Summer of Derby Love, Coming to a Close...

Well good day to you, Derby Fans!

Yes, I know… 2 months and 12 days later, an update. What can I say? This summer has been turbulent, erratic, unpredictable, frustrating, inspiring, and in general… an “Interesting Time” in the Chinese sense.

The one constant has been Roller Derby, mostly because I needed a constant, and I needed Derby.  I wasn’t able to attend ECDX, and I was very upset about that. I had managed to land a contract position as a Desktop Support Tech at Frontier Corp about 2 weeks before ECDX; but with my budget as precarious as it was, and no vacation time because of it being a contract position (and ECDX falling on my first week) I wasn’t going to try and swing it. Gotta act like an adult sometimes, I suppose.

I heard a lot of great stories, and watched some of the footage via the Live Stream… and am determined to make the trip next year.

I did skate in my first double-header, tho… and I’m skating in my first tournament in Long Island on Sept 3^rd at the Empire Skate Showdown2011. And yes, I did skate at Enchanted Mountain… and also took my OPR Act International and skated in Hammer City (Hamilton, ONT).

The best news is, I am now gainfully employed in a full-time position, with benefits. I’m working at RIT, in the Image Permanence Institute as a Product Support Technician… the team is great, supportive, fun, accepting, quirky, and welcoming… and accepting of my Derby habit.  In fact, a bit of my interview with the team involved an explanation of how Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby worked… and not even of my doing… they asked!

As far as where I am in Referee Development? My immediate bit of accomplishment is shaving another minute off of my 10 in 1:35. Last night I finished in 1:40… and that was with being in an anemic state thanks to Day 2 of “Sucks to be Female” week.  5 more seconds… I just need to scrape off 5 more seconds.

I am desperately working on being more agile on skates; particularly with starts and stops. Skating OPR, there are a lot of starts, stops, reversals, explosive accelerations, etc because of pack strategies; and frankly the RCRD teams are intentionally all over the place as they fight to control the pack. I’ve been refining a quick turn that starts with a plow stop and reverse, merges into what’s basically a half Tomahawk on the left toe-stop; while the right foot starts a toe-stop run in the opposite direction. It’s kind of convoluted to explain, or break down… but when I’m trying to keep up with the pack or rush back into position to pick up the pack on the next pass it’s a bit more fluid and becomes second nature. I’d be interested to see if there’s any footage of it; and see what it actually looks like. The downside is a LOT of wear on my left toe-stop… which is the one that consistently tends to work itself loose anyway… to the point that the left toe-stop is now amusingly misshapen. So on occasion the toe-stop rotates in such a way that when I try this little quick stop & reverse it catches weird and my foot tries to slide out from under me; or the toe-stop doesn’t catch at all and I end up rolling in an odd arc until I can right myself.

The biggest thing with this (and my reverses in general) is that I still take up a lot of real estate to do it. I do a wide plow-stop, my reverses are wide (there are times when I feel like I manage to take up the entire 10-ft safety zone!) but my feet tend to migrate back to shoulder’s width by the time I’m stopping. I suppose it isn’t a big deal; since I’m not stopping within a pack… but I think a tighter rotation would just look better, you know?

There are countless other skills I will need to work on; not just skating but actual Referee positions. I’ve been working a little with Inside Pack Ref and Jammer Ref, I don’t foresee skating as a JR before the end of the year… and frankly I’m ok with that. I am still having some Out-Of-Play vs In-Play recognition issues… I haven’t quite figured out what my mental “ON” switch is for that, yet… but it’s something to work on. For now, I know I’m skating OPR for 1 bout at ESS… I may be NSOing, the schedule hasn’t been released yet. So I’ve got a week and a bit to get my brain in the game; even with quirky practice stuff going on. I know I can do the job well; I just need to be consistent about it.

 photo courtesy of Derek Lang

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Back On [The] Track

Greetings, readers! As I sit here pondering sleep it occurs to me that I haven't updated the Life of Lois DeGogh for a while, so I shall endeavor to update... or faceplant onto the keyboard, whichever happens first ;)

o-> My skating skills are improving, and I'm definitely feeling the progress... as well as it being observed by others. A few weeks ago we did a "for fun" time trial and then endurance laps... this time it was the 10 laps in 1:35 and number of laps in 10 minutes. I skated my 10 laps in 1:41... taking off about 8 seconds from the last time I tried it. I started the 10 minute endurance skate but bowed out after 5 minutes. I was tired, my knee was achy, and I still was winded from the 10/1:35.

The week after we attempted some agility skating. This was a bit of a challenge because it was incredibly humid that day and the floor at Horizon Fun F/X was almost as slick as Oswego's sweaty concrete floor. Rather that attempting more time trials and such, reflmao decided to set up the 5 cone circuit. I was so ecstatically pleased with my Atom Poisons... I did a bunch of laps to try and get a feel for the floor and what was and was not working (toe stops? notsomuch. Tomahawks? only if you planned on sliding about 4 feet before you started to stop. and so on).  So we did the cone circuit... they were set up as 4 corners and a center cone, the object was to skate a pattern around all 4 cones; from center out then around the center to the next and so-on. We each went at least 2x, and I'm happy to say that besides Coach Awesome I'm pretty sure I ended with the best time of 20:03 sec. (I completely lost the pattern the 3rd time and decided I was happy with my time). Awesome hopped most of the pattern and came in with 18 sec. I didn't quite hop, but instead of the longer full strides I did a lot of smaller strides and walked the crossovers around the cone instead of trying to lean into a turn around them.

Then we tried some turns + tomahawks, which was challenging... and then I think we just called it a night.

o-> I'm still unemployed, but I've secured the insurance coverage via XSI Sport Insurance. It's accident coverage, but it isn't just for Roller Derby activities... if I  trip over the cat because she's crouching on the stairs and I fall down and break my leg; I've still got coverage. So at least for the time being, I'm still legal to skate.

o-> I am not going to ECDX 2011. Here's a snippet of what I posted on LiveJournal earlier today:

Since I brought it up, Roller Derby continues apace... I am in love with it... and last night I ref'd in a rather big bout... Home Team Championship Bout. I am becoming a competent referee... my skating skills are improving... and my endurance is growing.  As of this morning I have also lost 45 lbs since August 2009 (back down to pre-surgery weight of 2005)... that 'number' is not that impressive but it is significant in the fact that there is muscle, that I am stronger, that I feel fantastic and healthy and confident and empowered.  I am 40 years old (well, have been since 5/19), and for the first time in a very long time I feel athletic.

I am saddened tho, because the weekend of 6/24-26 there is a pretty huge Derby Weekend happening in Philadelphia... and I'd signed up to volunteer as a Non Skating Official (hadn't had Referee experience yet) and was accepted, so I had free admission and free food during then event... but once I got laid off I had concerns about getting down there, where I was staying, and getting back (and eating outside the event, pocket cash, etc). I knew the league had budgeted $$ for folks to go but I didn't have details on how it would work, what would be covered when, etc... and when I was still unemployed with no prospects by 6/3 I emailed the organizers and bowed out.  

Even now, finding out that the hotel is booked/paid for by the league and I could carpool with someone since mileage was being reimbursed... I won't contact the organizers and see if I can get back on the list. It's just an extra thing; as much as I want to go it would be irresponsible of me to try... Love of Derby or not.

This has caused even stronger feelings of anger and resentment towards the upper management at LeChase; because this was something I had been looking forward to since January (or whenever I'd registered for it). My plans and desires dashed against the rocks of disappointment because upper management wanted more money in their pockets and Tech Consultants they could manipulate and take advantage of and because of that pushed Mitch to kill the relationship between Info Advantage and LeChase. I am just collateral damage, and I know they could care less about my plans and desires... but it still pisses me off.

o-> Yesterday we had a Double-Header, final bout of the Home Season. First Bout was between the 5-H8-5s and a Compilation Team (victory to the H8rs), and the Second was a Championship Battle between the Rottenchesters and the Midtown Maulers (Rotties with the win).  I worked the Inside White Board for the first bout, and skated OPR for the 2nd.

I was a little concerned during the first half because I wasn't seeing anything from the Outside... or rather, what I did see to call was already called in by an IPR or the OPR behind me (90°Johnson). I didn't know if I wasn't seeing anything because there wasn't much to see... or because I wasn't looking in the right place and missing things.  Psi'd Kick (I think?) commented afterwards that the first half was very clean, and then started to get "messy" in the 2nd half.

I did have a moment of "go me" at what I believe ended up being the last or second to last jam of the bout... the Rotties' Jammer was skating along the outside line and got bumped out of bounds and ended up cutting another skater, I glanced up and found the Jam Ref (Psi'd Kick) and signaled the cut, he confirmed through eye and hand signal that it was for his Jammer... and then stuff happened and the Jam ended and I think the bout ended.  Per Psi'd Kick, that was exactly the kind of OPR<->JR communication he was looking for and needed... which tells me that I'm getting better about my placement in the pack and communication to the inside.

I have an opportunity to skate as a Ref for a new league in the Southern Tier on the 18th, I haven't heard anything more about it yet, or if other Wardens are considering it (save for the Sinister Minister offering to NSO and drive). I realize I'll end up missing a certain shindig, but I really want to start getting more Ref experience in.

I guess it's also time to start working on IPR. Pack definition is kind of my bane right now. I mean, we're talking about someone who parallel parks their Pontiac Vibe like it's a Lincoln Navigator or grabs a quart-size container for what ends up being 2 cups of leftovers. I have some visual measurement/perspective issues. Maybe I need to invite myself to a team practice when they're using marked/knotted ropes to practice pack spacing or something.

o-> I need to figure out where I want to start skating outside. Since I'm home during the day, traffic isn't that bad so I could just skate along the streets of Riverton... there is a bike/running trail; but there is one specific spot with a sharp downhill drop and a right-angle turn... and from what I remember last summer there are a horde of chilluns who liked to play along there. Oh well, I'll be wearing my pads ;)

I want to get more skate time in, and get out of the house and away from the computer and Job Sites and FB and all that. My shoulder still bothers me at times but I need to start working out in earnest again... especially now that I've hit the 45 lb mark. Besides, I'm pail for a brown girl, and need to get me some healthy infusions of Vitamin D. That will probably do wonders for my sleep schedule and my mood as well... Vitamin D does make for an awesome anti-depressant, afterall :D  For now, sleep is sounding like an awfully fabulous idea so... signing off!

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Catching Up is Hard To Do

Forgive me readers, for I have slacked… it has been 26 days since my last blog entry…

Real life has side-tracked my brain processing right now, as I have been officially unemployed since 5/2. My time, my mental focus, and my life has for the most part revolved around finding another job, as securing a steady source of income takes precedence over feeding my ego and flexing my writing muscle… besides, no income means no Derby goodness means nothing to write about anyway!

However, since my last post I have skated as OPR in 1 Closed Bout and 1 Home Bout, plus the “Ref Side” of observations from the Oz Bout, and there are things that I should write about before they’re completely lost in the sea of cover letters and follow up emails and juggling living expenses.

I guess the best way to handle this is to go back to the 8 Feb post, because I raised some concerns about skating in my first bout and I’d like to address them. Observations were pretty much the same from the Closed Bout to Stop Drop and Roll, so I’ll cover them first.

1. Noise Level – For all the auditory stimuli, when you get into the “Ref Zone” you tune it out, you don’t notice it, you don’t let it distract you. Once the ball got rolling and the National Anthem(s) were done, my brain just tuned out all of the noise around me and I what I heard were my fellow Refs, the skaters, the coaches… between jams and during time-outs I was aware of the background music and the announcer commentary; but it was like hearing it from another room.

Related to that concern was being heard. I am still working on my brain registering what it sees in the order the calls are supposed to be made… so I have made it a habit to repeat every call I make just to make sure I have all of the required elements. Standard Procedure is Color-Number-Penalty/~WHISTLE~Color-Number-Penalty-Major~Direct off track~. Yeah, I’m still screwing that up, because what my brain registers is Penalty-->Color/Number-->ooh that was a Major/Minor… so there’s a little bit of mental transcription before I can call the penalty properly; and it needs work.

In my favor tho, is my big freakin’ mouth. If I can do anything, it is Verbal Projection. Even being tired and out of breath and thirsty… when I do make the call it is loud and understandable; or so sayeth folks around me. Psi’d Kick said that he heard me make a call in Oswego from the far end of Inside Track; and Queen Kicktoria commented that at the Travel Team tryouts someone from the bleachers said they heard my call on her loud and clear (too bad I screwed up the call… got the whistle, got the color/number, got the hand signal… forgot to tell Outside White Board it was a Major). Ah well… progress is being made, and I accept that I’m gonna screw up for awhile until it all becomes second nature.

2. Visual Stimuli – Again, chock it up to being in the Zone and Total Concentration. I’ve become a bit more confident in my peripheral vision (and the hope that someone [coaches, folks exiting penalty box, etc] will see me and move out of the way), I have been keeping my eyes more on the pack and glancing at the floor to make sure I stay as close to the outside edge of the track as possible… without skating onto the track. I’ve gotten bumped and pushed by skaters who’ve been blocked out of bounds; fortunately I haven’t been part of the pile-up… yet.

What I have noticed, tho… is that one gets spoiled with a full 10-ft safety/ref zone… after skating in Oswego, the first practice back at Horizons I was constantly skimming the walls and highly cognizant of where the edge of The Beach was. There is definitely a level of confidence that comes from knowing you have a full 10 feet to dodge a skater or take your time stopping/turning around, etc. That’s a luxury we OPRs definitely do not have at Horizons! Also makes me even more sympathetic for those skating in Buffalo, because I believe even that is a “tight” 5-ft safety zone. Eventually I will be on the floor at Rainbow Rink… should be an interesting evening LOL

3. Speed – I believe I have not yet been exposed to the true level of speed that RCRD (and particularly the Roc Stars) can hit. Oswego had a pair of relatively new leagues, skating on deteriorating surface conditions. The Closed Bout had the Roc Stars skating against a mixed team from Tri-City… who were not used to Sport Court at all, and it seemed the Roc Stars were playing more with strategy than all out speed (or just getting their Sport Court legs as well). I am doing better with staying with the pack; but after some comments between the Bout on 5/14 and the Travel Team tryouts last Thursday I have to work on better OPR placement again.

I am admittedly a bit nervous about the Travel Season kicking in… I have this expectation that things are really gonna kick into high gear; and with the hazy hot n humid season kicking in I will have my work cut out for me. I should mention here that I had a bit of an issue with the hot and humid air in the Dome on 5/14. I skated the bout, pulled up part of the track, went to talk to a few people, and nearly passed out from heat exhaustion. I wasn’t dehydrated, it was just my body not being used to high level of exertion in that level of heat and humidity (can we say Fencing in the Woods Battle at Pennsic? LOL)

4. Pressure – Yep, there was pressure. There were butterflies. And then it was game time and the pressure was kind of like the music and the announcers, et al… they were all in another room. I knew they were there; but I was busy in this room and had no choice but to deal with that other stuff later.

I was aware of when my level of concentration faltered, tho… especially in the 5/14 bout. I hit a point where I was skating and looking at the skaters, but not seeing them as a Referee should see them. I can’t say I was “spectating,” but the level of awareness wasn’t there. Once I was consciously aware of what my brain was doing (apparently, in the case of the 5/14 bout… it was attempting to shut down from overheating), I made the conscious effort to get my head back in the game, and things got better.

So, now that I have these few observations in hand… a new set of “areas of improvement” are taking shape. Some are building on what I haven’t already mastered, some are things that haven’t until now been a concern because I just wouldn’t have realized they were issues until after I’d skated a bout or two.

First, tackling my stamina/endurance… especially coming into the hot season in WNY. It really is no different from acclimating to fencing outdoors after being cooped up in a gym or classroom all winter. The body just needs to get used to the higher level of exertion and the less that optimum breathing conditions and body cooling, etc.

I’ve been skating in a knock-off UnderArmor shirt that I wear under my Referee Jersey… mostly because the stripes are rather THIN; but also because the shirt wicks away the sweat. However, I’m wondering now if that’s going to be too many layers in the oncoming months. Eventually I will maybe invest a few genuine UnderArmor sports bra/halters and modestly be damned. I also would very much like to get my braids put in my hair so that it isn’t destroyed by the constant sweating (and I won’t feel so annoyed about people trying to dump water over my head to cool me off… they don’t have to deal with High Maintenance Hair that takes 3 hours to look presentable :P) Mostly, I just need to kick up the amount of skating and start working on endurance. GVA is a sauna, and it should now be open for “Open Skate Time” during the day. Since I currently have my days free anyway, might as well put them to use.

I also need to figure out what to do about the Riedell Dash skates. I am considering trying to throw my outdoor wheels on them anyway and see how badly they roll. I should have contacted Riedell about sending me a replacement Truck, but I never got around to it and it’s been 3 months so it’s probably too late. Eventually, I need to start skating outside… not only because of the heat and humidity; but because rolling on asphalt is very different and a lot more work than polished concrete or varnished wood or Sport Court.

Second, work on the Verbals… not just Color/Number/Penalty vs Whistle-Color/Number/Penalty/Major-point… but actually using the [correct] Standard Verbal Cues. I’m still kicking myself about screwing up an Illegal Procedure call last Thursday… I knew it wasn’t right but I was tongue-tied too much with trying to get the call out of my mouth and called the wrong Verbal Cue (Skater with Mouth Guard dangling = Equipment Violation, NOT Improper Uniform). Yeah I know people make mistakes it happens blah blah blah… doesn’t mean I’m not still gonna be pissed at myself about it because I knew what it was and couldn’t get the words out.

Third, Self-Confidence. I’m still afraid of screwing up… I call maybe 1/3 of the calls I actually see; because I am taking too long weighing the impact of the action-->result. Did that cause the skater to wobble vs fall, was that actual contact to the head or just an illusion, is that skating out of bounds or does it fall into legal skating, etc.

In this case, what needs to happen is I need to develop a personal gauge by which to measure/rate what I see… that is, of course, consistent with the Rules Set and Standard Practice. I’m not there yet, I haven’t established for myself what the “baseline” for acceptable contact/skating/motion is… I think once I have that baseline in my mind, I will move a significant step closer to having more confidence in the calls I make.

I have an opportunity to skate in Watertown this weekend, as they are looking for Referees… however I’m going to have to pass on it because the fact is, I’m unemployed and have no source of income save Unemployment Insurance; which is about 1/3 what my take-home was. I haven’t filled my tank in over two weeks… just adding what equates to about ½ a tank every 5 days or so. My insurance runs out on 5/31, and without personal insurance I can’t skate, per the League’s rules. Now, there is an alternative, a $25/mo Sports Insurance… but I really have to look at whether or not that is an expense I really need to be investing in right now.

Fact is… I said I would skate in the 6/11 bout, which is a Double-Header and end of the Home Season… and I will. I will buy this insurance at least for 1 month. It may be that for the first part of the travel season I’ll just have to rely on GVA and Horizon Open Skate to get my skate on.

I’m starting to feel the pressure of being unemployed… today begins week 4, and I was really aiming for securing something by now. I’m not feeling defeated yet, but the reality check is taking some of the wind out of my sails.

I am concerned… but I’m not worried. Ask me again in two weeks.

video courtesy of Derby Mom & Ziggy Eat My Stardust

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Gettin' my Skate On in the Merry Old Land of Oz...

photo courtesy of Rick Grosvent

So it’s 4 days after the fact, but I finally have time and focus to write about this weekend.

On Sat 4/23 I skated in my first ever official bout as a Roller Derby Referee. I am so ridiculously in love with this sport it’s pathetic ;)

The funny thing about the prep leading up to traveling to the bout is that I never felt truly nervous… like, “opening night of the big Musical/holy crap I have a solo in the Mozart Piece” nervous… which is what I was expecting.

Somewhat like when I ran the Rapier Academy at the Armory a few years ago, I spent an inordinate amount of time futzing with details and minutiae… until there were no more minute details to fret about; there was only the event, and then it was happening and I didn’t have time to be nervous.

This was similar, except of course for the fact that I was not in charge of anything. I fretted about what to wear, what would be comfortable, what doesn’t make me look too pudgy, will this cut off circulation, does this just look stupid? Then it was packing the go bag, checking my gear, making sure I had ice pack and meds for my shoulder (tendinitis in the left shoulder since last Tuesday), etc. How do I want to wear my hair? If I wear it in pigtails the whole day I’ll have a splitting headache by bout time, do I want to just scrunchie it or let it hang loose until time to gear up? Make up now or at the venue? Shoes? What to wear for the ride up? What to bring for after bout/after party? Is the combo of Wardens Jacket + T-Shirt going overboard? Should I wear RCRD T-shirt? Maybe wear it for warm-ups before donning the stripes? Did I figure out shoes, yet?

Ok, see what I mean? This is the minutiae I wade through before an event (be it SCA, Derby, party, whatever). Mindless, unimportant, trivial… but it becomes DIRE. I think that’s my brain’s way of avoiding the stress; if I’m so focused on the crap I don’t recall that I’m scared shitless and one toe away from total panic. Eventually the trivial bits run out and there is just the 1.5 hour drive to Oswego… and then I fidget. I flip through the rules book. I babble mindlessly. I eat. I stare at the Vultures and Hawks as they circle the skies. I fidget. I fidget. But, it wasn’t nervous fidgeting, it was restless fidgeting. I was ready to put skates on and go. I was done waiting, I was ready to get going, for better or for worse.

So as we (Psi’d Kick, Col Lision & I) are driving through scenic Oswego we get a phone call from another Warden (Ruh Roh) letting us know that Google Maps was made of FAIL and gave bad directions to a completely different venue, and he filled us in on the correct directions. We arrived in 1 piece, went to the Ref’s room, met some folks, geared up, and skated a bit for warm up.

So, where to start…

I think I’m going to recap as much of the bout as I can and maybe save observations for a separate post… because this is going to be long, I can already tell.

Ok, Bout Details first.
Oz RollerGirls (Oswego) vs Crown City Royal Pains (Cortland)

Head Ref & Jam Timer: Flyin’ Phil (OzRG)
Inside [front] Pack Ref: RefPocalypse (OzRG)**
Inside [back] Pack Ref: Chunkendale (RCRD)
Jam Ref: PackMan (OzRG)**
Jam Ref: Psi’d Kick (RCRD)
Outside Pack Ref: Judy Butterscotch (BRRD)
Outside Pack Ref: Muffy Stopheles (RCRD)
Outside Pack Ref: Lois DeGogh (RCRD)
**PackMan & RefPocalypse swapped positions for the 2nd half

Bout started at 6p, Ref/Captains’ meeting was at 5:45. We a bit before 4:30, so we had plenty of time to gear up and have a go on the floor. This was my first time skating on concrete, and it was rather delightful. Psi’d Kick said it was extremely grippy; to the point where he swapped his wheels. It definitely was grippier than the floor at Horizon Fun F/X, I nearly faceplanted from stopping too short to try a tomahawk; and hardly any travel in my knee slides. So, I made some mental adjustments that I hoped would stick during the bout itself; and was ready to go.

A few folks from RCRD showed up to watch and cheer… Derby Mom & Stabbity Ann (she made me sign LOL), Lemon Lightning; and Natasha Musquasha (she’s originally from Oswego and also had a cousin skating with OzRG). That was fun, especially when we could hear them out in the stands (particularly Natasha jam-coaching from the stands, LOL).

So, the introductions begin, the Canadian and American Anthems are played, a quick Derby 101 Demo Jam is run to explain the action… and then the bout starts in earnest! Oz has a slightly different OPR set up, Outside White Boards were at turns 1 & 4, Penalty box was in the corner at turn 4, and generally they have 2 OPRs start at Turn 1 and 1 at Turn 3… at the start of the jam OPR-1 takes off and OPR-2 waits until they’re “tagged” by OPR-3. Phil was amenable to OPR-2 starting at the Pivot Line opposite Front-IPR, so that’s where I started off.

About 2 or 3 jams in I had a couple of instances of slipping when I tried to stop or push off with the pack. Between Jams I kept checking my toe stops and wheels to see if something was on them, and then Phil called an Officials Time-Out. The combination of very cold concrete and the warm bodies/breathing of the 300 or so attendees was generating a lot of condensation on the floor… creating slick spots that skaters and refs alike were slipping on. They brought out a big push broom and a mop, and rolls of paper towels, threw open a few doors, and tried to get some of the moisture up off the floor. Then the bout continued.

We skated for a bit longer, and finally after another OTO and consultation with the captains it was decided that we’d skate a 15 minute 1st half, have intermission to try and get the floor drier, then skate a 45 minute 2nd half. They threw open the doors, opened the upper vents, turned on fans, mopped and buffed at the floor, whatever they could do to get the floors skate-able again.

The Half-Time show consisted of a group of Jam Skaters who I believe someone said were all related… and apparently all of them had their bones surgically removed!! They were impressive, one kid landed flat on his back (on purpose) on the concrete and I swear the sound echoed throughout the entire arena!

So, the 2nd Half starts, and we are all skating tentatively… and I don’t think anyone was able to avoid falling at least once on that floor. Natasha best described it as “a thin sheen of Vaseline on the floor.” It was tough… especially because it wasn’t just that your wheels had no traction so you’d continue sidewise sliding; but toe-stops were pretty much useless. The Jammers reached a point where they didn’t leave the jam line simply because they couldn’t get traction… they either fell or froze trying to decide what to do.

It was especially bad around Turns 3 and 4, that’s where the pile ups tended to happen the most. It didn’t occur to me until after the fact, but despite the challenging skating conditions we had not 1 time out of pause in game play due to injury on the track. That’s pretty damned impressive, I must say. I even had a bit of temper tantrum at Phil because I couldn’t get the attention of a volunteer to mop the ref lane… they hit the track between every jam; and sometimes the inside of the track… but never the ref/safety lane. After I fell and couldn’t get my skates back under me (truly, it was comic… but embarrassing), I yelled at Phil to call an OTO and asked him to have someone hit the ref lane. Then he pointed out there were less than 2 minutes left in the 2nd Half! I hadn’t even noticed, I was so engrossed in the bout :P

So, I managed 2 calls of my own, and echoed a call from another OPR when the offending skater ended up out of range. On my very first call of the evening (Forearms-Minor… you never forget your first call… I guess hehehe) I happened to make it in front of a row of Royal Pains fans, and one yelled out “Aww that was Bad Call, Ref!!!” I couldn’t help but grin to myself and think, “Oh yeah, I am DEFINITELY a Referee now!”

I hesitated on 1 call, but I’m not beating myself up over it; just keeping it in mind until the next time; and I can cancel it out (keeping an internal tally of personally missed calls, good calls cancel them out… aiming for positive personal score).

Hob-nobbed for a bit afterwards, stood for a few group photos, geared down and headed out to the Afterparty. This was in a bar attached to a hotel… Refs were in free but they had to charge the NSOs and guests the $5 cover-charge, which was unexpected… turns out it wasn’t Linus-friendly food (Pizza & wings), so after a drink and a little sitting time we walked next door to Subway and had more substantial eats, then headed home.

reflmao received some very positive feedback from Oz the next day, and we’ve been given an enthusiastic invitation to come back and skate. My overall feeling regarding the trip to Oz? I fucking LOVE being a Roller Derby Referee!

I’m going to save my referee-oriented thoughts for a follow-up post… but suffice it to say… they all said I done good, I felt good about it, and I’m ready to do it again!

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Lois DeGogh, Referee

33 Seconds.

That is how much I beat my previous 25 in 5 time by. I did my time trial last night at practice, and completed it in 4:41. Confidence in making calls notwithstanding… I have overcome my final hurdle in becoming a Bout Eligible 19^th Warden Referee.

I won’t lie to you… it was hard. I was still sore from the aTOMic work-out on Sunday AM. I had an excess of adrenaline in my system. My lungs were on fire throughout the 2^nd half. The ache in my knee returned; plus the addition of pain in the muscle running along the outside of my lower left leg near my ankle. My heel and under my arch started hurting when I first put on my skates but eased to a dull ache by the time the trial started. The final 5 laps were excruciating… but I finished it, and finished it within my personal goal of under 4:50.

We started off practice with some off-skates agility drills (3-cone), I gently jogged vs running, and did gingerly did side-steps and backwards stepping. REFLMAO asked me before we started on skates if I wanted to do my time trial, then said we’d do some agility stuff for a bit then take a break for me to do the trial. Then we went on-skates and did laps Derby and counter-Derby direction, a little backwards skating, a little agility (3-cones stepping, 3-cones skating, 3-cones skating backwards).

We took a water break, he checked with me to see if I was ready, then announced I was skating and asked for volunteers to pace me. Jack Ast and Walter Ego offered, Psi’d Kick stood inside track w/REFLMAO to count laps, and the rest of the Wardens stood outside track to cheer me on.

I started, and even from the beginning I couldn’t get my stride right… already frustrated… but I kept skating and hoping I’d get it back. I did eventually fall into a stride, tried to mix up full-on cross-overs and coasting through the turns… then felt the ache start coming back. At one point Walter dropped out… he’d come in late and didn’t get a good warm up himself… and Jack took over pacing me, then for the last 10 laps or so Walter tagged back in.

As I said, the last 5 were excruciating… I was doing a lot more coasting through the last 8-10 laps just to take some of the pressure off of the left knee. I’d be damned if I were giving up again, tho. I wasn’t quitting this time, and while it wasn’t the most impressive last lap sprint… I did try to get through it skating the entire thing.

I honestly don’t remember if I asked the time or if someone else did… but when I heard 4:41 there may have been a whoop for joy. ;) And then a recovery lap, and then the futile guzzling of water to try and put out the roaring inferno in my throat and lungs. I tried to skate another recovery lap and felt my knee protesting mightily, so I headed over to the beach (wall-bench on far side of rink); where I suddenly could do nothing to ease the pain in my leg (the cluster of muscles above the knee knotted up). I pulled off the pad and tried to massage it a bit; bending hurt, straightening hurt, everything hurt… so I accepted that I’d just have to ride out the ow until I could stand/skate on it again. Which I did (otherwise I’d be posting this from the beach and the crew from Horizons would be looking at me funny and wondering if they should start charging room & board).

Important note to self… last lap sprinting on skates is still sprinting… quads are still going to react the same way [omgwtf-owowowowowow-damnyou-diaf!]

So, afterwards we did Ref discussion on verbal calls, then “dodge the sneakers” laps, then done. I decided I deserved Ice Cream… which is good, because plans were made to hit Friendly’s after practice. I ate too much, but I had my ice cream, and it was good.

My mentor was proud of me (and told me I did in fact deserve ice cream… thanks, Psi’d!), and commented that he thought I set a good pace from the beginning… which I find interesting considering I had such an issue with finding my stride.

I will say this, tho… I am VERY glad I switched back to my old skates. I will swear that that made most of the difference… 33 seconds worth of difference. I suppose it wouldn’t be too much of a reach to say that 2 Coach aTOMic workouts in a row contributed… or maybe not so much (other than being damned sore). I think the conditioning is a factor; I think that may also be why I’m not skating quite the same… even if the muscles aren’t necessarily stronger, they are being pushed, they’re being engaged more than they had been, more is being required of them. So maybe I’m entering a phase of skating “growing pains,” as I now need to figure out how to use these newly engaged, challenged, and achy muscles.

The nice thing is, while I do ache… I am walking up and down stairs with a lot less grief (as in “pain,” not the Viking), my heel hasn’t hurt all day, the pain in the left lower leg is much less, and my ankle is less achy. This pleases me, especially since I have to skate tomorrow night.

REFLMAO told us at the beginning of the season at our first Ref practice, “Congratulations, you’re referees! Now you just need to pass eligibility to skate in a bout.” While I appreciate that… in my mind I wouldn’t consider myself a Referee until I passed the Rules Test and the 25 in 5 and developed some confidence in skating as a Referee in scrimmage. I have completed my tasks… and with full confidence and proper pride I can happily say “I am a Referee,” and mean it.

There is a joy and a satisfaction in saying that that I simply can’t put into words, but suffice it to say… Yay for me :)

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On Injuries… Beyond Band-Aids and Ice Packs

Roller Derby is a dangerous sport. There’s no bones about it. Skaters are hurling themselves at each other full speed on quads trying to knock the other down.   Sometimes, people get hurt. Sometimes it isn’t even the intended target that gets hurt, it’s the skater next to her… or the skater initiating the block… or the referee on the other side of the track boundary.

One of the reasons I chose to not become a competitive skater is because of the potential injury factor. Just this season we’ve had skaters with knee injuries, ankles, a blood-clot because of a mis-diagnosed fracture… since I've been involved with the league there are have been concussions, broken bones, black eyes, injured backs… a gamut of hurt.

However, the referees are not immune to this… the risk is just a little bit less. One of the Refs in Buffalo (Anita Doobie) was off-skates because of what I believe was a back injury, another Buffalo Ref (90°Johnson) because of injured ribs. REFLMAO (our Head Ref ) was off skates because of a sprain that happened during practice (and we weren't even on skates at the time). We had a scare at scrimmage last week because another Ref (Walter Ego) took a skate to the face and ended up face down on the track and not moving for a few seconds.

People get hurt. The injuries are real. The pain is real. I was reminded in the last few weeks that I still stand every chance of getting hurt… sometimes you just can’t dodge that skater who whiffed her intended target and ends up barreling right into you. Or the jammer that gets blocked out of bounds and ends up sweeping your feet out from under you. Or your own clumsiness when you wheel-lock yourself and end up face-planting in Turn 3.

So much is going on during a bout (and even during a scrimmage). Our job is to keep people safe… skaters, Officials, spectators, everyone… the rules are designed to keep game play safe. But Injury is inevitable… injury happens.

I won’t lie to you. I’m still skating in “careful” mode. I still allow myself to fall out of position if I’m along the wall between Turns 2 & 3 and see a block about to happen. I still take my eyes off the track to avoid the coaches in the ref lane or the skaters exiting the penalty box. I still drift past my desired stopping point rather than trying to “stop on a dime,” over-balance, and fall. I’m sure with time and confidence I’ll be a little less “careful,” but the self-preservation streak runs wide and it may be some time before I learn how to be “reckless” – well, maybe ok... not reckless... more like “daring.” But hey, I'm on skates... right? If I really wanted to play it safe, I could have just stayed in the Penalty Box... or in the stands as a spectator. Gimme time...

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One Significant Step Closer, and Moving Ever Forward

Dear Gods, It’s happening. It’s really happening.

Last night we took our Rules Test. It was hard… not Microsoft Exam Hard, but still very challenging. There are so many nuances to Roller Derby game play, and interpretation of the Rules in how Penalties are enforced is a HUGE part of that game play. They say “The Devil is In the Details,” and when it comes to the Rules of Roller Derby… no truer words were ever quoted. The test was written by Walter Ego and edited by REFLMAO, and apparently undergoes a few changes with every taking. We had some discussion about the questions, scenarios, etc; and definitely will be a great set of topics for the next off-skates Ref Practice.

I did well, scored in the low 80s, which really is about the level student I am. Some of the questions I just didn’t read with the perspective in which the scenario was written; so I interpreted the results differently. Some I just didn’t read through clearly. I did pass, tho… and once I pass my skating assessment I will be a Bona Fide Roller Derby Referee. SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Ahem, sorry about that.

As I was saying, the two largest hurdles thus far have been the Rules Test and the 25 in 5. From what it sounds like, I may not even have to go through the entire Skating Assessment, just the time trial. REFLMAO said last night that he would be willing to run the time trial every week we’re on skates for Ref Practice if I wanted; that whenever I wanted another go-round, just let him know.

Somewhat as an aside… I may be busting my Referee Cherry earlier than 5/14, and outside my home turf. There was a call for Referees and NSOs at a Bout that Oswego is holding on 4/23, and I’d volunteered to NSO for it. Apparently REFLMAO accidentally included me in the Referee list, not the NSO list… He isn’t too worried, and has no problems at all with me representing RCRD as a Referee. So, I have my Head Referee’s Blessing to skate my first ever bout. Pardon me whilst I do a happy dance.

…still dancing…

…still dancing…

Ok, I’m done.

So now comes the question… do I try next week for my time trial? I’m back on my R3s, didn’t skate last night because of the test. I was planning to stay home and get housework done (and indulge in some overdue Sofa and Movie Time with my kitty) tonight… but maybe I should trek out to Horizon for some Open Skate time. I’ll be skating in Scrim on Thurs. I’ll probably try the Sunday workout again (with much less running until I get new shoes), and there will be skating there… so maybe I could try the time trial again. Worst case I fall short a few seconds again, and will just have to berate myself and try again the following week.

I also contacted Gravity Kills about my preferred NSO Assignment for the 4/17 Home Bout… to which she commented that if I pass my 25 in 5 REFLMAO would probably have me skating. In a Home Bout. This Month. Like, less than 2 weeks. Holy. Fucking. Shitstorm. Batman!

I mentioned to REFLMAO last night that I’d like to stay on OPR for awhile, rather than switching around… because I’d like to work on becoming a bit proficient, if not comfortable, with a position before switching (sex in 1). I figure that will be my first assignment; and I’d rather be “She’s OPR because she’s practiced at it” vs “She’s OPR because she’s inexperienced.” Then I’ll move inside. Eventually I’ll have to suck it up and start learning Jam Reffing and Scoring :P but I’d really like to save that for last because I think that will involve the most work. It may not even be until next Season, and I personally am OK with that… tho REFLMAO may have other designs ;)

I have to say, I am so extremely grateful for all of the positive feedback and encouragement I have been receiving… from the other RCRD Refs, from Otto and Lizzy, from the skaters, from friends and family on Facebook, and LiveJournal (what currently seems to be in a constant state of Bustification), and from people I’ve talked to face to face and watching me fairly buzzing with excitement.

This has become so important to me, and I do feel bad that I’m losing touch with other things that used to be so time consuming… but I really did need this change. My life really was growing stagnant and sedentary and predictable… and dissatisfying. Roller Derby has awakened something new and exciting and amazing in me, and I am relishing every moment of it.

I can’t promise that “I’ll be back.” Our League is growing, progressing, evolving… we are accomplishing some incredible things, and striving for even more. I love that I am a part of this, I love that I am able to grow just as RCRD is growing… I love that, just as RCRD is developing a reputation as a “League that has their Sh!t Together”, I just might be able to become one of those “Referees who knows their Sh!t” There’s still much to be done (in both respects), but the fact that the possibility is there is inspiring, and thrilling.

In the end, what heart doesn’t yearn to be Inspired?

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