Talk Derby To Me: Meet Houston Roller Derby Production Manager Sweetie Todd

Editor’s Note: This is the third installment of Spectrum South’s eight-part original Talk Derby to Me series. Roll by each month to meet a new queer Houston Roller Derby skater, coach, or super fan!

By Kelsey Gledhill

“I wish I would’ve found it when I was a little younger,” laughs Belinda Pedraza, AKA Sweetie Todd. At age 55, she’s one of the oldest members of Houston Roller Derby (HRD), but arguably one of the most versatile. Sweetie joined the league over a decade ago and has been happily ingrained in the female-dominated sport ever since, volunteering her time first as a medic, then skater, official, coach, and now production manager.

The derby veteran grew up crisscrossing the globe as a Navy brat, living in Japan, Florida, Seattle, Oakland, and everywhere in between before finally settling in Odessa, Texas. “There’s just nothing there, absolutely nothing. We had one gay bar,” Sweetie says. She spent her high school years in the small, conservative west Texas town hanging out with her two cousins and close friends, all of which identified as gay or lesbian. “I knew I was a lesbian, but always denied it to my parents. We’d [Sweetie and her cousins and friends] catch so much crap at school that I didn’t want to endure the same thing at home,” she recalls.

Although she created a safe, insular space with her cousins and friends, Sweetie did not live an out life in Odessa, even after high school. “I ended up getting a job at ConocoPhillips, but never officially came out to my peers or bosses because I didn’t want to lose my job,” Sweetie explains. She even went so far as to get married to a man and have three children, chalking it up as the expectation. The love for her children lasted, but the marriage did not.

In 1991, Sweetie made the move to Houston. “After hearing about and seeing how accepting the city was of my cousin, I knew I needed to get down here. I’ve been out ever since,” she says. Not only did she find comfort in knowing other out LGBTQ folks at her company, she also found support from one of Houston’s most niche sports. “I first got into derby in my 40s as a volunteer medic, but after a breakup with my then-girlfriend of 10 years, I actually joined as a skater for the Brawlers. Derby helped me get over all that and got me into shape,” Sweetie laughs.

Derby has been a family affair for Sweetie Todd. She, along with her two daughters, helped establish Houston Roller Derby’s recreational league, the Machete Betties. Her son also volunteered as a derby medic and eventually went on to form Spindletop Roller Girls in Beaumont, Texas with his wife. But when this all-around derby gal isn’t devoting her time to the track, she’s giving back to the young LGBTQ folks at Montrose Grace Place, a local safe space providing hot meals, clothing, and hygiene items for homeless queer youth across Houston. There, Sweetie is a direct contact volunteer, providing positive interaction with the youth that visit the shelter. She admits that this experience has made her more aware of the younger queer community and has educated her on the evolving spectrum of identities that exist. “Children are coming out earlier and exploring their identity sooner because they simply have more exposure to the LGBTQ community. Society is making it easier for our community to be who we truly are,” Sweetie says.

In her new role as HRD’s production manager, Sweetie is responsible for making Saturday game days at Revention Music Center go off without a hitch. From safely getting the derby track to the facility to coordinating with photographers to scheduling fan-inclusive halftime events, it could easily be a full-time job. “Whether people are coming out to derby for the first time or have been supporting us for years, everyone wants to see a certain level of showmanship,” Sweetie says. “From the moment you walk in to the moment you leave, we want to share and create a one-of-a-kind experience that can only be found at Houston Roller Derby.”

Houston Roller Derby’s next bout is Saturday, March 31 at Revention Music Center. Doors open at 6 p.m. Bouts start at 7 p.m. Tickets and more information available at houstonrollerderby.com. Plus, enter to win two tickets to the March bout by signing up for Spectrum South’s newsletter.