Guess what, guess what! I found out tonight that my offer to help the FCDG Thames Fatales at the BOUNCE THIS! bout on Saturday Oct 3 here in London, versus the Ottawa Rideau Valley Rollergirls (who beat us in July) was accepted!

I am on the roster!

Back in Black baby!  WEEEEIAHHHWWWEEEEEEEESQUEEEEEE (note: spelling was made up by Switch hit Her, Vansterdamn, (night)Mare and Ashley in the car on the way home from practice - the I and AH is for you Switchy! (our home colors are Black and Green, hence my Back in Black theme (My Les Contrabanditas uniform was black and red)

So this is how it happened. The always tough-sounding but small-bodied president of our league, Sufferjet goes, "So Hey Nia, how do you feel about maybe playing for us on Saturday?" with a mischievious smile, and I say, "That's what I talked to Anya about last night, like you could put me in as a bench-warmer alternate, use me when someone needs a break, of if someone is injured or to fill holes when you need to change a line up.", I nervously just cover myself. And Suffer goes, "So, how do you feel about it?", a little louder this time. And I say, "I'd do it, if you asked!" and she said, "I put you on the roster already." I went, SWEET! OMG! Is this for real?

OMG! Then I was all, oh god, I don't have a uniform yet, or a numbered/lettered shirt, and though Suffer said I could drop a shirt at her house tomorrow and she'd do it for me, I have to go to Toronto for work tomorrow - but I did find a shirt at least. I'll use my Thames shirt for this first debut game, it's a little tight, but whatever. I'll wear a couple layers of hose as tights (found no leggings yet) and my black, white striped short shorts, that though will make me look HUGE, will not get in my way skating - because I am never going back to wearing a skirt again unless I have to. And my green laces and green-striped black knee socks will finish the uniform. Now wheels... the floor there is really slippy. We have to sugar coat it to try to make it sticky, but I am afraid I am going to slide out all night. Is there anything I can do in the way I skate, or to my existing wheels to make sure they can hold on?  I know, MOVE YOUR FEET!

I am so nervous! What if I can't keep up? What if I have one shot, and I fuck up? All I can hear is Back Alley Sally screaming, "Nia, inside!" and then "FUUCKK!", as though my missed opportunity to nail a jammer onto her ass is just bout-ending crap. But I know she doesn't mean it, and that's just track frustration. Since it was in practice, I mean.

Instead, I am trying to push that out and hear Vansterdamn and Switch Hit Her, "Nia, you're big, but you're agile. You can totally skate. You'll do great!" and Anya Face saying in reply to my cautious, "I'm offering, not begging, so don't worry if you want me to wait til November." when she said, "Nia, you don't have to beg. I was begging you when you got hurt!". I am holding onto Sufferjet's, "Wow, way to be a wall Nia!" and "Good Job, Nia" I've heard lately.

I am proud to be asked/allowed to play this soon at my level with this great bunch of fun and welcoming rollergirls and fantastic women, I am hopeful that I'll make some good moves and blocks amidst the chaos, and I am determined to try my hardest to play smart, and to be effective.

I am a 'Dita for life, MTLRD, but I have been drowned in the Thames River, and I have risen from the muck and the mud, clawing my way out up onto the banks and onto London soil, and out into the world and onto my skates again, and I am now, a Thames Fatale.

Let me know if you want advance tickets to the bout, $12 in advance, $15 at the door. Saturday Oct 3, 2008, Doors at 7, wheels at 8 , children under 10 get in free. Derby luv to you all!

WOOT!

Labels: bouts, FCDG, Nia Capps, training

On Saturday, I headed out on a mini-road trip with my derby teammates Vansterdamn, Switch Hit Her, and NightMare (her name she wants, but not sure yet, Mare)

The ride consisted of tons of L7 and Peaches tunes, with Vansterdamn and I serenading the car with "Boys wanna be her, Girls wanna be her, Boys wanna be her" and cheers I am working on for the Fatales, like,

" 2, 4, 6, 8, who do we appreciate?

Not the crying Cri-City Girls

But the Thames that made them hurl!

Go FATALES!"

And Vansterdamn sponsored green and black, car ride manicures. What a good car ride.

At the event, Tri-City gave us a warm welcome, and our girls which were a team of only 10 playing were getting ready to play against the 14 team roster of Tri-City, which included Anita Martini, formerly of Forest City, teacher of several Thames blockers, powerhouse mother-hen style blocker, and some good fast skaters that already faced MTLRD Sexpos last year.

Anya Face sported new pink hair, SufferJet, (still recovering from a knee injury) would manage from the bench with husband Bad Pitt, both of whom styled some wicked cool headbands. Mirambo in I'm Famous panties, and several showings of our new Bounce This! and Stay Down! line of underpants to wear were on display.

The Tri-City girls have their own bagpiper to lead them in, but I thought our domino fall-over entrance was pretty fun as I watched from the merch table. The bout started off harsh and it stayed harsh. The spread was doubled by the 15 minute mark, and tripled by half time, and though the skating of both teams was well-matched, Tri-City dominated the pack, often taking lead jammer, and holding up some tough-to-break walls. Moments of FCDG triumph included a powerful jam by Elle Boes (#666) sporting some new Mojo wheels she's testing for Derby Luv and Rollergirl.ca, some big hits by Jemecide who played her first game as a blocker (she was always a jammer), and barrel rolls, and big hits my Mirambo #69). Tri-City, though, had several severely hard hitters, good jamming, and like I said, could dominate the pack.

But it was a great game to watch, even though from the final 124-45 score it seems one-sided, the action was exciting for the home crowd. Reffing had some questionable moments, with FCDG points being questioned (missed) and Bad Pitt being ejected after a heated exchange with the refs over the missed points not given to FCDG, so we love him for fighting for us.

But it has taken my mind to think about how to improve the reffing of roller derby. Why are there always so many complaints about missed calls, missed points, and misunderstandings? Is it because our refs are  un-paid volunteers? Do they not go to enough scrimmage practices to practice themselves? How's the reffing in the WFTDA ranks going? Maybe I'll have to ask some folks out there to weigh in.

Oh, on the way home, the girls were hungry and we stopped through a drive-thru (only thing open) and got McDonald's. First time in two years a fry passed my lips (i had 8 fries) and it was like candy! So no more of those! Gave'em up when I saw SuperSize Me, so no more! Oh yeah, and I am so sore from my Friday Extreme Edge class at Punch Like A Girl  my quads are crying. My trainer friend said I'd hate it, but lunges and squats were the way to go. How can something this painful be good for me?

Check me out on Sparkpeople.com for more info on training plan, fall workout schedule and diet. I'm always trying something new. Two weeks on diet supplied by my husband intended to fit into my Sparkpeople ranges, see what I lose. Today was Day 1.

Labels: bouts, FCDG, TCRG

I'm promoting it because I'm in it, and cause it's my team! 

Get your hands on a badass 2010 derby calendar now, and get a load of the Forest City Derby Girls and some wonderful photography by Adam Gaverluk. 

Available from Weezi, or from me or any other FCDG rollergirl. $20 each, order today! 

Featured Images by Adam Gaverluk

Oh, and also, tickets to the October 3rd bout here in London, ON are now available. Let me know if you need one! 

I'm off to Punch Like a Girl  this morning, and to do some errands. Tomorrow, try derby practice again. When I can make it 2 hours and not be in pain, I'll be ready to play. Fingers crossed! 

Labels: FCDG, roller derby art

I am probably the last person in roller derby world that should always talk about roller derby. I'm the first one to say I suck, first one to say I'm too old, too big, too slow... the first person around me to say, I don' t know if I should be playing roller derby. I don't track stats on teams, and I love new teams as much as I adore the top seeds in the WFTDA annual championships. I've never gone to B&T or RollerCon personally, and I have never skated on an All-Star or travel team. I've never tried banked track, and have not one image of me playing roller derby where I am jumping wildly in the air, and never got slammed into the penalty box. (Clean player to a fault as a rookie). I've lost my temper but never been ejected for fighting, and was never the last one standing at an after party. But, I want to promote roller derby to the masses. I love it. And I flip flop all the time and think I should just become a ref or give it up.

Why am I like that? Years of finding small things I loved and wanted to do - from drawing, to singing, to playing piano, then clarinet, and wanting to play drums - from my Southern US conservative Baptist, but non-religious family, I was always met with more force that told me it was nice, but useless, that it was more important that I was getting a full educational opportunity, that I could do anything, and should be sure I was able to support myself.

That's to be expected from my grandmother, who survived the depression by quitting school and working her way up from the old-time textile mill factory, into the business office, and to end up owning and operating a family florist business that even trucked fake flower arrangements to K-Mart and Roses of the time until her business burned down to the ground when I was 5, and she became a live flower florist for the rest of her years, as well as teaching a floral design course for our local college. Her only desire being my graduation for high school and university as the first woman in our family to do so.

And it was even a bit understandable from my mother, who was taught the same from my grandmother, became a nurse out of nursing school right out of high school in the 60's and was left by a cheating and terrible man that was my real father when I was little in the 80's so that she had to care for her two daughers on her own.

So I get it. But thereby goes the explanation of the little voice that I have that tells me there is no way I am good enough at anything I do that I find fun (roller derby, singing, dancing, cycling, drawing) that I should just quit. That I am wasting my time because I will gain nothing, no financial security, no education, no useful skills, and nothing that will help me support myself and my yet unborn children should tragendy strike my family someday and leave me to do so, that it's not worth it. The costs are outweighing the benefits. I am spending money and time and effort and pain for nothing. I also have the voice of that nurse that tells me the damage I am doing to my knees and ankles with the injuries I've incurred will gain strength and impede my functional health as a senior someday. Well, that's not a small thing is it?

Roller Derby came into my life at a time when I was just feeling like I deserved to be able to do something I would love to do again - skate - , and I lost my fear of my physical inadequacies, being 32 at that time and moving into the physical and sexual confidence that comes to a woman in her 30s, that gave me just enough fire to say, "I am not going to miss out on what I want because of my body not being model-sized, or because of my age, and I can do anything I want!" and was somewhere between, "this is tough!" and "Yay, I already know how to do that!" and somewhere between, "Get that camera away from me" and "I look pretty cute in that short derby skirt"

Because of what roller derby is, a massive sisterhood of women who usually don't like other women unless they love them, a team of non-team players, a grass-roots, skater-owned, all female, team-spirited, all encompassing and empowering sport of blood, sweat and tears... it owned me. My husband became a derby widow that still says sometimes it's tiring that all I talk about is roller derby, training for roller derby, how I am doing in roller derby, the website and roller derby.

Meanwhile, I feel like the season I got to play in Montreal was so long ago already. Months of being off-skate and not playing feels like years, the pain of injuries and bruises and scrapes just telling me that because of roller derby I no longer need to add piercings, tattoos or more scars to my body. The fact that I keep being willing to try again, to keep going, means that I'm doing something I care about.

I haven't gained a ton of what my family would call useful. I've spent more on gear, clothes, derbyluv.com, and training and transportation to training and bouts than I ever have or can hope to make from a few google ads on my blog and comic site. And I know 100% that most rollergirls I know have done more of that than a homebody like me can imagine. I haven't gained a physically impressive body, because genetically I am cursed with a body that will stay at it's happy fat, curvy size no matter how hard I push it. I haven't gotten money, fame, fortune, or even a new job because of roller derby. I'm not a travelling roller derby boot camp trainer, I wasn't on Rollergirls, I haven't played in any championship game of anything.

But you know what I gained as just a roller derby player? One of hundreds that goes with her derby fame being her name and photo in her local teams program and a facebook or myspace page? I gained a world of people that love something as much as I do. I got more Physical Activity to improve my health. I made a few Friends. I got Self-Confidence (maybe it's still low, but I have some!) Fitness (I may be big but I can do it!) Excitement. Derby Luv! And even got to express myself when I was on a creative and promotion committee.

Worth it?
Abso-freakin-lutely. I wouldn't change anything, other than my physical qualities that impede me and athletic capabilities if that were possible.

And with that said, I am going to keep training to try and be ready to play, though my ankle injury and calf pains are still present in my world, in the next home bout for FCDG, BOUNCE THIS! And let me know if you are interested in advance tickets to that bout here in London, ON on Oct 3, or in 2010 Thames Fatales Calendars that are hot off the presses for only $20, full of some of our loveliest and toughest Thames Fatales skaters, and your very own Nia Capps allowed to be in the team photo - though I was ankle wrapped and hobbling into the group shot.
More details, images and FCDG website updates coming soon!

And are you ready after all the TIFF buzz and CTV talk with Drew Barrymore for the WHIP IT! release? Oct 2, roller derby fans and players. Our perfect chance to get the rest of world into roller derby! Thanks, Drew!

Labels: roller skating, training, whip it

I started a new Yahoo! group for injured derby players:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/derbyhurts/

Labels: injuries, roller derby, santa cruz derby girls

Sitting on the sidelines has recently allotted me a lot of time to observe skater interaction. I love sports psychology, especially that of roller derby. SCDG has had the great gift of 25 new skaters. There are a lot of girls, lots of variance in skill and even more in attitude. This got me thinking.

When you are first starting out in derby you spend most of you time trying to figure out what the heck is going on and get your skill set down pat - during this time most girls are proving to themselves and the girls around them that they got what it takes to play this gnarly game.

This is a pivotal time in player development. A girl could come in with a good skill set and a shitty / cocky attitude and the reality is she is going to have a lot more to prove to the coaches and senior players then a girl with slightly less in skill and a good attitude. It's called coachability and it is a necessity for girls who hope to make it to be teamed skaters.

Why is this? Shouldn't skill conquer all? There are plenty of pro athletes who are good, know they are the shit and will tell anyone who listens.

It's my opinion from a skater perspective that I don't want to skate with someone who thinks it's all about them. Derby is a team sport - you have to play with your team. Everyone has something unique to offer on the track. Even the best jammers in the sport are crap if they don't play with their blockers and even the best blockers are useless if they are out there playing their own game, going for big hits and not thinking about strategy.

It's all about the T E A M. If you can't get along or respect, or get respect from the skaters around you - you might want to reevaluate how you are interacting with your sisterskaters.

Having confidence is different from being cocky. I'm cocky as shit to my opposing players - but I save that for games and use practice as a time for learning, not showing off. Allow me to clarify before I go any further. I treat my opponents with the same level of respect and sportswomenship that I expect to be treated with . . . but I do like mind-fuck them a little bit. practice is a time to connect with your teammates, ask questions and work your ass off.

Now that I'm on the sidelines and have to look at things more from a coaching perspective - I'm more likely to want to work with the girls who have smiles and questions verses attitude and SDS (Shit Don't Stink) Syndrome. I don't care what the skill set is, my time is valuable and I want to help those who will be playing with the team, not against it. That may sound kinda harsh, but it's the truth.

Most of our newbies are doing a stellar job. They are getting themselves out of their comfort zone, showing their balls and leaving their egos at the door. I heart you ladies! I wish I could be out there tearing it up with all you. For now you'll just have to listen to my bellowing voice from the bench.


Hugs & Bruises,

Raven

Labels: Fresh Meat, santa cruz derby girls

I really started thinking about what the next couple months look like for me and I'm thinking I probably won't be back to skating until January. Prove me wrong knee! Prove. Me. Wrong.

I've got another five weeks in the bionic brace and then a 70% chance of surgery. After thinking about it and talking to other people, I really think surgery is the best route. Whether they use cadaver parts in me is up for debate. The knee surgeon seemed to think this was the best route, where as the physical therapist said there was a higher failure rate - Come on guys, get it together! Don't tell me contradicting info please!!

So five weeks and then I find out if I need surgery. I'm sure I'm not just going to have surgery that week, so I'm gonna have to wait for surgery, and then I'm going to have to heal, build up strength and make my triumphant return. I'll be lucky if I can skate in January.

I started physical therapy this week. At first I was like this sucks, but now after a few days I'm really starting to like the exercises. It's nice to move around again and feel like I'm doing something with my knee. It's starting to pull me out of gimp mode. I'm thinking about swimming next week. I'm prone to chubbiness, so it's important I don't stay docile for too long or I'll spread out ;)

Not skating just sucks all around. I really want to get my hands dirty with coaching but I don't want to step on any toes and sorta feel like it's a hard transition for a skater to make. I'm trying to help where I can, but it's just not the same. I really want to prove that I can be a good coach - that means hard work on my end to make the coaching committee, the coaches and my team put trust and responsibility in my hands. I officially feel like an outsider having to prove myself all over again and that's just a crappy feeling.

It's not just the derby and my team that I miss. I miss just being able to skate. I love roller skating. There is nothing in the world that is better then rolling around on eight wheels. I had just gotten two new sets of wheels too - damn. At least I know they are waiting for me.

I guess all I can do is wait and be patient. I'll be here for my team in whatever capacity I can and just spend as much time as possible researching drills, plays and watching footage.

At least I have this wedding nonsense to keep me distracted.


Hugs and Bruises,

Raven

Labels: injuries, santa cruz derby girls