#rollerderbyref

For those of you reading this blog and want to know more about me and my journey....man is this the post for you!

As the description says I am a devoted father of 3 wonderful, energetic and intelligent children and going through a huge transition in my life. About two years ago I started exercising on a regular basis to lose weight (lost 65 lbs in about 11 months) and really started to enjoy running. I always have been into different outdoor activities like skiing, hiking, camping and things like that and I am always looking to expand my horizons. I started playing pick-up soccer, even though I hadn’t played soccer since third grade, with a group located near Buffalo. I had a lot of fun with it. One of the big draws of soccer for me is the sportsmanship that is exhibited after the games. You spend 90+ minutes trying to beat the other team but at the end of it all, you shake hands with your opponents, have a laugh and a beer (if that’s your bag).

In August I met someone who played roller derby and she invited me to a bout in September. That is what a game is called in roller derby. I’ll get more into what roller derby is and what it’s about in the 2nd blog post. I was skeptical. My only experience with roller derby was catching it on TV at some point in my teenage years. It was on a banked track (like in the movie Whip It) and the action resembled WWE on skates. It seemed staged and not something that I was into.

HOLY SHIT WAS I WRONG! 

After the bout, I had a ton of questions and I was hooked. The skill that these people (the ladies and the refs) showed on their skates amazed me. And they had cool names!  Cool names were the best because I am a video gamer and I have spent many nights admiring clever gamertags that have shown up while playing on Xbox Live.  Names like Doris the Daymolisher, Jenna Jammerson, Dr. Shanibel Lechter, Dreaded Medic, Ware N Tear, Dana Scullcrusher, L-bo , LegenDBarry, Slaughter Melon, Hellvis, Tennesee Frisky, Jennetics, BackStabbath, and Milfhouse....just to name 2 or 14.

On top of the names, I had no idea moves like that could be pulled on quad skates. And this wasn’t even the upper echelon of roller derby. This was a local league. After attending a few more bouts and growing my knowledge base of the game....I asked her the fateful question: “How much do you need to know about skating to get into roller derby and are refs needed?”  Her answer: “Most people I started fresh meat with couldn’t even stand on skates and refs are always needed. There always seems to be a shortage. You should try it.”

Another thing about roller derby that I find awesome is how they beat on each other for 60 minutes and then after the game each team takes a lap while fans and the opposing team lines up to give high fives to each other. Which, just like soccer, shows an amazing level of sportsmanship.