Cheeky Monkey

I discovered derby by accident really… my girlfriend was talking to me about her bruises and I asked where she got them… she told me all about derby, what it’s about and how it’s played. I’m a tomboy and I always wanted to play a rough sport like hockey or men’s lacrosse (because really lets face it if you can’t beat each other with the stick then what’s the point?) so I figured this would be my chance… little did I know that it only got better… not only was this a rough and tumble sport, but roller derby encouraged wearing fishnets and skirts! I was completely hooked. I went to boot camp and never looked back…

So, why do I skate? I skate because not only was this sport meant for me, but this team was meant for me… I couldn’t have asked for a better bunch of girls to train me and show me all the ropes… and now that I’m on the team I definitely feel like there is no better group of women that i could be skating with. Cheers!

Here’s what the league had to say about her!

“Just in the few months I’ve known her I’ve seen her look better and better each time she throws her skates on. I’m so happy she has been added to the team that will play Richmond. She works hard not only on the track but off as well. Isis doesn’t have an easy job dealing with all of us constantly bringing her crumpled money and scribbled checks, but she is incredibly understanding and is never annoyed with us and our financials. Working with her is an absolute pleasure, she’s warm and encouraging. She is open to hearing your point and gently redirecting when you might not be in the right creative ballpark. I’ve learned a lot from her about how the league works and the team runs. She is a great asset to the board and the league. ”

“I would like to nominate Smokin Ices. She has stepped up above and beyond the call of duty with her tireless dedication to the league and her positive attitude. She makes it to events, practices, meetings and committee obligations without complaint and with a gung-ho effort. She’s AMAZING and I really admire and appreciate her”

Congratulations!

Training Director, ThunderLips, went over why the Dominion Derby Girls need you and what to expect throughout the training process. Other topics were what to wear to Boot Camp and practices, what type of skates and protective gear to purchase, and what to expect from your Dominion Derby Girl

The 2009 Dominion Derby Girls

ThunderLips also stressed coming to watch our practices to see how the Dominion Derby Girls train and to ask any questions about skating and the league. The Dominion Derby Girls practice at Haygood Skating Center at 1036 Ferry Plantation Road in Virginia Beach.
Monday: Team/scrimmage 7pm-9pm
Wednesday: League/Fresh Meat 9pm-11pm
Thursday: League/Fresh Meat 9pm-11pm
Saturday: Team/scrimmage 9am-12pm (except for Saturday 2/27)

If you’re interested in joining the Dominion Derby Girls and missed the Pre-Boot Camp Meeting, here’s the info on the March 7th Boot Camp:

When: Sunday, March 7th, 2010 9:00am-12:00pm
Where: Haygood Skating Center, 1036 Ferry Plantation Road, Virginia Beach
What to bring: $30 Boot Camp registration fee ($25 if paid in advance online), copy of your ID, copy of your health insurance card, helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards, mouthguard and of course, skates.
Why: Our Boot Camp is an intense, three-hour session designed to train you in the basics of skating and the game of Roller Derby. Open to skaters and referees.

More information at the DDG Boot Camp website or by emailing freshmeat@dominionderbygirls.net or training@dominionderbygirls.net

Also, check out the Dominion Derby Girls FAQ!

Why do I ref? Because I believe in the sport, the skater’s safety and I enjoy it.

Exposed to roller derby only 8 months ago I immediately fell in love with the energy, the fun, the friendships and the sport itself. It was the most

Dr. Psycho Cub

Some league members do it for themselves, others because it’s fun, others are athletes and some do it because they enjoy the sport itself. I referee because I believe in ALL of those motivations and want to support that success through my “zebra” responsibilities.

I wear my “stripes” at every practice. Not because I’m a dork (well, I am), but because I am a referee every time I’m on that track. I’m not there to workout. I’m there to become a better referee. To perform my job and do my part as best as I possibly can. Whether doing a practice or blowing the whistle, I’m proud of wearing my stripes!

-Dr. Psycho Cub

I bought all of my gear and started practicing right away. When I purchased my gear I probably bought the cheapest skates possible, but they served their purpose in getting me out on the track. A fellow DDG skater, T. Rex ya face, was taking a “break” from skating so she let me test out her skates. What a difference skates can make, as I felt like I was flying compared to my previous skates. I skated a few more times on T. Rex’s skates and wondered why she hadn’t asked for them back. Then the news came that she was expecting a little miracle! We were all so excited for her and to my surprise she said I could continue to wear what I call “the magical skates”.

When I first started skating, the DDG had a Skater Qualification Requirement booklet that you got signed off once you passed a WFTDA minimum skill requirement. My skills continued to get better and better every time I skated. I went to every practice I could in hopes to get that book FINISHED as soon as possible! I was only five signatures away from completing my booklet when I received some AMAZING news of my own. I was pregnant with my first child! My husband and I were super excited to hear the news and I would also need to take a “break” from skating. So now we all know why I say T. Rex ya face had “the magical skates”!

I continued to be involved with the DDG throughout my pregnancy by attending practices, home bouts and traveling with the team to Atlanta and Philadelphia. It was awesome to watch the team grow and come so far. My little guy was born on October 7th and I jumped back on skates at the fresh meat boot camp which was held November 1st. To my surprise I hadn’t lost all of my skill, but I definitely had to ease my way back into skating and get back to the fundamentals of roller derby.

I’m sure the majority of athletic woman fear the aftermath of having a baby and I certainly was no exception. I know I was very anxious to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight and after about a month of skating with the DDG I had already accomplished this goal. I preach to every mommy I know to come out and play some Roller Derby, because it’s not only loads of fun, but it’s also the best work out I’ve ever had!

Smokin’ Ices # 21

Clockwise from top left: Pachuca Loca, Holly Go Bite Me, Becka the Wrecka, Asian Chow Down

Congratulations ladies!! Here’s what your league members had to say about you!!!

“To see so many returning veterans to the league is exciting. The league has gone through a transformation in the last year and it’s inspiring and rejuvenating to see those changes attracting members who we have missed. We’re glad to have them back and excited to see them contribute to the continued success to the team.”

It was a hard journey through the fresh meat process. I never knew that so many things were involved with roller derby and I still have a lot to learn but it is worth every minute of my time. I thought I knew how to skate already but then I was told that you needed to learn how to fall properly,weave through skaters,and of course receive and take hits among other things. Also, you need to stretch and you endure a workout even before you actually start skating. There is so much involved and a great amount of detail goes into making you a roller derby girl. Oh, I want to mention that you need to know rules of roller derby and hand signals given by the refs,also. It takes a lot of practices and then you get to move on to bigger and better things and become rotten meat which is where I am at today.

As rotten meat, I have to stretch, endure a workout, and skate in a pack. When you are in a pack, it is a whole different ball game. You have to be very alert and ready to help your team. I have been doing this for a couple of weeks now and it has been hard to grasp but I am going to keep trying and not give up. I know I have the support of my team and coaches to back me up and I am not going to let them down.
The last thing I would like to close with is to say thank you to a couple of people. The first person is my friend Beverly for staying on me about getting skates. My coaches for giving me hope that I can learn this. Also, the girls I skate with for pushing me when I just want to give up and lending me the equipment so I could skate.

“I’m bored, lets go do something tonight.”

My husband said this to me the end of September 2009. “Ok what do you want to do?” I asked him. We decided to see a movie. “Oh hey there’s a sneak preview of that new movie Drew Barrymore directed, whatcha think?”

So we went. And I was AMAZED. I know now that a LOT of it is glossed over, and thats just Hollywood. But as I was sitting there in that theater, I fell in love with Roller Derby. When I got home from the theater I got right on my laptop to go check out the site for the movie.

Oh. My. God. There’s a roller derby team HERE!!!!

I couldn’t believe it. My parents met at Haygood Skating Rink, and my mom’s house is literally less than a mile from there. I used to skate there as a kid with my dad.

When the movie came out officially the next weekend, my husband and I went to see it again. I was dying to go to the “Boot Camp” that was that weekend, but I talked to my husband and I decided to wait a month. We would go to Open Skate and I would get back into skating-and shape. As a kid, I spent a year in a wheel chair because of some physical health problems and it was a big concern that my husband and I discussed til we were blue in the face. But he knew that when I decided something, that was it.

We actually cut our vacation short so that I could attend Boot Camp the first weekend of November. I ground my teeth every time I fell during time trials, told myself “pain is weakness leaving the body” and kept going. Bam Bam got up and skated with me the last 5 laps or so, and I was the last one to finish. By the end of that 3 hours, I felt like I was going to die. My husband picked me up and took me home, where I stayed on the couch the rest of the day.

But it felt good. I wasn’t anywhere near as good as some of the girls in my boot camp group, but I had done my best.

Now, about 2 1/2 months later, I look back and realize just how far I really have come. I still fall, even hard enough to break my wrist guard plate once, but I fall the right way (which Frank is quick to point out, if for no other reason than to make me feel better). I notice small things that I couldn’t even come close to doing even a few weeks ago! I struggled with crossovers, until a pair of friendly referees helped me out. I couldn’t T-Stop for the longest time, and then found myself randomly doing it (after many MANY faceplants). Like I said, I still fall *even when I’m standing still sometimes!* but I see women who have been doing this for years fall and yea, I feel just a little bit better.

Photo courtesy of Justin Hankins

Here’s what her teammates had to say about her:

“Christine has shown incredible perseverance and commitment to the league by showing up to almost every practice and has made consistent stead improvements. I’ve seen her go from someone who barely could skate to someone that is now hitting and consistently skating. She’s an inspiration and reinforcement of what Lips once said: “If you want this you can have it!” Every time I see her on the track I am reminded of this.”

Congratulations and keep up the hard work!

I gave birth to Bridget Niamh on August 06 2009. She was 7lbs 7oz. and the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

As a new Mom, some days went by so fast and some so slowly. I was ready to get back on the track. Against the wishes of my doctor, husband, family, I donned skates again for the first time two weeks to the day after I gave birth. All I did was skate around the outer edge of the track, but dammit I WAS READY. I knew that no matter how bad I wanted to start skating again, I needed to wait until I was given the “all clear” by my doctor, which came in the beginning of September.
Coming back to a league I’ve never skated with was a bit strange. There was an entire new crop of skaters filling the spots on the team that I last skated with. Its was great though. All my old cronies kept pumping my jamming skills up to all the new girls and that really added pressure on me to be as good as I was before I had my baby. Ugggh! It was hard. I went slow. I took it one lap at a time to get my skate legs back in gear and after a few weeks I stared to feel more agile and comfortable on my skates. At the end of my first month, I took my eval to start scrimmaging again. I passed and from them on I was “back on the team.” Still not where I left off last year but not that far behind.
I gained 70 pounds during my pregnancy. I was a skinny 115lbs before and coming back to derby I was not 115 by any means. I have, to date, lost about 40 pounds and the last bit of baby weight is just hanging on for dear life. Thank goodness derby doesn’t require a certain type of body to play. I tell myself that thirty pounds just makes me hit harder. I knew all that pizza and creme brulee would have its benefits one day. Ha!

Having a baby during my derby career wasn’t bad at all. It gave me a well deserved break for my knees. It allowed me to a necessary step back and gave me the oppotunity to prioritize everything I did for the sport to make all that I do better. Bridget is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I skate for her now, as corny as that sounds… When I get pregnant again a few years down the road, I know that my league will be there and welcome me back again with open arms.