When I tell people that I am a member of a local roller derby team I am usually confronted with the inevitable question, "None of that stuff you do is real, is it?"
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| ~Real Derby Girls~ |
What does that mean, I often wonder. Are we just make believe women, participating in a make believe sport? Perhaps many believe that roller derby is all staged, a well thought out, rehearsed act between two teams of magnificent actors, much like professional wrestling. Well, believe me, if any of us could act that good, or were as talented as some of the men and women in the WWF, we would not have to work as hard as we do to make what happens out on that track for an hour a reality.
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| ~Line-Up~ |
All of the people that I have met so far that have decided to dedicate their lives to this sport, and yes, despite what many think, it is a legitimate sport, have done just that, dedicated their lives. There is something about roller derby that changes you, draws you in and pulls you out of whatever shell you may have been curled up and comfortable in and makes you into a stronger person, both physically and mentally and that is real.
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| ~Bake Sale Babe~ |
Recently my team and I had our first REAL bout in Canada against a group of women who showed us enormous hospitality and displayed excellent sportsmanship. Getting there took real effort on our part. The team practiced hard and when not practicing held fundraisers and went out knocking on doors to raise the money for the trip. The trip itself was exhausting, 16 hours long, and by bout time the girls were tired, and nervous and despite this they never gave up and although our team did not win, we did not walk away with a loss either. We made some amazing friends, both on the opposing team and in the forms of the veteran guest skaters who were kind enough to come get knocked around with us newbies, and the sense of accomplishment and pride at finishing what we set out for will leave me with a high for weeks to come.
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| ~Refs Are People Too~ |
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| ~Rubbin is Racing~ |
One of our teammates was injured rather severely during the bout. That's real. And when she needed to stay behind and have surgery, another one of our teammates stepped up and stayed with her, despite having her own family and job to come home to. There was no question about it, that loyalty between us as a team, that's real. The Canadian skaters' hospitality did not end when the bout was over either; they visited our teammate in the hospital before and after her surgery and made sure that both of our ladies that were left behind had a network of love and support while they were so far away from their loved ones back home. That's real.
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| ~Broken Babe~ |
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| ~Oil City, Hostesses Supreme~ |
So, when people ask me if roller derby is real I get a little frustrated. Yes, we like to wear funky clothes and our tights might be a bit bright and our faces a bit painted, but we practice hard, hit hard and there is nothing choreographed or staged about the competitions between the women on the track. None of the skaters are paid to do what they do, they do it out of a passion for the sport and for the camaraderie that comes along with it.
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| ~High Desert Darlins @Oil City~ |
Is roller derby real? Hells yeah baby.
