From The Pivot Line

After a brief hiatus (OK, maybe that’s an understatement), “From the Pivot Line” has been revived. It’s been a whirlwind both on and off the track over the last few months, but I’m still here and things are looking pretty amazing from this view.

Just like anything else in life —friendships, love, career paths, etc. — derby teams evolve. They grow.  That’s exactly what’s happened in the off-season for the Diamond State Roller Girls and our rival league to the west, Three Rivers Roller Derby, based out of Elkton, Md.

 Both leagues, filled with amazing talent, wished many of their fellow skaters well early on this year as some made the decision to expand their derby knowledge and try out for a few of the East Coast’s top-ranked roller derby teams like the Philly Roller Girls and Charm City Roller Girls. Most of them even made the cut, have since been drafted on rosters and are now playing with some of the best derby stars in the country. While it’s always sad to lose players, it’s incredible to see friends succeed and take their passion to the next level.

So that meant changes ahead for our local leagues. The result: A merge between Three Rivers and Diamond State.  Of course many of us questioned how this fusion would work out both on and off the track. Would we get along? Would our skill levels pair nicely or not at all? Was it the right move to make?

    The merge officially took place March 12, and since then it has become clear that move was indeed the right one to  make.  The players on each team have been extremely supportive of one another, organization is at its best, the    coaching phenomenal and our skills are improving by leaps and bounds every practice.

    Fans of both leagues will judge for themselves on May 19, as DSRG (while the two leagues have merged, DSRG will remain the league name) opens its 2012 season, taking on the Mason-Dixon Roller Vixens at the Christiana Skating Center. MDRV is a solid team with some unbelievable moves, so this bout promises to be nail-biter. I’ve been growing mine out just for the occasion.

More posts to come on DSRG’s season opener, Major May-Hem, as the event nears.

Could it be?

Has roller derby finally attracted enough international attention to be included in the 2020 Olympic Games?

The female-dominated sport, which was revived and reformed nearly 10 years ago, is among eight sports vying for a spot in the 2020 Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee anounced rollersports, which includes speed skating, roller figure skating and roller derby, as a contender in 2011. Others on the short list include well-knowns like baseball, softball, wakeboarding, squash and karate.

A decision isn't expected to be made until the committee meets again in 2013.

While roller derby's chances of inclusion are slim, it's still nice to dream about that shiny gold medal.

Let's not forget though, us roller girls take it upon ourselves to make things happen. Just a few months ago, more than 10 countries were represented in the first-ever Roller Derby World Cup, hosted in Toronto. Team USA, made up of the best skaters in the country, took first place.

So even if derby doesn't make it to the Olympics anytime soon, our skaters are going to compete on the highest level possible whenever possible.

The Diamond State Roller Girls welcomed Kyle Cassidy to Delaware a couple weeks ago.

The renouned photographer, whose work has shown up in the New York Times, Vanity Fair and Marie Claire, stopped in during our Jan. 26 practice with camera and equipment in hand. Cassidy is currently working on what could become a book-length project specifically focused around roller derby portraits.

In the majority of sports photos, the focus is on the action -- the point guard making the winning shot, the quarterback getting sacked or, in our case, a blocker barraling into the opposing jammer. But Cassidy is looking to capture something different. He wants the focus to be on the player and their individual style.

So in his travels, Cassidy's visiting local roller derby leagues whose players are interested in being photographed. A few members of our team, including myself, had an opportunity to get involved.

Check out the result:

Me: Cookie Monstrosity

It has officially been one year since I decided to enter the terrifying world of roller derby. With no real skating experience, aside from the occasional birthday party or roll around the block, I considered myself a goner. I was convinced these girls, all bigger, faster and stronger, would annihilate me.

And believe me, they did. But I learned quickly the key is to get back up. Again. And again.  And then again.

My experience is not much different than a lot of the women that play this sport. Many of us were looking for something that would challenge us physically and mentally, would empower us and on any given night would provide an outlet to relieve our day-to-day stresses.

We’re everyday women with careers, kids, significant others and often demanding lives. And each week, we make the commitment to be on that track, giving everything we’ve got for two hours before bedtime.

As the Diamond State Roller Girls nears the second month of the off-season, several new skaters are tossing away their fears and learning just what it takes to be a roller derby athlete.

Many flat-track leagues, and there are now hundreds throughout the world, refer to their new skaters as fresh meat, but DSRG does things a bit different. Instead of pieces of ground chuck, we liken our skaters to fried potatoes. Skater tots to be precise (We like to play on words in roller derby, if you haven’t already noticed).

After what is usually three months of painful and exhausting basic training (learning how to properly skate, fall, stop and block) those “tots” that pass their basic skills evaluation and a rules test advance to the roster and are eligible to bout.

But it’s not easy. It comes with blisters, bruises, what seems like gallons of sweat and sometimes even a few tears.

The road to becoming a rostered skater is brutal, but well-worth it.

Here are some tips for those who have recently joined or are thinking of joining a roller derby league:

Read up The more research you do the better. As roller derby has reemerged in the past decade, a grassroots community has popped up online, making it simple to find helpful resources about all things derby-related. Whether it’s YouTube, Facebook, blogs, online magazines or league web sites, you can find tips on cross-training, skate maintenance, demos, etc. Here are a few to get you started:

Women's Flat Track Roller Derby Association

Derby News Network

Promise of Derby

Blood & Thunder Magazine

Keep those skates on Ask any veteran skater and they’ll tell you the best way to get comfortable in your skates is to wear them … all the time. Walk around the house in them, vacuum in them, do the dishes while wearing them. The more time you spend in your skates outside of practice, the better they’ll treat you when it's time to hit the track. This also includes skating. Skate as much as possible outside of practice (but warning: Invest in outdoor wheels if you plan to skate outdoors, as the gravel or concrete can damage your indoor wheels).

Cross-train To be effective in roller derby, a skater can’t simply rely on practice for their weekly workout routine. Whether it’s at the gym or in the comfort of your own home, work on strengthening your core muscles as they play a key role when it comes to balance and derby stance. Plyometrics, which are spurts of fast, powerful movements, including a combination of lunges, crunches, planks, etc., are also commonly recommended.

Stay focused It’s easy to get discouraged when starting any new sport or activity. In my first few months, I constantly compared myself to other skaters who were clearly accelerating faster than I was. It of course brought me down to the point where I almost gave up. But I kept at it and I’m still improving to this day. Find your own pace and concentrate on improving every day. Know your limits, but push them. You’ll be surprised to learn what you’re capable of when you practice hard enough.

Yours truly.

 

It’s not your mama’s roller derby anymore. Many hear “roller derby” and automatically think fishnets, tattoos, punches and wipeouts. They are immediately taken back to the 70s, when televised bouts of brawny women in skimp outfits were consumed with bloody noses and black eyes.

While yes, fishnets and tattoos are still aplenty, derby is much more about the sport than the show these days. Whereas it once may have been likened to wrestling on wheels, I like to think of it as rugby on wheels — minus the ball.

Just like any other athlete in today’s sports world, derby girls are expected to take the sport seriously, train hard and show up ready to work.

So what is roller derby, you ask?

On game day a bout is made up of two 30-minute halves, which consist of two-minute jams. Each team fields four blockers that make up the pack and one jammer. The jammer’s job is to score points, which is done by passing opposing skaters once they make a lap around the track. Each skater is worth one point.

And no, skaters are not allowed to cold clock one another. Flat track (as opposed to banked track) teams follow a strict set of rules created by the Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby Association.

While there’s no punching, elbowing, kicking or shoving allowed, skaters can still hit the ground hard when receiving a solid hip or shoulder check.

Must knows:

Roller Derby Name: Cookie Monstrosity

Team: Diamond State Roller Girls

Home Rink: Christiana Skating Rink, Newark, Del.

Playing since: February 2011