First Bouts

My first home team and travel team bouts were within about a week of each other. On Saturday, April 14th, I skated with my home team. I didn't get to skate that much, mostly due to teammates' penalties (I only got 3 minors total), but (without watching the video) I think I did pretty well. Unfortunately, my team lost... by a lot. That wasn't so much fun, but I really love my team. And we're meshing better and better all the time. Most of us are new, so losing to a team that played most of the ones who are also on the all stars team vs. us, well, it wasn't that bad. Next time we'll get em!

The following weekend I traveled to Denver and on Sunday, April 22nd I skated with my travel team the Dolls against Rocky Mountain Roller Girls' B team. We also lost and I also didn't get to skate that much. The best part of the trip was getting to see RMRG's Fight Club take on Bay Area's All Stars. Bay Area won! And I was there, in person, to witness it.

RMRG has their own warehouse and that's where we skated. We hung out with them afterward too, until our flights. After a bit, I got a little socialized out, so I took a nap on one of their comfy couches while their junior derby skaters practice. And dayummm. They are amazingly good and adorable. It's a little scary. 

Say what you will about Denver... but Denverites are some of the nicest, most hospitable people ever. Esp the derby Denver folk.

I was particularly shocked whenever we encounter nonderby Denverites, they'd ask us why were were in Denver, and we'd say, Derby!
And they'd say, oh cool, when are you skating? Oh really? Okay, we're gonna go see you!
We were like, Really? You know what derby is AND you don't have plans AND you want to come see us without us begging you? Wow.

Returning to Philly at 1am on Monday, I was exhausted. I mostly slept until 630pm, then decided to go to practice, which starts at 7pm. It was scrimmage. I asked one of my captains if I could jam. She said yes, and it was amazing. I felt like I was really back home.

My home team captains had stopped putting me as jammer cuz I was sucking at it. I had lost my mojo. I recently asked a friend on the Charm City All Star team if it was legit to blame wheels, and she said yes. The wrong wheels have sunk her before. So I'm blaming my wheels. The Reckless Evaders, to be specific. I'm not saying they're a bad wheel. I still don't know enough to say that. But they're a bad wheel for ME. I switched back to Atom Stingers and - BAM! My mojo is back. Lead jammer every time. And my speed and endurance is rocketing up to the top 5-10ish in the league, if our warm ups and endurance time at practice is any indication.

Tryouts for our all star team, the Belles, are coming up again. The eligibility is for the ECDX bouts. I'm pondering if I should try out or not. I don't foster any false dreams of grandeur -- if I make the 20, I won't make the actual roster to bout, but it would definitely be valuable in terms of upping my game for that day to come one day sooner... The issue is the time and money commitment.