DERBY LUV - Roller Derby Blog and Comic!

I had an amazingly fun Sunday morning. Originally my league had a scrimmage scheduled for this morning, but due to low numbers and whatever other reasons- unbeknownst to me- the plug was pulled.

Did that stop a handful of girls from getting together and doing what we LOVE to do? Oh Hells no. A few of our girls had organized on Friday to meet at the outdoor hockey rink at Mike Fox Skate Park this morning at 10AM.

I knew I was going to go, but did not know to what extent I was going to involve myself. I woke up this morning all cranky. My knee has been aching all weekend and causing me to be a real baby. So I thought about just not going or if I did go I would just be a bench coach or just take pictures.

Roxy called me at 9:30 and said she was on her way to my house, to get ready and to bring my shit with me. She promised me a Peanut Butter Mood' Jumba Juice if I went. How do I say no to that?

Well I ended up having a great time. There were about seven or eight girls that showed up, ready to skate and just have fun. A more then half of the skaters that came where newish girls or skaters that haven't had the opportunity to play just yet.

I knew looking at the number of skaters that were there we couldn't scrimmage. So I offered to coach the girls with help from everyone as far as what they wanted to work on. It was great. Everyone was really helping each other out. The best part was we were all having a great time hanging out with each other.

We worked our way up to some 3 on 3 blocking with the seventh girl playing as jammer, alternating which team she jammed for. I blew the whistle, called penalties, started and stopped the clock and yelled at the pack. It was exciting to see the girls really getting their game on.

I ended up jumping in as a jammer once and even with the knee pain and all really pulled out a decent jam for yours truly. I ended up getting accidentally tripped on one of my passes through the pack and totally ate shit on the asphalt. I was instantly relieved that it was my arm that skid across the pavement and not my knee. I hopped up and finished the jam. Afterwards I was so distracted and ready to go back in and block that I forgot about my arm, that was by then dripping blood.

The girls patched me up and we played one more jam. A few of us skated down to the Boardwalk and got kicked out by one of the rent-a -cops the second we set wheels in the actual park. I love almost being 30 and getting kicked out of places for roller skating.

We ended the morning with a quick pass in Mike Fox Skate Park were I got some decent air on a little jump. It felt really good to just skate for the fun of it. Sometimes I forget about that part of derby. I get so caught up in the business of roller derby, and the mental focus of the competitiveness of games and sometimes even practice, that I really do forget to cut back and just have fun roller skating with my friends.

Hugs & Bruises,

Raven