Forest City Derby Girls get their revenge on Rideau Valley
So I didn't do a write-up on the Forest City Derby Girls website on the last two games, because I didn't get any photos from them, but I did post here. So if you're paying attention, you'll remember on July 6 weekend we all took the purple 70s-era party bus to Ottawa and pretty much had our asses handed to us by RVRG, and they trounced us.
We had fun anyway, and we came home and we reviewed, and we trained. We played Tri-City last weekend, and we also got beat. Well, we decided as a team that 1) We do need to work together if we want to win 2) We do need to be aggressive and do better pack control, and 3) It's important to still have fun.
So we did. We put on a good show last night. Let's break it down for you.
Intros:
RVRG - Pace Line, Player intro and wave.
FCDG - 5 or 6 in large black afro wigs with green jammer stars on them. Pack skate, player intro - throw a WHIP IT! T-shirt into the crowd and slide into line on knees. Anya Face, captain is last skater called and she hits the line and we all fall down.
Period 1
Don't ask me the score or what jam was which - I was an alternate last night so I was watching and then making sure I wasn't being put in last minute all night. Worse than getting killed is waiting to get killed, you know? Anyway...
Highlights: RVRG star, Soul Rekker, who is a star jammer, had FCDG blockers on her last night like white on rice. We managed to work our line-ups so that our weaker jammer would skate against Soul Rekker, but the blocking line-up would be on her, while our stronger jammer would go out against their weaker ones and rack up points. Mid-way in, I was called up to go in.
I had been nervous all freaking day. Worse than when I played with the Contrabanditas for my first game in Montreal in 2007. Way worse! Why? In Montreal, I was playing with a team I had trained with for a year. I was playing against a team I practiced with all the time, so I knew what they would do. This time, up against RVRG I just knew I'd get owned.
That jam went sour fast. First off, the pack got split up and we were freaking sprawled it seemed like 60 feet, though my teammate Annie Takers was right behind me on my left on the line, and I was in the middle. I wen to hit an RVRG blocker, and she and her teammate sandwiched me. It was okay though, I fell, but two of them were busy taking me down, and VROOM went Anya face as she skirted by. YAY! I made a, what's that, DIVERSION. But then, disaster. Semi-Precious of RVRG but a hard hit into Mirambo, one of our fantastic all around skaters, and Mirambo slammed to the ground into one of the columns in our playing space that we have to pad because they are inside our safety mark. She snapped her collar bone.
Well, as Mirambo was taken out on the stretcher, our team pulled ourselves together and did, "MIRAMBO" chant and went back out to give'er. Score 74-55 for FCDG.
Intermission:
Fruit, water, stretch, talk game plan.
Period 2:
The line ups changed a bit, and the jammer match-ups changed to. We had Anya Face going up against Soul Rekker now, and Soul Rekker would jump in as a blocker to try and stop Killson. Killson made about 800 new fans last night, because she was unstoppable. She skated hard, fast, and skirted by hits like she floated across the floor. Anya Face blocked as a jammer when Soul Rekker was racking up RVRG points. Ak-47 of RVRG was jamming quite a bit last night, but she got sent to the box a couple times, leaving our jammers open to just roll.
FCDG called 2 timeouts and challenged a call, and also noticed some points missing. Once corrected, the score was 88-70 in Period 2. The only game issue was that during the timeouts, the crowds get a little "WTF is going on?"and get out of the action. I'll speak to that in a minute. Other issues, was reffing. There were two pretty confusing instances where first jam, we had a jammerless jam with both jammers called on majors. In Period 2, Killson took a turn in the box, came out, did one lap and was sent back out again. It was just weird. RVRG also was disappointed in the reffing.
Here's that complaint again. Bad reffing. We've had it in games we play, like this weekend, as we all have, I think. Referees in derby are inexperienced (most don't play derby themselves), unpaid volunteers, that only can practice their craft if we play. So here's my personal theory. Setup one scrimmage practice per week and ask the refs to come out. Scrimmage in a "dress rehearsal" fashion with the clocks running, penalty calls, the whole shebang. It will be good practice for the refs - because you can stop after a bad call and review right away. And it would be invaluable in a secure environment with their teammates for new skaters and rookies to get a feel for the pace of a bout. But, if your space doesn't allow for full bouting hits and play, that might be hard. So I guess GTAR had it right this year. If you don't have space to practice all the time, just play a lot. Play a game as often as you can. But the end of a season, you'll be better just from learning on the fly. Refs should ref at all nearby derby games, to get more experience, and everyone, remember, it's Roller Derby and we aren't even at risk of losing endorsement contracts.
But I digress. Here's another point for you, we all get bad reffing sometimes, and we deal with it. Win or lose, Jammer's game, blocking game, good calls and missed calls. Challenge and review when you think you need it, and watch your points. Other than that, play derby and have fun! If it's not fun, you don't want to do it!
So as the period went on, I got to play a few more times. I mainly held the inside line when asked to, I didn't get any superstar hits in, or do any hail mary plays, but I had no intention of trying anything like that last night. I was just getting my bout legs back. I took some hits, made some holes for my jammers, held a position or two, took a skate to the chin in a pileup and was on the ground at least once in all my jams.
We ended on a fight note, unfortunately. Semi-Precious nailed another player and Elle Boes jumped on her back and ended up putting Semi-Precious into a headlock. It was bad, and Elle Boes did get ejected and did apologize. Tempers flared and it was over. You won't get the humor in what happened until you see Elle Boes. She's about 5 foot something and weighs about 100 pounds. Semi-Precious is a strong blocker. It was like a Wildcat and a lion. Elle was ejected for fighting, for the last part of the period - and we won! It was sad for it to be on a bad note for Semi-Precious. She's a tough competitor and tempers should be in check out there. But, all in all, what happens on the track stays on the track. Victory lap (my first ever) was awesome, and then we got RVRG to take their lap too. We did a big team photo op, and then had RVRG join us. I hope we actually get some of the photos that get taken - I want to see them! (btw, I found photos and the two teams are AWESOME!
Now, it's time to review, process, and train. Our final game of the 2009 season is on November 7th, and it's another re-match, this time versus the Championship winning team from Tri-City Roller Girls, (TCRG), either the Vicious Dishes or the Venus Flytramps. I saw Anita Martini, Bareleigh Legal, and some of the TCRG crew in the suicides last night, scoping us out. I hope for the next bout I can show my stuff like I do in practice. I'll be less nervous, I hope, and if not, I'll keep people busy hitting me. TCRG teams are fast though, so I will be ordering some new bearings (I am on Abec 5s right now, cause my REDS rusted) and will be working on speed and hitting this month.
Je Thames, Thames Fatales, for working so hard, having so much fun and for bringing me on that ride. I just had my first win ever. I really felt like I helped, even though I only played 7 jams and fell a lot - I thought - and I kept up, surprising since I can't keep up with the team at practice most of the time (speed wise, not skating wise I mean). I feel like next time I can help more. I heart every sore muscle, broken nail, bruise and bump I have today and I heart Je Thames Fatales, and I heart roller derby. A good day.
Thanks RVRG! You guys rock out on the track and are awesome. We learned alot from you. Soul Rekker, you are unstoppable, lady. And I am feeling the sandwiched two-blocker hit I took in period 1, and the skate to the chin I took in period 2, so thanks! The pain is what tells me I played! You ladies rock, and we're 1-1 for 2009 - see you in 2010 I hope, and I look forward to a better after-party where we can all hang!
posted by Nia Capps at
9:53 AM
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Yes, it's awesome to see Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page all geared up, and I'll refrain from any nit-picking, judging of what I see here for now - it's too exciting! Can't wait to see it! 
