muddy river rollers - moncton roller derby

I didn't know I could fly.  What a feeling!  It was a mixed emotion though.  I don't know how many players went down in front of me, but I could see no way out.  Stopping wasn't an option because there just wasn't time.  It all happened in a split second.  My shin made contact with 4 wheels and both my legs went out behind me and I dove head first with a helmet cracking thud.  For a fraction of a second I was fully airborne, and had I not landed on other players, I would say it was pure fun.  My jaw bounced off a shoulder, I knocked the wind out of myself, and I looked under me fearfully to find someone else saying at the same time "are you okay?"  Okay, I lied…it was pure fun.  

I have written three posts in the last little while that I had to shelf because they were either a touch too personal, or there was a chance they would be misunderstood. People all think that derby girls are tough. The real truth is that while we're strong, we all have feelings, and those feelings can get bruised as easily as our asses. 

Winning our first double-header of the season last weekend has put us on one edge of a double-edged sword. When I say "us" I mean the Daughters of Anarchy, and the Lumbersmacks, because I play for neither. I am using "us" as a league reference, because it just makes relaying the information easier. I play for the Reines of Terror, making me the outsider looking in. Confused yet? Welcome to Derby. I was an NSO, doing a fantastic job according to some, and poor according to others. But, either way I watched our teams win both bouts, against challenging opponents from St John. 

I keep bragging about how amazing Muddy River Rollers are, and despite that being narcissistic (since I am a MRR), I really believe that there is something unique about this league. At the same time, after reading other derby blogs, and hearing dozens upon dozens of skaters, there is a chance that I've got it all wrong. 

Screech…needle off the record time…What? The MRR are not one of a kind? 
There are so many new derby teams joining leagues all over Canada and the rest of the globe. PR spins everywhere use phrase in the media like "the Wheel Deal" when writing about this incomparable sport (and don't think it was an accident that I used the word "spin"). It's as if they are trying to be as clever as the team or player names that creative women come up with for themselves. Everybody wants to be aligned with the mystery that is the gumball toe-stop skate world. It's like the newest bar in town that everyone wants to be seen at!

Derby is new to the Maritimes, and every league here is busy learning the ins and outs to a sport that is part business, part entertainment and part sport. There is so much more to being a derby girl than slapping a pair of Scabs™ on your knees and lacing up some Reidell's®. You can't really just skate. You become part of something more. When an event comes to town you will have to learn that a big "X" on a whiteboard means 'crossing the track', or that 4 whistles mean the jam is over. Still confused? That's what makes it a sport!

Nobody has all the answers. No one person can run a league. The person that knows that best is usually the one in charge. At the end of the day, in my mind it should just come down to one single question to every person who laced up, wore a t-shirt to support, carpooled to cheer on, or bought drinks at the afterparty. That question is: did you have fun? The answer is always unanimously "YES"! Because, despite any of the real complaints, "NO" is the one I have yet to hear!

There's something about the end of practice that has me looking back at how much fun I had.  I can be a tad cynical sounding in practice, because I voice my opinion, even if it's not popular.   But, roller derby is exhilarating, as much for the personal interaction as the sport itself.   Imagine, the kind of women that are drawn to derby are not the kind you would think of as shy, or quiet.  We all think a little outside the box, and we find out super-fast that we need to have a thick skin.  If I'm a blocker during a bout, my job is to push you off the track and stop you from getting in the way of my jammer.  That means that I really can't be worried about your feelings.  I will do that off-track.  I'm not even allowed to argue with the referee.  Just skate hard, get points for the team, and take a whip so that it's both helpful to me, but exciting to watch!

Nobody who knows me well will be surprised that my co-captain tonight said to me "eyes on the track and shut it" while gesturing a nice lock and key motion in front of her mouth.  In any other context I probably would have felt badly; but I'm not going to be a better player if someone has to worry about my feelings.  Shut it I did, and focused on what I should have been focusing on in the first place.  She did say sorry, and I thought that she had nothing to be sorry for at all.  I will not learn anything if I don't listen to all the players, giving both good and bad feedback.  

A lot of us come into this sport for a variety of reasons: it's cool, it's fun, you get to wear awesome gear, it is a fantastic physical workout, and as Willy Wonka said, "if God had meant us to walk, he wouldn't have invented roller skates".  I'll tell you though, when you take an elbow to the face, or your own blocker knocks you down when you're jamming, the first words out of your mouth are not "thank you very much".  I am inspired by women who can come off the track and share their feelings with one another to the betterment of the team, and be met with understanding and a positive outcome.  We are building amazing teams in this league. 

Muddy River Rollers is a strong group of women.  They are going to be worth watching at the first bout at the Red Ball Centre on May 14th.  It's a double header with The Daughters of Anarchy, and The Lumbersmacks competing, and everyone is working super hard to make sure that not only will it be a huge success, it will be super entertaining for the audience.   Every league member is excited, so we'd like to share that.  In case you want tickets, they can be purchased at both Spin It, and Cut Throat Pizza locations in Moncton.  You can also purchase them online.