teams, such as the Denver Dolls or Windy City Rollers, the players are women whom come from all walks of life.

"We have moms on the team that have eight kids," Ms. Pyszka said. "We have nurses; we have hairdressers; we have some people who work at banks. You never know when you could be talking to a Derby girl."

And like on most teams, the players go by their nicknames during home games (called "bouts") at the Generations Skating Center in Fort Myers. Ms. Pyszka goes by the name Jersey Devil No. 333, which says a lot about where she came from.

In Vineland, N.J., where she grew up in a big Italian family, her house was only a five-minute drive from Route 666 (the real name of a road). According to folk legend, it's the territory of a beast named the Jersey Devil, who lives in the thick pine woods along the road.

"At least one person from every family will swear they met the Jersey Devil," said Ms. Pyszka, who moved to Lee County five years ago. "Some people will tell you the Jersey Devil is a mixture of many different animals in one being, or a shape shifter (a human that can turn into an animal). It's more of a Puck character, like the Shakespeare character, a mischief causer."

Although she doesn't believe in the Jersey Devil, she added, "It sure is fun. We used to have fun bringing our cars to the back roads and scaring each other."

The number attached to her nickname — 333 — indicates she's only a fearsome devil half the time. Ms. Pyszka usually only acts that way when playing roller derby, "or unfortunately sometimes when I'm driving my car."

When roller derby started in the 1920s in America, the sport was played as much by men as by women. "Getting knocked down became a byproduct of it," she said. "And just like NASCAR, the accidents became the biggest attraction." It is also now "definitely a female-dominated sport," she added. And there are strict rules against violence during bouts.

"The sport is mostly about strategy," Ms. Pyszka said. Still, she proudly shows off the bruises and scrapes on her shins from playing in bouts starting about nine months ago.

She heard about the Derby Girls team from a friend, and thought it sounded like a good way to stay in shape and be competitive. She also loves sports and is a huge fan of the Philadelphia teams she grew up near, including the Eagles football players.

"I never got along with girls," Ms. Pyszka joked, "and having the chance to hit them sounded good."

But she found a deep mutual respect among roller derby athletes. Her teammates include women like Messyouup Buttercup and Jamsterella.

"You get out there and get knocked around and knock other people around, then go to the after party," she said. "There's camaraderie. It takes a special kind of person to hit a girl and go out to the bar with her afterwards."

Ms. Pyszka plays the pivot position, which is the last line of defense to stop opposing players. Her husband, Doug, is the team EMT and also a fireman in Punta Gorda.

Even though she probably won't body check any of her students, Ms. Pyszka said she acts like her alter ego in the classroom when necessary.

"I still have to have a loudmouth," she said. "A loud voice that carries through. (And) you have to be a follower and a leader in the classroom and on the track. These kids are wonderful and come up with ideas, and sometimes we'll go in the direction they thought of. It works that way on the team, too."

If you go

>>What: Fort Myers Derby Girls Palm City

Punishers vs. Bradentucky Bombers. Proceeds from the bout will benefit the

Lisabet Anna Buesing Foundation helping

single mothers with breast cancer.

>>When: Sunday, Sept. 27, 7 p.m.

>>Where: Generations Skating Center on

Andrea Lane in Fort Myers.

>>Cost: $8 in advance and $10 at the door.

Kids 5 and under free

>>Info: For more information, visit

www.fortmyersderbygirls.com