Why I have a derby name

Derby names are an interesting part of roller derby. I feel like they are both a help, and a hindrance to the sport. Some people don't take us seriously, playing under pseudonyms, and other people are drawn to the sense of fun they represent. Most skaters have derby names, so the few that skate under their legal names stand out. At first there was no question in my mind, I would have a derby name. Then, as I started skating, and met skaters of both groups, it made me think more about why I have one, and what it means to me.

The name you were given at birth, whether you realize it or not, represents something specific. It represents someone who acts a certain way, has a certain personality, conforms to certain expectations. To me, my name represents someone generally polite, introspective, sarcastic, non-confrontational, slightly insecure, bookish, and nerdy. Overall, I like the me this name represents. I'm comfortable in this skin. When I started derby, it was so far out of my comfort zone that I had to find new ways to think about and handle things. Out of this struggle, my alter ego was born. In situations where my day to day self was ill equipped, She stepped in, stepped up, and got me through it. She's a conglomeration of things I admire, and things I've learned. She is a lot tougher than I am, she can do things I'd never dreamed of doing. Or really, WE can. She and I have merged, to a certain degree. I find I'm much more confident in my day to day life. I expect more of myself now, and I feel much more in control of my life. Some days I'm more me, some days I'm more her, but either way, I'm stronger.

Back in the Skate Boot

Well, I haven't written much lately because first, there was not much to write about, then there was too much! I have been off skates for the last three weeks due to my rib injury, which ended up being torn cartilage in my floating rib cage. I went to the rink last night, though, to mess around and see what I was capable of doing. It was so wonderful to be back on skates! I worked on eagles and socialized for two hours. I think I made some progress on eagles, and got my skate legs back, so I call that a successful evening. I got a bit sore at the end, and sat out for the last 15 minutes or so.

This past weekend, my league also hosted the 2010 Championships for WFTDA. It was amazing. To see teams of that caliber come together, and to see all the different play styles was so inspiring. Other than having a purse thief on the loose, the weekend went off pretty much without a hitch. I was so proud to see all the hard work of our league come together in such a great way. I also heard a lot of people talking about how well organized everything was. Our All-Stars only got to play one bout, which was sad, but what a bout it was! We lost, but we had played the same team 3 weeks earlier, and this time lost by 50 less points, so progress was made. Regardless of the score, I was proud because our team never quit fighting for an instant. The actual Championship bout was unbelievable! I'll never forget how the entire stadium was on their feet cheering during the last 30 seconds of that game. The whole place was charged with incredible energy, and it was wonderful to be a part of it.

In other news, it appears there will be a draft by the end of the year. Seeing as how that really isn't all that far off, it's time to ramp up the training again! It will definitely help having two practices a week just for the training team. If I do speed every week as well, and at least one league practice, that's 4 practices a week, and should definitely have noticeable impact. Unfortunately my strength training class at the gym at work has ended, but I'm changing my schedule a bit at work so that I can take all the classes I want during lunch breaks. I think I'll do circuit training, cardio kickboxing, boot camps, and total body sculpt. Or perhaps the yoga/pilates class. I'm excited!
And now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.