If you told me about a year ago I’d write and direct a semi-animated superhero-themed video series on the Oz Roller Girls, I’d likely say you were crazy. But crazy is the currency of derby, it seems, and so this week we launched the first episode of “Everyday Superheroes,” a six-webisode serial promoting the league, its skaters and the sport.

I woke up one morning with a strange idea for a web video series to promote Oz where the rollergirls would play everyday superheroes. In addition to the intended cheesiness, a somewhat serious message that anyone can be a hero underpins the cheeky humor and slapstick action scenes. The atmosphere is loosely inspired by the old Saturday-morning superhero serial Electra Woman and Dyna Girl as well as ’60s-era Batman campiness.

With generally supportive feedback from the rollergirls, I roughed out six scripts tied to our schedule — the expositive Episode 1 is generic and related to recruitment, while the next five installments promote our five home bouts. But the whole project kicked up a notch when the talented Phillip Moore, a recent SUNY Oswego grad and friend of the league, came on board.

He came up for the idea to use rotoscope-type animation that gives the series such a distinctive look. Phillip showed me two versions of one episode — one with the animation, one without — and the version with the comic-book look hit the mark. He worked on touches like J-Rock-It’s glowing star to add to the awesome.

The Oz Roller Girls look over scripts during our filming session. (Lindi Himes photo)

The filming, complete with hapless guards (I’m one of them) getting pummeled in fight scenes, came together in about two hours on a Sunday. A call for various props returned countless comical weapons and costume pieces. Some of the most amusing bits were developed by the rollergirls themselves, which made the creative process even more enjoyable.

The adventure ahead will involve combat, cliffhangers, peril and escape, skating skills, a final showdown and a surprise twist ending. Very much looking forward to sharing the whole series with the world!

Warm Up Oswego is one of a range of events the Oz Roller Girls take part in. One of their first, participating in the 2010 Oswego Independence Parade, served as my introduction to the group and the rest is history. So it’s hard to underestimate the value of community events where people can meet and speak with rollergirls and other representatives. Pictures in the paper, posters and postings on Facebook are all important … but live interaction is the most effective. We may have to pick and choose our public events, since everyone has such busy lives already, but when we can make an appearance, it reaps benefits.

Participating in community events can allow the world to see that these rollergirls are their friends, neighbors and fellow citizens. I’d say it would show that rollergirls are “normal people,” but the picture above and experiences say otherwise. We can answer the frequent questions: yes, it’s a real sport; yes, anyone can participate; yes, men can be involved as refs, non-skating officials and other volunteers.

Education about roller derby, whether we want to admit it or not, is still a big part of continuing to gain acceptance. If you come to a bout, you’ll probably get hooked. But getting people beyond misperceptions about the sport and hesitancy to try something new is the first big obstacle. So getting out and about, generating interest in the sport and overcoming those barriers make our part in things like Warm Up Oswego worth the effort. Or it just gives people an excuse to dress up as Star Wars characters. Whatever works.

Within the past few weeks, we graduated five promising skaters from nuggets (known as “fresh meat” in some leagues) to Level 2s: AJent Mayhem, Ammie Oakley, Destruc-Shan, Lady RedKat and Natron. And while Destruc-Shan sufstained an injury and was unable to compete, it was also the first scrimmage for Rue B. Revolver, coming off a knee issue. Plus Kannonball Kat-astrophe was able to see extended scrimmage action for a the first time in a while, having battled an assortment of injuries. Thus about half the skaters on the roster and in the photo above really needed the experience this bout brought.

In all the blogs and other discussions on roller derby, you don’t hear about scrimmages much. But it’s hard to overstate their importance in building skaters and teams. They’re not as glamorous as bouts with all the fans and show biz aspects, but scrimmages away from the eyes of the public build skaters for the big shows. The Oz Roller Girls’ willingness to play a heavy scrimmage schedule was one of the keys to a successful debut season last year. Since every team needs to develop a strong base of skaters at all levels, scrimmages provide important stepping stones to newer skaters on the path to getting rostered for bouts.

Looking around Facebook on Saturday morning showed some anxiety and butterflies among our half-dozen less-experienced skaters. They definitely worked it out on the track, each doing plenty of things well — including Rue B. Revolver dishing out the hit of the night! Oz earned the 204-92 win, although scores don’t mean as much as the experience both sides, and their new skaters, earned. How friendly was the event? Oz coach Flyin Phil hosted a half-hour joint practice before the scrimmage to help both teams. And some of the Rockin Rurals stayed overnight to fully enjoy the Oz after party and hospitality. As I’ve said before, roller derby is unlike other sports with the connections between various leagues … and scrimmages are yet another way to create bonds between leagues.

Where do the new skaters go from here? Our first home bout looms on March 10 vs. the Kingston Derby Girls’ Skateful Dead squad. Will any of them crack the roster for this, our first international match? Stay tuned.

But does it make sense to take time in the heat of the match to showboat … or is it part of any match’s show-business component? Some thoughts, in point and counterpoint.

Point: It’s a crowd-friendly sport. Roller derby unfolds in relatively small spaces and wants the crowd involved as much as possible. Acknowledging the crowd, inviting their participation is good practice. Positive fan experience is key to maintaining and growing the sport.

Counterpoint: Respect the laws of physics. My track coach would go crazy if we did anything that interfered with the muscular momentum of our running motion. Turn your head to look over your shoulder, and he would turn purple. He didn’t want us to wave or point or do anything that alters putting all our effort into the running motion. In derby, if you’re lead jammer, your usual goal is to get around to the pack and score points. As soon as you gesture or make other motions, you’ve slowed your speed and momentum and are forfeiting valuable time that should be focused on getting to the pack. It’s one thing to do this while running out the clock, but I’ve seen skaters slow their pace to play to the crowd in the first few jams, when they really should be trying to score points.

Point: Crowd noise is a factor in a bout. There are psychological advantages to getting your crowd fired up. Some skaters feed off the cheers for inspiration. It’s only human to want validation. For the visitors, loud crowds may throw off their ability to easily communicate and could rattle or intimidate newer skaters. That said, seasoned skaters are usually pretty good at shutting out the crowd and focusing on what they need to do. Speaking of which …

Counterpoint: Maintain focus on the track. If you’ve just grabbed lead jammer, you have to focus on: 1) getting up to the pack for a scoring pass, 2) strategy for getting through the pack and 3) the position of the other jammer. I’ve seen lead jammers slow down to showboat … and have the opposing jammer zoom by them. Epic fail. If playing to the crowd interferes with your ability to play the sport, just don’t do it.

In all, my opinion would be that, while it’s important to bring the crowd into the bout, doing it while play is on isn’t the best idea. You can try to rev them up while at the jammer line, just after the jam ends or during stoppage of play. But I’d be willing to hear other thoughts on the showboating vs. show biz question.

The big headline from our Jan. 7 bout was the Oz Roller Girls’ statement win over the Albany All-Stars A team, but this blog also covers my announcing experiences, and that part of the night was … different.

Albany marked my first experience as part of a three-man crew. Moe Cheezmo is the lead announcer for Albany and he invited up Bobby Narco from the renowned Gotham Girls league. They have worked together and had good chemistry, so I had to fight the urge to feel like a third wheel. Trying to coordinate observations from three announcers had its fits and starts, but we did this better as the night went on.

Also, we announced on the move, instead of having a desk or table … we were three guys in strange-looking blazers and wireless mics moving and reporting from various points during the bout (yes, I’m the guy in the bad blazer in the red circle above). The good thing about having a table is it gives you space to spread out your skater information and notes. The well-prepared Bobby uses an iPad where he has websites to both teams and bout information open, but he decided it just wouldn’t work in this setting.

But portability let us get around and about in a fluid and fast-responding manner. Bobby would run in when the officials huddled and get more information to share with the crowd, which I thought was a nice touch.

One of those official calls provided our biggest challenge of the night. In a late jam, both jammers jumped before the second whistle (a false start), but only the Oz jammer was sent to the box. Albany racked up 19 points on the jam, in large part through having the power jam advantage (when they have the only point-scorer on the track), but an official review acknowledged the missed call and that it would be wrong to let Albany keep those points. The head ref decided to wipe out the points and reset the game as if the jam never happened.

This sent the large, mostly pro-Albany crowd into a booing frenzy. As announcers, we really need to try to explain (not exacerbate) any such situation, and remind the audience that whether or not they agree with the call, the referees are volunteers doing their best to be fair to both teams. This wasn’t communicated as effectively as it could have been, and fans were booing all the way to the end.

In all, being part of three men in motion was an interesting experience and a new perspective. It ultimately makes me look forward to a more traditional role, sitting behind a table, for our March 10 season-opening bout.

The words of Certified Public Assassin, in a post-bout locker room filled with all kinds of emotion, marked how far the Oz Roller Girls had come almost as much as the effort Oz put forth to top the Albany All-Stars in the first bout against an A team 204-162.

After playing other B teams its first season, they started their second by winning against an experienced, talented team: Albany dished out more hits than Motown but Oz skaters got up every time and showed a determination to take more. They won in a hostile environment: A reported crowd of more than 1,000 booed lustily at times, although a large and loud Oz contingent made the trip.

And they won by keeping their heads and keeping their balance in crunch time. Penalties hit both teams hard, and between that and the physical beating and the hostile crowd, tempers and poise were tested — but Oz kept its emotions in check and channeled into the game.

Plus all the endurance work in practice — as boring and tiring as it can be — meant Oz skaters still had their legs, their energy and their wind at the end. Penalties down the stretch can often come from fatigue, but Oz managed to keep their feet and stay more or less in check in the game’s final minutes.

[Fred Ashby photo]

The score doesn’t reflect how close the back-and-forth contest was, with lead changes, swings in momentum and sometimes razor-thin margins on who had the upper hand. Considering Oz’s first bout just 11 months ago, against the Hellions of Troy, where they were star-struck and never in the game, this was amazing progress. Here Oz was, after a year as a B team, in a big-game atmosphere against a hard-hitting team and a huge and (mostly) hostile crowd going toe to toe all night, never backing down, staying focused as a team.

And in the end, after all that cramming, Oz came away with just what it wanted: A new identity as an A team.

What a long, crazy, thrilling, emotional and unbelievable year it’s been for the Oz Roller Girls. The debut season ended with a 10-2 record, so many new friendships, countless feats many participants never thought possible. How to recap such a year?

I decided to look back at the action itself, compiling five bouts to remember. Of course every bout was memorable, filled with so many marvelous teams and skaters, and this is just my perspective. Others may have different opinions, and everyone is more than welcome to share their top moments in the comments.

5. Taking it on the chin: Oz vs. Enchanted Mountain, 6/11. In terms of bouts, this may have been a low point of the season, but it’s memorable in lessons learned. It’s the only loss I’ve seen Oz take (I missed their first bout, a loss to the Hellions of Troy, where many skaters said they felt like deer in headlights). Enchanted Mountain came out physical and Oz had to play catchup. EMRD’s 130-98 victory broke a three-game win streak and our teamwork had breakdowns … but this low point set up high points to come and a seven-game win streak.

4. A winning note: Oz vs. ACRD, 9/10. Assault City in Syracuse, only about 35 miles away, is our nearest competition, an established league and a great bunch of ladies. In a way, this bout vs. their B team, the Battery Brigade, was an opportunity to make a statement that Oz had arrived. It had its somber moments, taking place in the shadow of the 10th anniversary of 9/11, and we let all veterans, active-duty service members and first responders in free. And Oz did some of its best wall-building in a very team-oriented 145-74 victory.

3. Welcome to Oz: Oz vs. Crown City, 4/23. The debut of roller derby in Oswego, a seemingly impossible dream come true, brought in a large, loud crowd that was itself a victory for the new sport. We suffered a few technical glitches with the arena, but Oz, the visiting Crown City Royal Pains and many volunteers worked hard to make things work. And the roar that erupted when Certified Public Assassin and Masso-Kiss-Tic Mandy combined on a breathtaking flying waitress star pass punctuated the 161-76 victory, the first win in Oz history.

2. Lows and highs: Oz vs. Black River Rollers, 5/14. This game changed the course of our season in a few ways. The low came with Von Diesel, our captain who bleeds Oz blue and green, suffering a season-ending knee injury in the middle of the bout. The Black River Rollers’ black and blue style battered but did not break the Oz Roller Girls, setting up a final jam with Oz leading 185-183. Oz showed, for the first time, a trademark ability to step up in the clutch, as every blocker did her job perfectly, Certified Public Assassin grabbed lead jammer and called off the jam to let time expire for the big win.

1. The Great Escape: Oz vs. Bluestockings, 7/31. I still get goosebumps thinking about the end of this title game of the inaugural Triple D Tournament. A very talented Bluestockings team held a 126-117 lead with 40 seconds left, and Oz would need to channel Houdini for any chance of escaping with a win. Oz even started a skater down with a blocker in the box, but with Mass0-Kiss-Tic Mandy jamming and a steely resolve. When Rock’Em Sock’Em made a key move to take a back block that sent the Bluestockings jammer to the box, Oz seized the opportunity. Mandy made the initial pass for lead jammer, then another, then another to tie the score. The crowd noise grew louder and louder, to a deafening din as the blockers cleared a path for Mandy to get through one more time, grab a 130-126 lead and call off the jam with no time left on the clock. Chawn Crawley’s photo of the Oz Roller Girls celebrating as the scoreboard results came up (above) remains an iconic image of the season.

What’s next for the Oz Roller Girls? Too soon to know, but here’s to the exciting moments and memorable bouts of 2011 … and the prospect of many more in 2012.

Over the weekend, a few Oz Roller Girls members had an opportunity to go to a co-ed scrimmage hosted by the Quadfathers, an excellently named men’s team based out of Utica. Certified Public Assassin and Crushed Red Pepper skated, while Natron, Von Diesel and I worked as non-skating officials (NSOs). In every way, it was an eye-opening experience.

Despite concerns about men and women skating together, there didn’t appear to be any major injuries and the level of hitting generally resembled a regular bout. That it was a pickup bout with skaters from so many leagues — much like a scrap night — led to its share of chaos, but overall it was a fast-paced bout. The refs and NSOs were similarly a hodge-podge from many different leagues … and while I can’t speak for all parties, I thought the inside of the track, where I was a score tracker, functioned quite well especially given how little anyone had worked together.

All that said, these are some things I took away:

Women worked better together on the track. I’m sorry to throw this out as a generalization, but my overwhelming impression was that women skaters were more likely to engage in teamwork while some men skaters seemed determined to do it all themselves. This ties into what I’ve read in John Gray’s Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus and Deborah Tannen’s You Just Don’t Understand, among other sources. Sad but true.

Refs may vary greatly. We had three teams skating round robin, with three bouts and three different sets of referee assignments. The refs would rotate among jam ref (watching the jammer and counting points), inside pack (watching the pack from inside the oval) and outside pack (watching the pack from outside the oval). You could see some subtle differences in what penalties were called most often, interpretation of rules and points of emphasis. I know firsthand that being a roller derby referee is a really hard and fast-moving job, but seeing three different refs in various roles in rapid succession made me realize — and this is true for any of us — we all have different styles and things we concentrate on. It’s something skaters and teams should take into consideration.

Battle of the sexes = strange dynamic. There’s no shame, in my mind, for a guy who’s taken down by a good block from a rollergirl. This happened frequently. I think some men may have been unsure how hard to hit women, and I can’t blame them one bit … but most rollergirls had no issues hitting a man. All that is good. (Oh, and if you want to hotdog or show off that you’ve just overpowered a woman, you’re not exactly a great man in my eyes. Just saying.)

All in all, an enjoyable and educational time. A big roller derby salute to those who made this marvelous, madcap event possible.

Because “Oz” is a nickname for Oswego, and since our league was founded as the Oz Roller Girls, a “Wizard of Oz” theme soon developed. But I think there’s a deeper metaphorical connection with the famous story by L. Frank Baum, a native Upstate New Yorker.

One of the lessons of “The Wizard of Oz” is that we don’t always appreciate or understand what is inside of us. The Scarecrow always had a brain, The Tin Man already had a heart and The Cowardly Lion had brave bones in his body. It just took outside elements — in this case, a struggle between good and evil and a noble quest — to make them realize great qualities they already possessed.

You see this all the time in roller derby and how it helps people discover strengths they never knew they had. Many lacing up skates for the first time have not yet discovered what they can accomplish. Through roller derby, they will discover how brave they are. How powerful they are. How fast they are. How much endurance they have. How well they can play a team sport.

Over the past several months, I’ve seen a transformation in some skaters. They have grown amazingly in self-confidence, ability to relate to others and in leadership skills. Skaters who may have seemed like cowardly lions during their first wobbly steps in skates are among the most fearless people I know. Their brains process so many facets of roller derby — once a foreign language — in a split second, and they can articulate strategies and execution marvelously. And they’ve discovered how much of their heart they can give to their teammates, to a sport, to a lifestyle.

No, Dorothy, we’re not in Kansas any more. And that’s a great thing.

January 7. The Albany All-Stars A Team. Our big chance to step up against tough competition. Coach Flyin Phil posted a “40″ on the whiteboard Monday, for number of days until the bout.

As a first-year team, the Oz Roller Girls spent our past season as a B team in terms of experience and competition. So bouting vs. an A team with the experience of Albany is a huge test. Especially since the road winds through the holiday season and all its distractions. Especially since we haven’t bouted since our last season ended in September. Especially since we finished our first year at 10-2, meaning our second season starts with high expectations.

Tick. Tick. Tick. Skate. Skate. Skate. The clattering sound and syncopation resemble a march, appropriately as we battle our own doubts and distractions, mustering our determination and desire. A clock is ticking. Time to step up.