It may not be spring, but we have skaters sprouting wings into Level 2, cleared for competition, and ready to fly into the fray of roller derby. Thus Saturday’s scrimmage vs. the Rockin’ Rural Roller Girls represented a major milestone for several Oz Roller Girls.
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.
my strange journey into roller derby 