Looking back: 9 years of Roller Derby

As we close out our 2015 season with the final Cal Skate Roller Derby doubleheader this past Saturday night and our end of the year league meeting last night, I find myself searching through my memory. I reminisce about the people, the laughter, the sisterhood, the fans, the travel, the injuries, the growth, the friendships, but most of all the rewards. How lucky I am to have found this sport. It truly did save me from myself at times. Derby has helped me celebrate the accomplishments on and off the track, experience my growth in life and at practice while enjoying all that we'd learned during games. Derby has been with me through pain, sorrow, change, loss, and celebration. Derby has created a family for me, from my brief time playing in Washington to my 9+ years in California. I've watched hundreds of women come and go, with the most resilient sticking it out to find balance in their lives to fit skating in and discovering the best in themselves to succeed. We say the game is 33% physical, 33% skill, and 34% heart/mental. The heart component is what the sport is all about. If you don't have any skills or experience before you start skating, derby offers it to you, from day one; hours of volunteer training. As women, we have very few opportunity to continue playing sports after high school, if some are fortunate enough, college. Roller Derby gives us that chance. Derby gives women who have never played a sport, something new for themselves, for their bodies and their souls. Though sometimes derby has brought stress, or challenges, the positive has far outweighed the negative. I am grateful, blessed and honored to call myself a derby girl, a teammate, a skater, a jammer, a sister! I am a proud one time member of Central Coast Roller Derby, visiting skater with Slaughter County Roller Vixens, a part time member of Pacific Coast Recycled Rollers and a current member of Cal Skate Roller Derby. Cheers to all of the skaters, ref's, NSO's, derby wives, derby husbands, derby kids and the women who came before me! Thank you for giving me this amazing sport. Now, bring on 2016 my last, my 10th and my final year of competitive Roller Derby. Pride...Honor...Courage...Respect...Who are we? CAL SKATE!