Guest blogger: How to become a roller-derby expert (without getting on the track)

http://content.usatoday.com/

Note: Whitney is on vacation this week. While she's gone, Pop Candy is being written by its readers.

By Melissa Joulwan (Melicious11)

I was christened Melissa Kathryn Joulwan by my parents and have been called -- at different times in my life -- Missy, Mo-lissa, and Melvis. I hated them all. But in 2003 when I helped start the Texas Rollergirls Flat Track Roller Derby league, I renamed myself Melicious, dyed my hair pink and became the mean girl of my dreams ... at least on the roller derby track.

Melicious gives a whip during a Halloween bout. (She was on the Superhero team dressed as Bowler from Mystery Men.)

CAPTION

By Felicia Graham

My five years on the Hotrod Honeys team were some of the most fun -- and most dangerous -- of my life. So I was excited to learn that Drew Barrymore was bringing my favorite sport to the big screen with Whip It!. And when I saw the trailer, I was really excited.

It looks like they got all the details right, including mouthy skaters, tongue-in-cheek rollergirl names, and the transformation from Everygirl to Rollergirl. The movie premieres Oct. 9, so you have plenty of time to be infected with derby fever. Here are my suggestions to turn you into an expert in plenty of time to see Ellen Page, Drew Barrymore, Kristen Wiig and Juliette Lewis lace up their skates:

Throw a film fest

Every girl is sexy on roller skates, and these movies showcase the glory that is an angry woman on wheels. Hell on Wheels is a documentary about the roller derby resurgence that started in my hometown of Austin and shows why this sideshow sport has rolled all over the world. You can watch Hell on Wheels online; also available on DVD.

The two best old-school derby movies are from 1972, when professional derby was in its polyester heyday. Kansas City Bomber, available on DVD, stars Raquel Welch -- or, more accurately, her hair -- as a single mom who puts food on the table as a professional derby skater. Unholy Rollers (VHS only) tells the R-rated story of a plucky girl's transformation from cannery worker to derby queen.

Catch up on your reading

Whip It! is based on the young adult novel Derby Girl by Shauna Cross (a.k.a. Maggie Mayhem of the Los Angeles Derby Dolls). It tells the story of Bliss, a "a blue haired, indie-rock loving misfit stuck in the tiny town of Bodeen, Texas" who finds her, um, bliss as a rollergirl.

I know just how she feels. I documented my own transformation in Rollergirl: Totally True Tales From the Track. From the pain of fishnet burn and humiliating crashes to TV appearances and close encounters with Social Distortion, my roller derby days were action-packed, and I didn't keep any secrets when I wrote my book.

More of a picture person? Roller Derby: The History and All-Girl Revival of the Greatest Sport on Wheels is packed with photos that trace the sport from its Depression-era beginning to its pinup present.

See a real live rollergirl

Many of the Flat Track Derby leagues across the country belong to an organization called the Women's Flat Track Derby Association, and regional competitions are being held in September and October around the country, leading up to the November 2009 Nationals in Philadelphia ("City of Sisterly Shove"). Find a regional tournament near you, or browse this list of roller derby leagues around the world to your local rollergirls.

If you're unclear on the finer points of the game, The Basics of Flat Track Roller Derby on YouTube will make sure you know enough to cheer at the right moments.

Embrace your inner rollergirl

As any rollergirl will tell you, the best way to feel like a roller warrior is to act like one. In no particular order: Order a whiskey, neat. Learn how to look mean or crazed in photos. Buy a pair of fishnet stockings. Shop for a Lincoln Continental with suicide doors. Start a bar fight, then leave. Pick a theme song. Consider leopard print. Introduce yourself by your new derby name. Make a play for somebody else's sweetheart. Kick some ass.

Melissa Joulwan is an author/blogger and lives in Austin, for easy access to beer and BBQ. Read her daily rants about her mission to become a super-fit, tart-tongued, hardboiled detective at The Clothes Make the Girl.

Surviving "Derby Drama" - part 1

From: http://derbyhelper.blogspot.com

Posted by Weird Al Spankabitch

A group of people, united by a common goal, puts aside all their personal foibles, agendas and differences and successfully works in harmony to accomplish the various tasks required to achieve their goal. Just another example of the kind of peaceful success story that committees, councils and governments around the world see every day, right?


Well, maybe not. But hey, at least only dudes pull this kind of B.S.


Well god dang.

It's sad but true, where two or more people are gathered and decisions must to be made, angry words and/or fists will fly faster than a jammer with rocket skates. As awesome as roller derby is and as much as its devoted practitioners love it, leagues have to deal with the stresses of differing opinions, conflicting personalities and PMS-fueled hissy fits pretty much from day 1. It is called Derby Drama and it threatens to destroy leagues and drive off promising skaters every day. It is a big enough and important enough subject that I am making this a two-part article. Next Monday I'll take on the subject of "On-track Drama" but in order to even get that far, you have to survive the effects of this week's subject which is...

Organizational drama

Derby News Network co-founder and roller derby guru Hurt Reynolds spent one whole year driving and flying around the continental United States visiting rollerderby leagues of varying ages, attending bouts and talking to skaters and support personnel with varying amounts of experience. (See the details of the epic journey here.) The subject matter discussed in all these different locations and situations was so homogeneous that he gave the phenomenon the name, "Same Conversation, Different City." Derby-loving folks of all genders, sizes and orientations were fed up with blah blah and couldn't believe that so-and-so is doing such and such and they were gonna quit if the *&@ing board of directors didn't change yadda yadda, on and on ad infinitum ad nauseum. I convey this not to dwell on the negatives but as a segue to the first of 3 important points:

• Having Derby Drama is the norm, not the exception.
  As unique as your problems seem, as bad as things get and as much as you think no other league could possibly be as fuxx0red as yours, trust me, you are not alone. Blowups and throwdowns have formed over minimum attendance requirements, uniform selection, venue lease negotiations, MRSA outbreaks, poster artwork, bout eligibility, afterparty venue, t-shirt sizes, sign fonts and innumerable other issues both big and hilariously trifling.
• Having Derby Drama does not mean your league is doomed.
  The founding leagues in the current rollerderby renaissance started in 2001 and the founding leagues in the flat-track explosion started in 2003. They exist and thrive to this day despite going through the same kind of in-fighting we see today and without the benefit of more experienced leagues to turn to for guidance.
• If not acknowledged and addressed, Derby Drama can divide and conquer you.
  See the 2 different years in the previous point? Flat-track rollerderby exists because sometimes problems are not rectified before the breaking point is reached, in this case causing members of TXRD to break off and form the Texas Rollergirls. (See the documentary "Hell on Wheels" or read this if you don't know the story.) Now take a peek at this map, zoom in a bit and look for places where there is more than one league marker in a medium-sized or small market. In many places where the population isn't really big enough to support it, you'll find two different leagues are competing for players and fans because when the doodoo started to hit the fan inside the first local league, no one turned off the doodoo machine or moved the fan.
  

So what is the secret to thriving in the face of organizational derby drama? There isn't any one easy answer to that question but there is a fundamental concept that is definitely the starting place: You have to build your league to succeed. Getting the proper infrastructure in place may be the toughest part of building a new league or rebuilding a broken one but it's the most important thing you can do for yourselves. Think about it this way: If you had just started a 500 mile drive and got a flat tire, what would get you to your destination faster, continuing to drive at 40 mph on the flat tire or stopping to change the flat and driving 80?


Here's a hint.
Take the time to set up an architecture that can handle known problems and can adjust to handle new ones. It can be the difference between spending your time putting on roller derby bouts and spending it medicating your depression bouts. Elements of such an architecture tend to include but are not limited to the following.

• Distributed Governance
  That's a fancy way of saying "Democracy, not monarchy." When one person tries to oversee every aspect of running a league, they either get overwhelmed and have a nuclear meltdown or else they become "the league tyrant" who everyone starts to resent for being a domineering beeeeyotch. Appointing one person to manage and have final say over each required element of operation (marketing, finance, sponsorship, etc.) allows each of those elements to get the full attention of someone with the juice to make on the fly decisions to meet deadlines and rectify last-minute problems rather than waiting for "Queen Bitchface" to get around to it.
  
• Conflict management
  Sometimes a well-meaning group is doing something unintentionally stupid that is hurting the league and ignoring those who oppose it. Sometimes one nutbag is being a douche at practice and taking a dump on the floor at every afterparty. Whatever the situation, sometimes an issue is too heated to be handled rationally by those immersed in it. When this happens, a third party is required to help the two sides achieve perestroika or at least detente. Some leagues have a grievance officer, some have a conflict committee but whatever the name or makeup of it, the existence of a designated arbitrator can defuse volatile situations before they blow up and wind up costing you a team member or a friend.
• A written statement of goals/values
  Known in the corporate world as a mission statement or core values, this can be one of the most helpful things you can have to help make decisions that are consistent and in the agreed-upon best interest of the league. Take nominations from league members as to what the most important aspects of rollerderby are, discuss them a bit, then hold an open vote on those aspects and assemble a statement or list that includes the top 5 or so vote-getters. Once you have that, you suddenly have a powerful guidance system for making decisions that no one can get pissy about because they voted on and agreed to the system. Let's pretend that a fake league named the Awesomeville Derbysquaws has voted on and approved the following list of league values: Competitive Excellence, Fun, Fitness, Safety and Friendship. The Derbysquaws now have a stated point of reference to use when ideas are presented. If someone makes a formal proposal that says, "Let all kick a beehive and eat lard sandwiches," a quick look at the league values shows that this would violate the values of Fun, Fitness and Safety (and probably blow the crap out of Competitive Excellence and Friendship for that matter) and would therefore be rejected. If someone else proposes, "Let's practice twice a week instead of once a year and actually start wearing helmets from now on," this would be accepted because it satisfies the values of Competitive Excellence, Fitness and Safety. This is a highly simplified and exaggerated example of course but the concept is accurate. Decision making becomes uncontroversial and impersonal (in a good way) because it is based on the agreed-upon league values and not the fact that SOMEONE ate too much fiber and blew non-stop fart rings around the practice track last night.
  

I feel I could go on for another eight paragraphs of further detail on just part 1 but that would be a mistake. Every city has unique people with unique needs and wants that need to be considered. Individual solutions many vary but the concepts here are a good starting point for building your league to succeed. See you here next week for part 2!


Okay derby veterans, time for you to share your wealth of experience in the comments and save a teetering league from a premature grave!

Roller Derby Girls by Greg Kristapovich They’re Rough! They’re Tough! Meet the Mountain Derby Girls!

From: http://mysierramountaintimes.com

Photos and Story by Greg Kristapovich

ABOVE: Head Coach Maria Hines (center), poses with three of her very intimidating Mountain Derby Girls, Shelley Hodes (left), Jodi Harris (right) and Sarah Butler, kneeling, (all of Jamestown).

They’ve been in training since the beginning of the year, and they’ve got a little more to learn; but very soon, the Mountain Derby Girls are going to show the Mother Lode what rough and tumble roller derby is all about!

This reporter sat in on a recent training session at High Country Sports Arena in East Sonora, recently, and was amazed at the roller skating skills they exhibited! “The season’s been coming along wonderfully. The girls have improved immensely!” proclaimed Head Coach Maria Hines, aka Coach Quad Queen. “I’m hoping that by late fall, we can do some scrimmaging (low-key one team against another), so we can assess how the girls are doing, like, are they ready to really go into an official bout? (The public can attend the practice sessions!) One of the husbands, Culley Harrelson of Sonora was also watching the workout. So how does he feel about his wife (Andrea Ferroni, aka Madame Ovary – a takeoff on Madame Bovary) participating in roller derby? “I’m all for it! It’s good exercise” he agreed. “I do have some concerns: they mostly skate around to the right, so she’s going to have one really big leg – and one small leg, from skating around to the right, over and over! That’s my biggest concern.”

ABOVE: Mountain Derby Girls practice their maneuvers with intensity and precision!

What do some of the girls think? “I love to skate!” exclaimed Shelley Hodes, (aka Pollyanna Pitchfork, of team “High County Hellcats”) “My parents think it’s a little nutty, but I’ve always been nutty! The more we get into these bouts, the adrenaline gets going and there’s a little fear factor involved, but it’s covered by the amount of ‘rush’ you get from the whole thing!” Jodi Harris (aka Jodalicious) also loves derby!. “It’s awesome! It’s a great group of girls! We get our aggressions out and have some ‘girl time’, some ‘away time’ – and some good exercise! My significant other, Rod, thinks I’m pretty crazy, but he doesn’t skate at all. He loves to come watch me, but does think I’m a little bit wacky for doing it!” Then there’s Sarah Butler (aka Revra; “I’m an ordained minister and my nickname is ‘Ra’, as in the Egyptian Sun God, Ra, so I’m Revra!”) “I have a really good friend, Molly. She came to one of the (exhibition games) and she (Molly) called me up and said ‘You’re perfect for derby! You need to come check it out!’ So, I walked through the (arena) door. I said ‘I will sit on a chair and watch for a half-an-hour.’ It took me only five minutes! I got my skates on, got on the floor and never looked back! It’s fun! All the aggression inside of you comes out in a constructive way, and you have girls supporting you every single step! It’s more amazing than anything else I’ve ever done in my life, and My Josh is awesome! He’s really supportive of derby!” For info on practice times – or how to join the Mountain Derby Girls, call High Country Sports Arena at 588-0776 ask for Maria!

ABOVE: In a touching moment, The Derby girls administer a group hug to ”Hellbound Harlot” (in the center with no helmet) and “Rowdy Piper”, (right behind her). Both hug recipients belong to Orange County Roller Girls and came to Sonora to help in the training of the Mountain Derby Girls!

Roller Derby comes to the Cow Palace

www.insidebayarea.com

By Carolyn Livengood

THE SAN FRANCISCO Bay Bombers will celebrate their September return to the Cow Palace for the first time in 26 years with an event at 4 p.m. on Aug. 29 at Lefty's Baseball Cards in Burlingame.

Come meet the Bay Bombers' former skater and current general manager Jim Fitzpatrick, of South San Francisco, along with other skaters and special guest Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer. Both men will sell autographed copies of their books.

Classic roller derby and wrestling memorabilia will be displayed, along with beautiful antique cars.

The S.F. Bay Bombers, Brooklyn Red Devils and L.A. Firebirds will compete for the 2009 Roller Derby World Championship at 7 p.m. on Sept. 12 in a round-robin, banked-track elimination tournament at the Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva Ave., Daly City. For more details, visit www.arsdbombers.com.

Millbrae Lions host author who has lived with polio: Newly published author Lee Ann Laraway, who was struck with polio as a child, and her canine companion, Jeannie, will demonstrate Jeannie's abilities at the Millbrae Lions Club's Sept. 2 dinner meeting.

The event starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Terrace Café in the El Rancho Inn, 1100 El Camino Real, Millbrae.

A short question and answer period will follow, and Laraway's autographed book, "Bringing Heaven to Earth: A Journey into Grace and Gratitude,"

will be available for purchase. Twenty percent of the proceeds from her book will benefit Canine Companions for Independence in Santa Rosa. Dinner costs $24 and may be paid at the door.

Lions, including Millbrae Lions, have supported the Canine Companion program since its beginning in 1975. Millbrae Lion George Habeeb has served on the program's board of directors and is currently a trustee.

For more information about Canine Companions for Independence or to donate, call 877-865-7224 or visit www.lpcci.com.

South San Francisco bocce tournament: Sept. 15 is the deadline to mail your application and team check to participate in the 24th-annual Italian American Games Raffa Bocce Tournament, presented by the South San Francisco Italian American Citizens Club.

The event starts at 8 a.m. on Sept. 27 at Orange Memorial Park. First-place team wins $900 and trophies; second, $600; third, $300; and fourth, $150. Prizes are based on 20 teams.

Cost is $40 per player. There are three players per team. Balls can be provided. Federation card is required. On-site federation card cost is $20.

Breakfast, lunch, and beverages will be provided. No on-site registration is allowed. Check-in lasts from 7 to 7:45 a.m. Penalties and possible forfeiture apply for those who are late.

Mail application and check to IACC, 609 Rocca Ave., South San Francisco, CA 94080. Include team name, captain name, telephone number, players' names and federation card number. Questions? Call Alvaro Bettucchi at 650-871-9278.

Daly City woman receives scholarship: Meghan Toner, of Daly City, was awarded the Daly City Police Athletic League Educational Scholarship Foundation's first $1,000 scholarship at the annual DC-PAL Golf Tournament dinner held July 20 at Elks Lodge No. 2091 in South San Francisco. More than 125 guests were in attendance.

A graduate of St. Ignatius High School in San Francisco, Toner is currently working at California Video and the Linda Mar Florist in Pacifica while earning her associate degree at Skyline College in San Bruno. She plans on transferring to San Francisco State University to major in criminal justice so she can become a juvenile probation officer.

The Educational Scholarship Foundation is a component of the DC-PAL, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007 and was the first PAL organization in the state of California. The DC-PAL is a nonprofit organization that builds partnerships between youths, the police and the community through recreational and athletic programs.

The foundation was created in 2007 by Steve Aurilio, chair and professor of the Administration of Justice Program at Skyline College and a retired Daly City police sergeant.

Each year, $1,000 educational scholarships will be awarded to two DC-PAL youths, one female and one male, if qualified, to assist them with their college education.

To qualify, applicants must have participated in the DC-PAL or the Daly City Recreation Department's athletic program, reside in the Daly City-Colma-Broadmoor area, have aspirations toward a criminal justice career, and be attending either a community college or a police academy.

To learn more about the Educational Scholarship Foundation or to donate, call Steve Aurilio at 650-738-4134, e-mail skylinemra@aol.com or call the Daly City Police Department at 650-991-8110.

San Mateo Kiwanis Club raises funds for Parca: Members of the Kiwanis Club of San Mateo and volunteers raised $2,600 for Parca by selling barbecued Italian sausages and select wines at the Festa Italiana Street Fair held July 26 in San Mateo.

This year's Kiwanis Club's Festa Italiana Committee was chaired by Dr. Leland Smith and co-chaired by President Gerry Weiss.

Chartered in 1925, the 29-member Kiwanis Club of San Mateo has a 12-year history of helping developmentally disabled children and adults through this community-based fundraiser.

The San Mateo club is one of 15 clubs in Kiwanis Division 34, which serves from San Francisco to Cupertino. Kiwanis International, organized in 1915, is a global organization of 550,000 members dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time.

Wells Fargo donates to South San Francisco Historical Society: Wells Fargo awarded a $1,500 grant July 16 to the Historical Society of South San Francisco that helped it purchase a computer and printer for its new history museum at 80 Chestnut Ave.

Community members can use the computer to view collections of digital photographs and documents, as well as to conduct historical research in the museum's library.

Wendy Haller, Wells Fargo's Mission-Coastal Market president, said the bank is proud to support the SSF Historical Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing together people interested in the past, present, and future of the local community and preserving its heritage.

Despite the poor economy, Wells Fargo's donations to Bay Area nonprofits increased 15 percent to a record $16.7 million in 2008, and $1.2 million was donated in San Mateo County alone.

Roller Derby Star, by Tricksy (featuring: Atlanta Roller Girls)

New Junior Derby League in Santa Cruz

From: Good Times Santa Cruz

It’s time to meet the Santa Cruz Derby Groms

It’s a breezy summer afternoon in Santa Cruz and Lainie N. Sainie, Lilly Bomblin, and Slambi of the Santa Cruz Derby Girls are putting in some extra practice time. They whip around the track at the Roller Palladium at top speed as the music of Michael Jackson and Britney Spears blare in the background. Later, they practice sliding to a stop on a bended knee. see full article...

Lilly and Slambi are both clad in tank tops with the league’s logo, a ferocious-looking derby babe sporting war-paint, skull kneepads, tattoos, assorted bumps and bruises, and a determined snarl. Lainie sports a “Twilight” T-shirt, star-spangled shorts, and some seriously bright stripy socks. They’re cool. They’re fast. They’re focused. They’re… 11 years old?

Welcome to the Santa Cruz Derby Groms, the new junior league of the Derby Girls. “Grom is a term in the surf community for a young surfer. We wanted to choose a name that brought in a little Santa Cruz culture,” explains Kiki Clash, who, when she’s not busy skating for the Harbor Hellcats, directs the junior league. The new generation of “rollers,” which is open to girls ages eight to 17, recently completed its first eight weeks of practice, a trial run of sorts for the full-length season they hope to have from January through September 2010. The group is celebrating by arranging a scrimmage for its two-dozen young players, which takes place during halftime at a match between the Harbor Hellcats and Silicon Valley’s Killa Bytes at the Santa Cruz Civic Abetween on Aug. 22.

The Groms are made up of two teams, the Sugar Skulls and the Bumper Scars. At the moment, the players are mostly the daughters and nieces of current adult derby players. “We had planned on opening it up to the public and never got that far, because we overfilled the course,” Kiki says. They’ll open up more spots for the full season, bringing the total number of Groms to about 28.

“In the future,” she adds, “we’d love to even see it grow beyond that.” Kiki, whose daughter is a player, says she’s impressed with the dedication and heart the Groms have brought to the fledgling league. “At practice, it’s very serious. Everyone is treated as an equal. I’m amazed at how hard these girls work and how similar it is to our adult practices.”

Roxy Scarmichael is one of seven adult Derby skaters who help coach the Groms. She believes the junior league has the potential to be a positive and even transformative influence for the girls. “It’s all about empowerment,” she explains, “Setting goals and reaching them.”

She also notes that while roller derby might come off as “just hot girls in skirts and fishnets,” it’s a legitimate sport, one that stresses agility, speed, and strategy. While all that is sometimes eclipsed in the public imagination by many of the players’ fondness for tattoos and wild hair colors, the true emphasis, Roxy says, is on teamwork and sportswomanship, qualities they’re trying hard to teach to the junior league.

“Nothing’s handed to you out there,” she says. “You have to work for it. But at the same time, it’s a welcoming and encouraging place. It’s a sisterhood.”

“My first involvement with derby was to be an example to my own ten-year-old daughter,” Kiki notes. “I wanted her to see that there are so many options for women out there. It’s not all about the superficial stuff. It’s about who you are as a person, your inner strength, your inner power.”

Watching her daughter skate with her new teammates, she sees how strongly she’s taking that message of empowerment and cooperation to heart: “They help each other up when they fall at practice. They’re just really learning to be strong women.” The adult league, she notes, is a nonprofit run entirely by and for women: ““I’m so proud of that. These girls are learning that, learning how to work together. It’s inspiring.”

Community service is also key, both for the Groms and for the Derby Girls as a league. The Junior Derby players have even adopted a charity, Santa Cruz Skate Shop owner Danny Keith’s organization Grind Out Hunger. At practice each week, they collect canned goods, with the goal of reaching 100 pounds of donations. Right now they’re at about 60, all of which will go either to Grind Out Hunger or Second Harvest Food Bank.

Lainie, Lilly, and Slambi all report that while they’re slightly nervous for their first bout, which will take place in front of an audience of several thousand people, they’re mostly just excited. As they prepare to head back out onto the track, Lilly adjusts her skates and says thoughtfully, “Before this, I used to be scared of skating.” That’s all different now: “I have a lot of fun. I like watching myself improve.” Even the occasional tumble at high speed doesn’t seem to faze her: “Sometimes I’ll fall, but I just get right back up.”

Free trial of sfw to turn your pc into a roller derby scoreboard

http://wareseeker.com

Roller Derby Scoreboard Deluxe 1.0.1 description

Turn any computer into a realistic roller derby scoreboard without the high cost of a physical scoreboard. Great for use in gyms, rinks, and recreation complexes with a projector, monitor, or other large screen display. Easy to use click and type or Tab and type interface allows for easy control of the scoreboard.

FEATURES:
Click and type or tab and type interface for easy control
Fully customizable scoreboard colors
High visibility LED digits
Customizable team and scoreboard pictures
Clean and simple design allows for easy reading by spectators
Easily Tab from element to element around the scoreboard for optional mouseless control.
Fits most monitors by adjusting to different display resolutions.

INCLUDES:
Period clock
Jam clock
Team scores
Team logos
Current period
Two penalty clocks per team
Scoreboard picture (can be used for advertisements)
Scoreboard title

Key Options
Customizable keys make controlling the scoreboard quick and easy. Case insensitivity and num lock locking keep you from accidentally losing proper control of the scoreboard.

Color Options
Easy to use options allow you to customize every color to match your teams colors. Optional discrete selection border around the active element of the scoreboard shows the part of the scoreboard you are controlling.

Text Options
Home and visitor team names can be customized, as well as the board name.
Picture Options
Home and visitor logos can be customized for easy team identification by spectators. Also allows you to change the scoreboard picture, which may be used for advertising space. Switch between two different types of digits for displaying numbers.

Other Options
Additional options allow you to delay the period end sound until the end of a jam. Customizable penalty time increment and key make adding time to penalties simple. Change the jam and period end sounds to use your own audio file.

After the trial expires the sfw costs

$125

A Really Bad Roller Derby Poem for A Really Great Coach (on her birthday)

by Pollyanna Pitchfork

You give me a place to vent my rage
You teach us how to skate
You help to let me act my age (?!?)
And now this is my fate.

You push us when we’re feeling strong
And let us rest when weak
I so look forward all day long
To struggle in the heat.

You don’t laugh when we splat like eggs
Or smash against the wall
You show us how to bump-da-bitch
To help us win the brawl.

If you weren’t here to push our asses
And make us tough as leather
Who else would offer derby classes
And bring these awesome girls together.

Roller Derby Celebrates 74th Birthday!

From: http://www.digitalcity.com

In 1935, Leo Seltzer created the Transcontinental Roller Derby which was an endurance race with a team of one man and one woman, skaiting on a banked track.

His idea for including women into this sport was genius as he was able to sell more tickets in order to fill the Chicago Coliseum He debuted this derby on August 13, 1935.

Happy birthday, Roller Derby! If you're not familiar with roller derby today, here some useful information:

The Best of the Nation
Here are the top rankings in the nation. The member leagues of the WFTDA create travel teams who play against other leagues. They are divided into four regions.

The top in the east is Gotham Girls; Oly Rollers in the West; Windy City Rollers in the North Central; and the Texas Rollergirls in the South Central.

Flat Track Stats is a Statistical Aggregation of WFTDA Sanctioned Roller Derby -- they've ranked roller derby leagues like so:

1. Gotham Girls Roller Derby in New York, N.Y. (featuring Queens of Pain Jammer, Suzy Hotrod)
2. The Windy City Rollers from Chicago, Ill.
3. Texas Rollergirls from Austin, Tex.
4. Philly Rolller Girls from Philadelphia, Pa.
5. Rat City Roller Girls in Seattle, Wash.
6. B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls of San Francisco, Calif.
7. Charm City Roller Girls of Baltimore, Md.
8. Rose City Roller Girls in Portland, Ore.
9. Denver Roller Dolls in Denver, Colo.
10. Boston Derby Dames in Boston, Mass.

Derby News Network offer their Power Rankings for August 2009:

1. Gotham Girls of New York, N.Y.
2. Texas Rollergirls of Austin, Tex.
3. Philly Roller Girls of Philadelphia, Pa.
4. The Windy City Rollers of Chicago, Ill.
5. Oly Rollers of Olympia, Wash.
6. Denver Roller Dolls of Denver, Colo.
7. Charm City Roller Girls of Baltimore, Md.
8. Rose City Roller Girls in Portland, Ore.
9. Rat City Roller Girls in Seattle, Wash.
10. Detroit Derby Girls in Detroit, Mich.

If you don't understand roller derby, here is a video to help explain how the game is played.


Why you should go
Watching a roller derby match is great fun. If you like seeing girls dress like baseball players for Halloween then you'll love seeing girls get tough on a flat track. The sets -- called jams -- are no more than two minutes. So, if you have a short attention span, you are in the right place. If you're in NYC, the next match is September 26 with the Queens of Pain vs. The Brooklyn Bombshells.

Roller derby bout to support Monmouth SPCA Aug. 22

From: http://www.app.com

The exciting world of roller derby will descend upon the Jersey Shore as two local teams from the Jersey Shore Roller Girls league battle it out Saturday, August 22 in Asbury Park Convention Hall. The bout is also a collection point for the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, where fans can drop off items such as pet food, toys and supplies from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.The roller derby bout's doors open at 7 p.m. and the game starts at 8 p.m. The female athletes of the Murder Beach Militia and Anchor Assassins teams will serve up the fierce blocks and jams that roller derby is known for, as Asbury Park's Convention Hall is transformed into a roller derby rink.

The event marks the last intra-league match-up for the Jersey Shore Roller Girls 2009 season before the league championship in November. Whoever wins this bout will advance to the championship, to play the undefeated Right Coast Rollers.

The teams have prepared a night of derby mayhem in a full-length bout where the women don their derby personas and showcase their skills as skaters hit, dodge and block to get through the pack and score. This is the real thing, not an orchestrated match-up. Jersey Shore Roller Girls, a league which formed almost two years ago, skates under the Women's Flat Track Derby Association rules and regulations.

Besides the promise of an intense bout, and the chance to help out the Monmouth SPCA, in addition patrons who show a military ID will receive $5 off the $20 ticket price the day of the show.

Captains for both teams said that with at least three practices a week at Rollermagic Skating Rink in Jackson , the skaters have been working hard to prepare for an exciting combat on wheels.

Advance tickets are on sale now for $17 at jerseyshorerollergirls.net for the Saturday Aug. 22 bout. Tickets are $20 at the door. Children under 12 are $5 and patrons with a military ID are $15 at the door. Doors open at 7 p.m., the whistle blows at 8 p.m. Adults 21 and over to drink.

The Jersey Shore Roller Girls league consists of three intra-league teams -- the Murder Beach Militia, the Right Coast Rollers and the Anchor Assassins -- and one all-star travel team. Its members -- women of all ages and backgrounds -- fill the Jackson Skating Center for grueling practices several times weekly, training and scrimmaging with their coaching and referee staff. The league is always accepting new recruits, and no previous skating experience is necessary. Anyone interested in being a skater, referee, a sponsor, or just wants to help out please email info@jerseyshorerollergirls.net.

How to do a leg whip, by Bonnie D.Stroir and Lemon Drop of the San Diego Derby Dolls

Break down how to do leg whips, both on flat track and on banked track.
www.derbydolls.com/sd

Derby News Network Power Rankings - August 2009

From: www.derbynewsnetwork.com

WFTDA Rankings | FTS Rankings | DNN Power Rankings Archive

	DNN
	1Gotham
	2Texas
	3Philly
	4Windy City
	5Oly (+1)
	6Denver (+1)
	7Charm City (-2)
	8Rose City (+4)
	9Rat City (-1)
	10Detroit (-1)
	11Boston
	12Carolina (-2)
	13Kansas City (+5)
	14San Diego
	15Duke City
	16Bay Area (-3)
	17Rocky Mountain
	18Pikes Peak (-2)
	19Madison (+1)
	20Arch Rival (-1)
	21Cincinnati
	22Houston
	23Angel City
	24Minnesota
	25Providence

Yesterday @RollerCon

From: Mo @http://anotherlasvegasdailyphoto.blogspot.com

Roller Con 2009 was in town this weekend. They has an exhibition Downtown at the Fremont Street Experience. Let me tell you these are some pretty tough broads, skating here.

Las Vegas has a Roller Derby team the Sin City Rollers. I've yet to see them skate, maybe one of these days!

Posted by Mo

Adrian Valenzuela Photography

[This guy has some beautiful derby photographs he's shot at local bouts - he is gooood]

New Roller Derby Website, Adrian Valenzuela

I just created a new addition to my site dedicated to Roller Derby Photography. I appreciate all the motivation and encouragement coming from all you Roller Derby ladies and also from my fellow photographers. The site can be accessed from www.adrianvalenzuela.com.

More pictures here: adrianvalenzuela.blogspot.com
Professional Photographer working out of the SF Bay Area

WFTDA 2nd Quarter Rankings

Regional Rankings

Archived Boutcast: #11 Boston defeats #13 Bay Area, 129-58

From: Derby News Network

On Friday, #11 Boston defeated #13 Bay Area by a score of 129-58 in a bout presented by WFTDA at RollerCon in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Click here to see the video

Flashback: August 2, 1972 - Kansas City Bomber Released

From: http://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com




On this day in 1972, M-G-M released KANSAS CITY BOMBER. In this low budget character study, RAQUEL WELCH was a revelation in the title role as a single mother forced to balance her personal life with dreams of roller derby stardom. Still worth watching if just for WELCH’s performance.

Here's the trailer:

Do Rolling Officials Need Helmets?

From: http://speedskateworld.com

August 1, 2009 by Peter Doucet

A proposal to the Speed Committee from the Coaches Regional Representatives deals with Helmets for Rolling Referees. With the speed of the skaters leaving and returning to the relay box, many referees lack of agility and speed to avoid a collision with these skaters. It is obvious that a potential serious head injury is just waiting to happen. Why is it that we are told that the Insurance company requires ska Nationals we saw officials getting knocked down, tripping and falling and one time two referee falling on top of each other while skating in the center. With skaters speeds increasing every year, Officials are forced to skate at their top speed in a smaller and smaller circle in making an attempt to call a skater over or disqualify a skater. Do we wait until a rolling referee is seriously injured before common sense dictates that referees wear helmets. Officials, please don’t tell us that helmets will limit your ability to see or wear radios. Every sport with referees on skates (ice hockey, roller derby, ect) requires helmets. What do you think?

Click to read more and to share your thoughts; Do Rolling Officials Need Helmets?.

Happy Birthday Ultra-Leo Ann Calvello…

From: http://mysticmedusa.com

August 1, 2009

Today is the birthday of ultra Leo Ann Calvello – an American Roller Derby athlete who kept skating into her 70s. Watch this clip & dare any Leos you know to out-Leo this lady; Her nickname was the Lioness & she was renowned for her big mouth, brawling, competitive ego, wigs, weekly change of hair style & being apparently the worlds only professional athlete to be active for seven decades. She is seriously trippy & the clip above is wierdly inspirational…Sun/Mercury in Leo trined by Uranus in Aries.

Skaters help raise money for cancer

Northeast Ohio Rock n Roller Girl Kim Shuman, aka Scarlet GoDancin, looks at her untitled bust by artist Leandra Drumm at We Gallery on Thursday in Fairlawn. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)

View more photos>>

By Jewell Cardwell, Beacon Journal staff writer

Published on Saturday, Aug 01, 2009

I promised myself after meeting this week with Kim Shuman that I will make it a point to attend a Northeast Ohio Rock 'n' Roller Girls' bout.

Part of the reason has to do with the fact that I have a real curiosity — as a spectator, that is — in the sport.

Also, these women are about much more than skating through life, and are building quite an impressive community resume.

For starters, unlike so many other organized sports teams, the NEO Rock 'n' Roller Girls don't get paid.

Shuman is co-founder, business/finance and public relations director of the NEO Rock 'n' Roller Girls (aka the Roller Derby Girls).

''In fact, we actually pay to play,'' said Shuman, whose skate name is Scarlet GoDancin.

Members pay $40 in monthly dues, which cover rink rental, snacks for the traveling team and other incidentals.

''What we have left after that is always given back to the community.''

As for the sport itself, they support it with bake sales, car washes and the like.

Truly, I don't know any other sports team — megamillion-dollar professional sports enterprises included — that have the heart for the community as much as NEO Rock 'n' Roller Girls.

Just consider the charitable efforts they've supported with money: Humane Society of Greater Akron; Violet's Cupboard (which serves low-income residents), Haven of Rest Ministries; Women's Network (Until the Violence Stops project); the Polar Bear Jump to benefit the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank; Akron Children's Hospital; Summit County Chapter of the American Red Cross; March of Dimes; and more.

''Nothing feels better than donating ourselves and giving back to the community,'' Shuman said.

Now comes the local skaters' most creative community outreach to date: the Aug. 29 Bustapalooza.

''In March, 12 of the team's now 27 skaters from the Akron league had their busts cast by Judi Grove, founder of Breast Impressions Inc. in Tulsa, Okla.,'' Shuman said.

''We're the first league in Ohio to do this.''

Long story short, once the
casts were ready, it was up to each skater to find a local artist to decorate her bust.

These truly unique breast impressions — on display today through Aug. 11 at the We Gallery, 20 N. High St., Akron; and Aug. 14 through 26 at Cyrus Custom Framing & Art Gallery, 2645 Cleveland Ave. NW, Canton — will be auctioned at halftime of the Aug. 29 bout at the Summit County Fairgrounds.

Bidding starts at $100.

''One hundred percent of the proceeds from the auction will go to Stewart's Caring Place,'' a local resource center for cancer patients and their families, Shuman said.

Most of the skaters will be at the galleries on opening day.

Shuman chose local glass/aluminum artist Leandra Drumm to represent her. ''I'm usually shy. But I can't tell you how excited I was to have gotten Leandra to do mine,'' said Shuman, a stay-at-home mom and part-time chocolate candy maker.

''Most of the girls have been touched in some way by cancer,'' said Shuman whose uncle and grandmother had breast cancer.

''My inspiration for the piece came from the excitement and energy of my Roller Derby model [Scarlet GoDancin'], who so graciously donated her time and effort for the cause of Breast Cancer Awareness, '' artist Leandra Drumm wrote. ''The piece represents Scarlet's love of dancing and zest for life. This disease, which has affected and claimed so many of our friends, reminds us that we are more than our physical forms. We are the energy, love and inspiration that come from within.''

The beauty of this project — over and above the charity — is all of the different art mediums represented: henna, feathers, oils, metal, etc.

Meredith McGrew — whose skate name is Suicide Blonde — had artist and ovarian-cancer survivor Jessica Fox-Kinsinger work on her bust cast, which is titled Time Heals All Wounds and has a built-in music box.

While many of the skaters are stay-at-home moms, there are a wide variety of vocations and professions among them: office workers, a ''Cable Girl'' (like the Cable Guy) and a pediatrician.

To view all of the artsy busts up for auction, visit http://www.neorollerderby.com, where you also will find ticket information about upcoming bouts.

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Jewell Cardwell can be reached at 330-996-3567 or jcardwell@thebeaconjournal.com.