A little less than 6 months ago, I tried out for a roller derby team, the State College Area Rollers or SCAR Derby. This came as a surprise to more than one person. My father, when told, said "you remember what happened the last time you rollerbladed?" (I got hit by a car.) My mother said "you used to just cling to the wall at the roller rink." (So true.) But my bandmate was trying out and as I practiced to try out my husband decided to support me and try out as well. So, for better or for worse, I was in. I signed up for a clinic and tryouts with the State College Area Rollers.
In the process, I learned a lot about a sport I honestly knew nothing about.
1. Roller derby is experiencing a resurgence nationwide thanks to the Austin roller derby team and media stuff like Whip It.
2. Maybe if I hadn't spent so much time clinging to the wall, I would've discovered much earlier that skating is actually a great workout.
3. Central PA actually has a burgeoning, if young, regional scene to be part of. Williamsport, Harrisburg, Rochester, and a dozen other teams are located 3-5 hours from State College. Most are under 2 years old, so it's a good time to get in on the action.
I also, unfortunately, didn't make the team. My friends did. Can you say awkward?
I don't hold this against SCAR, since on skates I looked like a baby giraffe does in one of those shows on Animal Planet where they try to figure out how to operate their feet. However, I also didn't give up on skating. After all, my friends and husband spend all their time at the rink or at events, which means I spend a lot of time at them, and I've transitioned to a much more graceful skater in a few short months. And skating was the problem. I hear a lot from people who are not thrilled with having to hit people. Whereas I would love to hit people strategically, if only I could get to them. What I find hilarious/maddening is that there's a weird learning curve for skating -- you start off sucking at everything and then one thing clicks, and then all kinds of things click, and then suddenly you're just elaborating on stuff you already know. So getting started and putting in the time in that sucky stage is key.
So, a new season with new challenges is upon us, and one challenge I'm taking on is a second tryout. I'm also involved in SCAR Derby for better or for worse, anyway, so I'll be spending a lot of time this season as a non-skating official at the bouts. For those who might want to join me (and so far it looks like this recruiting class might be a little smaller than the one I was part of), the next clinic is September 25th at Penn Skates -- with tryouts on October 9th.
See you at the rink?
In the process, I learned a lot about a sport I honestly knew nothing about.
1. Roller derby is experiencing a resurgence nationwide thanks to the Austin roller derby team and media stuff like Whip It.
2. Maybe if I hadn't spent so much time clinging to the wall, I would've discovered much earlier that skating is actually a great workout.
3. Central PA actually has a burgeoning, if young, regional scene to be part of. Williamsport, Harrisburg, Rochester, and a dozen other teams are located 3-5 hours from State College. Most are under 2 years old, so it's a good time to get in on the action.
I also, unfortunately, didn't make the team. My friends did. Can you say awkward?
I don't hold this against SCAR, since on skates I looked like a baby giraffe does in one of those shows on Animal Planet where they try to figure out how to operate their feet. However, I also didn't give up on skating. After all, my friends and husband spend all their time at the rink or at events, which means I spend a lot of time at them, and I've transitioned to a much more graceful skater in a few short months. And skating was the problem. I hear a lot from people who are not thrilled with having to hit people. Whereas I would love to hit people strategically, if only I could get to them. What I find hilarious/maddening is that there's a weird learning curve for skating -- you start off sucking at everything and then one thing clicks, and then all kinds of things click, and then suddenly you're just elaborating on stuff you already know. So getting started and putting in the time in that sucky stage is key.
So, a new season with new challenges is upon us, and one challenge I'm taking on is a second tryout. I'm also involved in SCAR Derby for better or for worse, anyway, so I'll be spending a lot of time this season as a non-skating official at the bouts. For those who might want to join me (and so far it looks like this recruiting class might be a little smaller than the one I was part of), the next clinic is September 25th at Penn Skates -- with tryouts on October 9th.
See you at the rink?
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