My Aha! Moment

My roller derby journey started in the fall of 2009. A friend invited me to go to a Minnesota Roller Girl bout and I said "Huh- roller derby actually exists out side of TV?" This was right after Drew Barrymore's infamous "Whip It" movie debuted. I accepted the invitation and not even 10 minutes into the bout did I realize that I not only WANTED to be part of this rough and tough sport, but also, that I COULD be. There were two local leagues in the metro and each held open tryouts once a year.
I strapped on skates for the first time since I was 9 on February 14th, 2010. What an adventure. I was never a great skater even as a kid, but to my surprise falling didn't happen half as much as I remember as a child. Thank you adulthood and coordination. Through talking to people I found that the sooner I got out of rental skates and into my own proper fitting derby skates the better. This was a big decision. Jumping into Roller Derby, unlike other sports, is a big monetary commitment. There really isn't time to "see if I like it" before investing in gear. For obvious reasons safety is very important and the expense of gear goes to enforce that. If I wanted to try out for a league this year I would need to have my own gear, which only added to the urgency. Thankfully, I am lucky to live in the Twin Cities metro area which is home to not only one, but two derby stores. I've heard many stories of the frustration of buying gear and skates through online venues. Many, many roller derby girls world wide still only have online means as an option. But here I was, able to walk into either of these stores and not only try stuff on, but also have actually seasoned derby athletes help me. I suppose I got my skates and most of my gear in April or May of 2010. I don't really remember. I do remember the big difference good wheels and good skates made.
By this time I was starting to learn skills beyond just skating forward: Namely crossovers. Boy, am I ever glad I had knee pads! I remember attending clinics for both leagues to see what kind of skills were needed before I could consider trying out and (hopefully) making a team. BOY! Did I ever have A LOT to learn. When try outs rolled around I did go to try outs for North Star Roller Girls- not because I thought I had enough skills, but mostly because I wanted to be prepared and wanted to know what to expect for NEXT years (2011) tryouts. By that time I had heard about a recreational league (Debu-Taunts) that was being started by the Minnesota Roller Girls that would be open to any girl of any skill level.
Debu-Taunts officially started in August of 2010 and this is when the trials and fumbles truly started happening! MNRG had put together a formidable coaching team that seemed to know exactly what steps to teach us. Safety was their number one goal and they spent much time with us on dry land (sneakers and no skates) in attempt to strengthen our bodies and get ready for the wonderful sport of roller derby. They taught us how to fall properly, how to stop correctly, and generally how to not be a hazard to us or our teammates. That first session of Debu-Taunts there was over 50 girls standing there, learning just like I was. I can't say enough good things about the rec league. I learned that who I was - was a.ok. I didn't need to be someone else, I didn't need to impress people. Derby has a way of really empowering self. I would have never said I was a self conscience person...but I can see now that I am more confident and more...content. There is so much benefit from derby-way beyond the obvious exercises-is-good-for-the-body aspect.
Fast forward to January of 2011 and the 2nd session of Debu-Taunts starts. We add almost 30 more girls to the roster and learn that there is almost 60 more girls on a waiting list to get in. UNREAL! Now I am just so THANKFUL to have gotten in when I did. And that is what brings me to this blog. I want somewhere to track my fumbles and my challenges. That way, when I have an off practice (ooooh...does it ever happen...a lot) I can come back here and read where I started and how far I've come and to remember that there will ALWAYS be challenges and if I ever get to the point where I think I've got it all down---then that is the day that I've stopped trying.