Fresh Meat Diary #3: And then there were 21...

Okay... so they're not really fresh, anymore. Now that they've finally had a chance to stop and breathe, some of TCRG's newest rookies are ready to tell you what their journey was like.

Our latest entry comes from new Riot Girl Flux Hellsity.

A few short months ago a conversation with an old friend led me to derby. Before long this sport had reeled me in hook, line and sinker. The goal: learn to skate as fast and furiously as the veterans, to hit and be hit with full force. Eventually making the cut and getting drafted onto a TCRG team! I know, it sounds crazy … What if you get hurt? You are no spring chicken toots, and derby is ruthless!

131 days ago after receiving an email and a practice schedule we began our training. Elated, I frantically rushed around the jobsite telling all of my coworkers that I had made it! I ran to Rollergirl right away, where I tried on my first pair of skates since I was seven years old, and lacing those badboy’s up felt good. Two days later we had our first practice, we were so green, but it was pretty, pretty awesome.

The vets are our coaches, and man can they skate! These are sure footed women, who within the blink of an eye can knock you on your ass. A far cry from us rookies doing shaky crossovers and just learning how to stop. These women are tough cookies; and with their guidance, perhaps we could be too.

All of the practices, the endless drills, endurance training, and those damn circles of pain…. We were getting stronger, skating faster and doing it quickly. We had been tested on the most basic of skills, and even graduating to hitting skills and written exams.  In only a few short months we had come far enough to start playing in games. Learning strategy, positional blocking, whips and even jammer starts with confidence and ease.

We practiced twice, sometimes three times a week. There was 32 to start, and 21 in the end. Some dropped out due to injury, others for time constraints, some just couldn’t hack it I guess. Chugging maple syrup isn’t very appealing to some, or perhaps it’s the squats, or being force fed chocolate. I, for one, like chocolate.