Over the weekend, a hearty contingent of the Oz Roller Girls league participated in the annual Warm Up Oswego festival. Some of us ran in the Hot2Trot 2K, others skated it and others ambled menacingly in Star Wars-themed outfits. The intergalactic warriors also took part in a crazy costumed sled race. The temperatures were unseasonably warm, but I don’t think anyone (with the possible exception of snow sculpture organizers and enthusiasts) complained one bit.
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.
my strange journey into roller derby 