Get to know the Inferno’s coach, Ann T. Social, in our latest installment of “Five Questions For…” What made you want to become a coach? Well, quite honestly, it all came down to timing. I had left derby to complete a masters program and when I finished that I really wanted to be involved with… Read More
Confessions of a (Nearly) 50 Year Old Derby Girl: Nausea and Peanut Butter Ice Cream
By Phoenix (Cherri Boom recently changed her derby name) Nausea and Peanut Butter Ice Cream I hate throwing up. A lot. Last week, after two hours of struggling through my first contact practice, I was battling the urge to hurl, hard. My legs were jiggly, my stomach was churning, I was salty, crusty, and sweaty…. Read More
There’s a Place for Everyone
By SugarBaby You might think Roller Derby is not for you. No place for someone who believes she’s 26.3 pounds overweight and would look terrible in leggings. No place for a baker, or a painter. No place for someone who loves yoga and butterflies, or to Contra dance and quilt. No place for someone… Read More
Confessions of a (Nearly) 50 Year-Old Derby Girl: What’s Your Inner Animal?
By Cherri Boom A few years back, I was taking a public speaking class. We were given an assignment to write a speech themed, “If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?” I had one week to write the speech and I spent six days crabbing about how lame the… Read More
5 Questions For… Goff Da Track!
Introducing a new column: “5 Questions For…” in which we will interview members of AFA who represent a variety of roles. It’s an exciting time for AFA! Among so many big changes we have gone through recently we also have the formation of our very own Officiating Committee. Stepping up to steer that committee is… Read More
Confessions of a (Nearly) 50 Year-Old Derby Girl: Derby Kisses (or Sometimes I Get Scared)
by Cherri Boom When we talk about roller derby, sometimes it can sound like it’s all rainbows and unicorns. Don’t get me wrong. I can gush about derby all day, and sincerely. I mean every word. There is something about it that just gets me so inspired. But today I’m going to step back from… Read More
Monday Motivation: The Power of Yet
By Wild Violet Early on in my Roller Derby journey, one of my trainers introduced me to the power of using the word “yet” when I came up against a skill or drill I could not do. “I can’t do a stutter stop!” “You can’t do a stutter stop YET.” Adding that one word to… Read More
Confessions of a (Nearly) 50 Year-Old Derby Girl: Hard Skating? Just Skate Hard
Learning to skate as an adult seems a lot harder than when I first put skates on about a hundred years ago. For one thing, my bones and muscles and joints don’t have that wonderful rubber band quality any more. Also, my skull has a lot farther to go when I transition rapidly from… Read More
Confessions of a (Nearly) 50 Year Old Derby Girl: Fitting In
I had a nice chat with Bull this week. We talked about some of the things that intimidate new skaters. One thing in particular that she touched on had been on my mind for a while so, after hearing Bull’s perspective, I wanted to air it out with you all. I haven’t spent much time… Read More
“Ode to a Bruise”
“Ode To a Bruise” By Wild Violet I arrived and walked through the door of the Armory for the practice du jour. As a newbie skater my skills would come later after many falls to the floor. I lined up as my legs did shake, my insides seeming to quake, to practice a drill hoping… Read More