Buzz Blog
Spring is on
its way, which can only mean one thing for local sports. Its Rollery Derby
time!
--- Kicking off their 2009 season at the end of March, the Salt City Derby
Girls already have most of their exciting six months planned out. But you can't
have a derby without derby girls, and that's what tryouts are for. This coming
Saturday the girls take over Classic Skating in
Red Suzy
http://www.saltcityderbygirls.com/
Gavin: Hey Red! First off, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Red: Well, I’m a pretty regular girl. Married, kid, mortgage, job—all of
which give me the urge to skate fast and hit people.
Gavin: How did you get involved with the SCDG?
Red: I started skating again about 6 months before I found out about the
league. After seeing Rollergirls on TV, my husband and daughter thought it
would be hysterical to watch other women beat me up on a regular basis. Now, my
Gavin: When and how did you become the Fresh Meat captain?
Red: I became Fresh Meat Captain at the end of last season after applying
for the position and then being voted in by the rest of the league. They
probably wanted to divert my bossy energies away from them and toward
unsuspecting young skaters.
Gavin: For those of us who don't know, how do the tryouts work?
Red: Tryouts consist of a run-through of basic skating skills: Speed,
maneuverability, stopping and balance. Girls come in, gear up, we'll give them
an introduction then get started. Absolutely no spectators what-so-ever. Girls
don't need another reason to be nervous.
Gavin: If you don't mind me asking, what is the WFTDA skills test?
Red: The WFTDA (Women’s Flat-Track Derby Association) skills test goes into
how well you do after you’ve been trained in how to play
Gavin: Are there a certain amount of positions open, do you take best of
the best, or how does the selection finally happen?
Red: We take the girls who seem the most comfortable on their skates. Close
decision ties are broken by tattoo counts. Not really… but that’s a pretty good
idea.
Gavin: Once you pass, what do the new recruits do from there? And how do
they join a team?
Red: The new girls join the fresh meat team; there, they get their “Derby
Training.” Once they’ve done that, they go into a draft where the team captains
get together and determine who goes where. You might get to be a crazy
housewife, a ninja, a nun or an Army babe—it’s not quite your standard job
placement.
Gavin: If there are a certain amount of good players, is there a
possibility of opening a new team?
Red: If there where that many, yes, but we’re not quite at that stage in
our development yet. We could call our fifth team The Eagle Forum, and they’d
scare the hell out of everyone.
Gavin: Are you only looking for players, or will you be looking for refs as
well?
Red: We’re always looking for committed refs and support staff. We already
have our fill of loudmouth announcers, though.
Gavin: Will there be any other tryouts this year, or is this the once
chance until next season?
Red: You never know; this might be the only time until the end of the
season, or we might start skating door-to-door. Watch for us in your neighborhood.
Gavin: If there anything else you'd like to tell potential players or let
people know about tryouts.
Red: Don’t be nervous. You DO need to know how to skate, but we will teach
you all you need to know about how to play
Gavin: Any other thoughts or things you'd like to plug or promote?
Red: If you decide this is something you want to do, it will be one of the
most rewarding experiences in your life. It doesn’t hurt to try, so come on
out. Then make sure you join us later that evening for our masquerade ball
fundraiser at the American Legion Post 112, 320 East 3900 South, at 8PM. Hope
to see you there!
