Action Shots

First derby action shots are a treat. at first look all you see is vain, how your body looks what size it seems, and what exactly was your face doing.

At the second, third, and proceeding looks you see deeper looking into the picture not at it. Strategies come to life, faces turn into expressions of determination, and oh shit eyes. You see more then a rookie that just got knocked the fuck out you see them jumping up to catch the pack.

I have read more then one blog about the greatness of derby action shots and before seeing my own I cringed at the thought of being captured in my shitting in the woods pose. Then after many long hard looks I grew proud of my actions shots they no longer looked as if I was shitting in the woods, but a great derby stance.

So if you ever find your self looking at action shots and cringing try looking past the surface see into the picture and feel the moment, the adrenaline, the awesomeness of everything captured in that 4x6 freeze frame. Be grateful and say thank you to the people who are gracious enough to give you frozen moments in time whether they be good or bad be grateful, look back and learn from these.

Pictures Thanx to Richard Lowes I am forever grateful

Minty Fresh Scrimage

First scrimmage was in one word AWESOME.

Now it didn't start awesome, I was shaky, nervous it took me a few jams to get into it but once I did it was awesome. I knew stuff, I started to understand the plays and flow of the game. For the first time since I started in fresh meat I felt confident all the advice from days past had sunk in. My skills not the best were good enough that I could focus on strategy instead of where my skates where I had great teachers who had given me a solid base of skills.

Scrimmaging in my opinion is the best learning experience, not that what I learned in fresh meat wasn't useful it gave me everything, the skills to be able to skate some what steady hit accurately, stop, transition, and all that stuff but scrimmage gave me the chance to try out all my skills together in a more fluid motion using them all together, and in different combinations (or not so fluid motion lol).

Scrimmaging also gives you a chance to try new things or new positions. I played every position  blocker, pivot, jammer, and was surprised to find strengths is places I didn't know were there. I jammed and I admit I am not fast off the start but I can catch up pretty fast. I never imagined being a successful jammer but now I see with some work on starts, and laterals I could possibly jam to some success. I found my grove as pivot, leading the pack is comfortable, having no problem telling people what to do and having what I think is pretty good track awareness I feel pivot will always be my go to position.

After the clock ran out and all was said and done my team lost by I think about 30 points but we won in learning after playing against a team stacked with heavy hitters and skilled jammers, and also being much larger then us we held our own, and gained skills that can only be learned by getting the shit knocked out of you. I am proud to say I am now a rookie, and I love scrimmages.

Now league scrimmage is a whole other story.

Fresh Meat Hero

 Today is about giving credit where its due. This is about Malady she is for those who don't know the fresh meat coordinator. And I am so grateful for her today and many days since I joined roller derby but it wasn't until recently that I really understood and appreciated all the time and effort she has put into making me a successful skater and league member.  Malady has a million plus things she has committed to from having a family, home business, being a Nightshades member, board member among others and, yet some how she finds the drive to coordinate guest coaches, create lesson plans, rally senior skaters as helpers, all in order to help a group of people become awesome roller derbyers.

So I would just like to thank Malady for all that you have done and do still. All your effort and time is not un noticed i am so grateful to have this opportunity to be apart of Roller Derby it really has been a awesome experience, and without you I'm not sure if I would have stuck it out long enough to love it. You truly are what it means to BE derby.

 

picture thanx to theft from FB just one of the benifits of being my friend lol

Just beause no one wants to listen

Skating around the track brings me back to so many good memories of days spent at Rollerland trying to be cool. It reminds me of when i got my first pair of roller skates its all I wanted and asked for ever sure to my moms dismay. My mother being a single mom with little help I don't know how she managed to do it but for my 13th birthday I got them my roller skates I was so happy ecstatic as I was now part of an elite group of people how frequented who rollerland who had their own skates. My skates didn't look much like the others(boy) who had their own which resembled if I remember correctly something like a derby boot. Mine where white with pink laces and white wheels which were hard and even on the wood floor of the rink very slippery thus they were never used a sad thing now that I look back. Hence forth I will not let this be with my new skates I am going to use them till the boots wear holes and the grommets are gone and can hold no laces (even if I do have better new and shiny pair for actually using) I love my skates they represent more then just the non optional piece of equipment they are the cultivation of a dream from then and from now.

              

I was so sad when they closed those gates to skates

This pretty much what my first pair looked like

and now