Dominion Derby Girls - All Female Roller Derby in Hampton Roads, VA

Do YOU Got What It Takes?

The Dominion Derby Girls are recruiting! We are happy to announce the league is taking a much needed break from bouting to focus on training new recruits. That means YOU!!! We are looking for derby girls, referees, and volunteers. Please see our join page for more information about how you can do your duty, and join the DDG.

search:

mailing list:

categories:

Ask a Derby Girl
Derby News
Fresh Meat
Just For Fun
Product Reviews
Tips and Tricks
Why I Play

archives:

November 2008
October 2008
September 2008

social tracker:
myspace.com - DDG
myspace.com - All Stars
myspace.com - All Stripes
myspace.com - recruiting

sponsors:

Sat Nov 08, 2008

RULES TO LIVE BY IF YOU WANT TO DATE A ROLLER GIRL

These are rules for guys to live by if you want to date a roller girl. This will avoid alot of false hope and arguements/team break-ups.

1. Men cannot compete with derby, you will always be sloppy seconds! Derby will always have her first.
2. She will never have "plans" with you. She will only have plans with derby and will only hang out when convenient. Your "plans" will be dropped for anything derby.
3. You are there to work out any frustrations. Derby leagues get into spats sometimes. Lucky for you there is a lot of frustration in roller derby.
4. Do not start talking about trying to take a vacation with her. She will immediately go into panic mode and start to think you are trying to take derby practice away from her. Vacation is only permissable in cities with other roller derbies. In such instances, you must entertain yourself as they skate. Go hide in the corner of the bar with the other derby widows, while the girls party and stay up all night talking derby with the new friends she made.
5. Don't try to be the "manager"; do not try to get involved with derby business, that is only for the roller girl.
6. Don't ask her teamates for relationship advise.
7. Don't complain because your ( insert holiday here) date gets canceled because a bout has been scheduled. Holidays are no longer yours, even Valentines Day.
8. It's not mandatory that you are at every bout.
9. Do not get jealous when your rollergirl talks to groupies. They are the ones buying tickets, beer, and merchandise, not you, so let them have there time. And remember, you get to go home with her!
10. Babies don't make roller girls quit derby.
11. No the league doesn't want you to travel with them.
12. Don't make the following introduction, " Hi I'm _____ and my roller girl is ______"
13. Don't follow her around at bouts like a puppy, she is taking care of business. Find your own crowd.
12. Don't go to league practice, and its normal to have them more than once a week.
13. Don't stand in front of your rollergirl while she is skating, looking at her like she's the greatest skater in the world. She's liable to take you out.
14. Do not change your favorite team based on the type of rollergirl you date. Going from team to team just shows your not your own individual.
15. When she calls you when she is out on the road, don't complain about when she is coming home. Consider yourself lucky that she even called you instead of spending the quarter on food or gas.
16. Never say anything negative about your roller girls league if you can't say it to her. It will always come back to bite you in the ass.
17. If your dating a roller girl that wears a short skirt... she works it on the track. So, not only you will be able to see her Victorias Secrets.
18. Never cause a fight before your roller girl plays a bout. Relationship problems can be dealt with after the bout.
19. If they have a bout out of town, don't drive just so you and your roller girl can have "alone time" or want to "talk".
20. You cannot drink on your roller girls tab, buy your own!
21. Keep the derby seperate from your everyday life. That's your roller girls passion, find your own.

Fri Oct 31, 2008

Why I Play - Media Blitz

I moved to Hampton Roads in October of 2004. I was immersed in work, and on the weekends, I sat around my apartment. Months went by, and I longed for a life outside my stressful job as a TV News Producer. And the pounds crept up on me. By October of 2006, I was at my highest weight ever. One of my co-workers skated derby, and I went with a group of friends to watch the Halloween bout. That’s when my life changed. I was hooked.

January, 2007. My first derby practice as “fresh meat.” It was hard, I was out of shape, and I didn’t know ANYONE. The coaches were tough. I toughed out the sore muscles, the bruises, and the stinky gear. I fell in love with the sport! The feeling you get after making it through a tough practice is like nothing you’ll ever feel again. With each practice, I felt stronger. And I made some great friends. And the weight came off!!!

A year later, and 60-pounds lighter. My calendar has filled up with so many “non-work” things. And the friends I made in the league, well they became my second family. We work to run the business we call the DDG. It’s a lot of work, but it’s rewarding. In the long run, I know we’ll flourish!

My league-mates and I have our ups and downs, but in the end, they’re still there. And even though there are times when I feel like I’m not moving forward, the coaches remind me how far I’ve come as an athlete. And my derby friends remind me that they’re still my second family.

Sat Oct 25, 2008

Tales from the Meat Locker: Fresh Meat Angie

The reason I play roller derby is for the love of the sport and how it makes me feel. Roller derby requires a lot of physical and emotional strength. It is so liberating to skate your angers away and to just keep skating until you cant skate anymore. I don't think any other sport could make me feel this good. I have tried dance, softball, and field hockey but those were not the same. There are not too many women's contact sports, and out of those few sports derby stands out. Derby is a race, it is contact, and all you need are a pair of skates (and some extra padding) to play. It isn't just the speed that keeps me anticipating every practice it is the women and men that make up the team. DDG doesn't only consist of the girls that play, you cant forget the reffs, the fans, the other teams, the old players who have left, and the players who haven't even put of a pair of skates yet. Roller derby is expanding, and I am glad I am able to be part of it. This is why I LOVE ROLLER DERBY!

Fri Oct 24, 2008

Why I Play - Van Hellion

One night, while beating the boys at poker over at Pretty Skate Machine's house, she mentioned roller derby and sold me a ticket to one of the interleague bouts. The bout was a lot of fun, but I was pretty intimidated by the girls. I never thought that I would be one of those girls one day.
During another drunken night at poker at my house, I asked Skate Machine to tell me more about this roller derby. She was so excited to talk derby, and I felt like I found out everything there was to know about it. So I did what any potential derby girl would do; I went out, stole some skates off of a bum, found some pads, and bought some fish nets. Shortly afterwards, Skate Machine took me skating, and made me feel like my "basic" skills were so awesome. I looked forward to nothing more than the fresh meat tryouts.

So here I am. Derby has brought out the confidence in me that I didn't think I had. I've made 20 "sisters" and would trade nothing for these awesome girls.

Mon Oct 20, 2008

Why I Volunteer - Tenacious Steve

Why not? I do it for many reasons…the rush, the fun, the people, the sport. When I first came to this league, I tried to figure out what I could do that would really make me a part of the team. Announcing just seemed to click really well. I’m not saying it was an overnight success for me but it definitely came pretty easy.

I needed to learn the sport and how to announce it. To do that, I did a lot of hands on work with the microphone at practice. I also studied the rule book as well as what my team did at practice. You see, an Announcer is calling the bout from start to finish and is pretty much the voice that is telling you what you are seeing. That is two periods and a halftime that you need to know what you’re talking about and sound good while you’re doing it. To fill this time, you need to be able to call what is going on (play by play) during the bout, have the personality to add a little color and fun, and know your skaters. If don’t know your skaters, you can’t talk about them. So getting to know the sport and the skaters who do it is pivotal in calling the sport. Let’s face it, nobody comes to watch roller derby to hear you talk about the weather or what’s going on with the stock market. After some experience and lessons learned, I finally came into my own and established my announcing style. However, it is a constant learning process and I am always finding out new things.

Becoming involved in Roller Derby is like joining a nationwide extended family. You are not only close with your team; you get to be close to other teams all over the country. You will make friendships with a huge network of people that share one huge common interest. Whether I was announcing at home or on the road with the DDG, I have made some great friends along the way that I talk to on a regular basis. We trade ideas, styles, opinions, etc. Plus, you always have a couch to crash on when you are in a different city. I would have to say that my favorite event so far has been the East Coast Derby Extravaganza. It is hosted every year by the Philly Roller Girls. Instead of having a bout and seeing one team, this event hosts continuous bouts throughout the day with teams from all over the country. Plus, you get to check out all kinds of great products from the vendors that are setup at the event.

Since joining the DDG, I have traveled to some cool places, I have called a lot of exciting bouts, made a lot of friends, and had a great time along the way. I would encourage anyone to become involved in Roller Derby whether you want to skate, ref, or volunteer. It will change your life for the better.

-Tenacious Steve

*I am currently looking for a co-announcer to join me at the DDG table. If you think you have what it takes and would like to try out, contact me at: tenacioussteve@dominionderbygirls.net