On Sunday 22nd March, we were very excited to welcome along our very first batch of Fresh Meat for 2015. We love fresh meat Sundays, but this time was extra special. It was the first one of the year, and we had so many new faces coming along to start their roller derby journey with ARRG. People start roller derby for so many reasons, whether it is for fitness, to make new friends, to get into a team sport, but our favourite quote of the day was probably this one;

I came today because I wanted to do something recreational that wasn’t just ‘watching supernatural’.

The new guys arrived, with excited trepidation, and looked increasingly nervous as we gave them their waivers to sign. We had a whole crew of skaters ready to welcome them along, and once they were all in, it was time to kit up.

Crazylegs led the session, and they started off as always with a good old off skates warm up. Once everyone had stretched, it was time for skates on. Crazylegs gave everyone a chat about safety, fitness and the very basics of roller derby, and then, they were off!

The first drill was a huge success – everyone was so amazing! Some people take longer than others to get comfortable on skates, that’s totally natural, but this group were pretty outstanding. It was so exciting to see everyone develop – especially the people who started out a bit shaky at the beginning, and by the end of the session were skating around like they’d been doing it for years! 

Crazylegs taught everyone some basics; skating stride, stance, stops and falls, and then after a good bit of practice, everyone was looking so confident that it was time for a game of Hot Dog Tag. On the first session! Everyone played really well and it was so much fun watching everyone get really into the game and look more and more confident on their skates. One fresh meat said:

I found T-stops really hard, but after a while I became quite good at them. I enjoyed that. And knee slides are really fun!

Once the session was over, we took a nice long stretch – those muscles will have been sore yesterday! – and then we all went off to the pub to get to know each other a bit better.  We discussed goals, and achievements, and there were so many people with so many goals, it was just inspirational.

I want to get fast enough so I can skate 25 laps in 5 minutes. I also want to pass soon because I am worried someone else will take the derby name I want!

We are super excited at all the new guys who have taken the first step and begun their journey with us. Everyone remembers their first day, and it’s just amazing what you can achieve in a short time. This time next year, some of these new guys will be playing on our travel teams! We can’t wait to watch everyone progress, and start skating with them!

See you next week guys!

Our featured official this month is Denominator! Denom is one of our very own home-grown refs, and we are so excited that he has been selected to be Head Ref for the first ever British Championships Local North division! Well done Denom – we’ll all be there to cheer you on!
Joined ARRG in:

Fresh Meat Class of July 2012

Role in ARRG:

On-skates Official

Favourite Position to Officiate:

My favourite is Outside Pack Referee.  You need to watch so much of what is going on within the pack, what’s happening to the jammer as they’re coming through and watching out for pack definition to help assist the IPRs.  You need a high level of rules knowledge and some good skate skills.  Most recently however I’ve been enjoying it a lot of more at the Rear (of the pack).

Your Derby Story – Why Are You Here?:

My friend (Admiral Attackbar) had been a member of ARRG for a while and had been telling me they were looking for referees. I was keen to pick up a sport to become involved in and after reading about it I decided the Roller Derby community was a place I could fit in.

I first put on a pair of skates at a Jackey’s training afternoon – and even though I feel flat on my azz all the time I was hooked. I was trained by the wonderful coaches at ARRG to skate. There are rumours that for the longest time I could only push using my right foot but these are totally unfounded and not true.  Once through Fresh Meat I began my ref training with the Officials crew.

My first time refereeing was at a Bairn City Rollers bout.  I was OPR and I remember making one call and being VERY nervous.

I continue to be involved with Officiating as it’s such an amazing part of Roller Derby.  I have a great roller derby family I enjoy spending a lot of time with, and I am constantly being challenged to learn more and push myself.

Best Official-Related Advice:

Read the rules and never be afraid to make mistakes!  If someone questions your penalty, don’t take it personally and use it as a way to verbally justify your call. If it turns out you made an error you learn from that and move on.

What You Do for the League Aside from Officiating:

I help to make our league fabulous!

I am also a member of the Training and Progression committee where I mostly work with Referee Development.

Any Funny/Embarrassing Officiating Stories:

Apparently people in other countries think it’s funny when I call “out of play” or “out of bounds” penalties…this was particularly evident in Australia when I heard the crowd laughing.

Derby Hero:

When I grow up I want to be as amazing as Righteous Oxide from Dundee Roller Girls.  He has this very calming presence at games.

What Do You Do Outside of Derby:

Mostly I teach. But I’ve found myself focusing on my own personal fitness and attending the gym lots. #allaboutthosegains

I also watch a lot of Ru Paul’s Drag Race…A LOT!

Fun Fact About You:

I own a whistle of every colour…and I can now skate with both feet.

It’s been a year of ups and downs, wins and losses, comings and goings, but The Auld Reekie Roller Girls All Star Reserves played their last game of the season on Saturday, and what a game to end on.

They took on Cambridge, and were pretty excited to take the Oxbridge double after beating Oxford in January. However, Cambridge Rollerbillies were a tough bunch, and took an early lead which ARRG never recovered. Cambridge took the win, but it was a well fought game from both sides, and the ARRG Reserves were proud of their achievement.

Vice Captain Princess Die said

We knew this was going to be a tough game, but we were in good spirits going in and we played well, and fought hard for every single point we scored. We had two new players on the team for this game, Pummela and Trojan Virus and they both played incredibly well – we are so proud of them. We are really excited now to get into training and see what we can do next season.

The All Star Reserves team is a naturally more fluid one; new skaters come up the ranks and join the team, veteran players develop and move up to playing All Star games, and ex-reserve skaters return from time off for injury (or babies!) so there have been a lot of skaters on the team over the past year. The Reserves bench coach, Pope John Brawl, held a lovely little ceremony at the end of the game honouring all the past Captains, and the occasion was marked with a special photo shoot with the amazing Neil Wykes featuring all the past skaters. We also had a special range of merchandise created to mark the occasion by the amazing Interplanetary Print Syndicate, which has kitted us out in beautiful custom ARRG clothing!

It truly has been an amazing year for the Reserves, and it’s straight back to training now in preparation for the upcoming season. Keep an eye out for them though, as they are looking at a special off-season game in a few months, and they will be back as always to play in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival on 8th August, this time in a super exciting game as they do the Derby Derby and take on Glasgow!

 

All photographs copyrighted to Neil Wkyes Photography

This month featured skater is the amazing, incredible, wonderful KIKI PEARSON #2! Kiki is an incredible person. Not only does she skate for both the All Stars and the All Star Reserves, she also runs the merch committee, runs her own business, makes derby panties, sews amazing gifts and prizes for our fundraising events, raises three children and also managed to Captain the All Star Reserves. Oh, and she weightlifts twice a week too – and squats like an absolute machine. On top of all of that, she manages to be one of the kindest hearted people you could ever meet. WE LOVE KIKI!

Home Team Affiliation: 2 years with the Leithal Weapons and then last year, the Skatefast Club.

Favourite Position: Blocker by trade, sometime pivot and a reluctant jammer. I think I have good ‘loud talking’ skills being mum to three kids.

Number of Games on the All Stars and AS Reserves: Yesterday made it 20….

Your Derby Story: Went to a Festival game in 2010 with my family and we left, full of excitment as I had just signed up for fresh meat. A friend at work had just started. As I progressed slowly and needed to buy skates and pads, the husband confessed his teenage love of roller skating and went on to co-found the first men’s team in Scotland. Almost everything revolves around derby now. I did wonder of I would EVER get through a training session without being sick or getting a massive headache! I am NOT a sporty person or ever regarded myself as competitive. Just goes to show you – derby brings out things in you, you never knew you had and teaches you things which you can use universally.

Worst Derby Injury: there’s a tweet which goes ‘remember those pre-derby days when you referred to your knees as left and right? Now it’s ‘the bad one and the not so good one’? No bad injuries to report but I think my whole body will remind me of roller derby for the rest of my life.

Best Derby Advice: what I say to my daughter when we are both struggling or frustrated (me with derby, she with 9 year old related challenges) – Practice. Always practice. And by practice I mean listening, doing your best and persevering. Too heavy for a 9 year old? That and not comparing yourself to others. Learn from them but don’t compare. You too have skills to offer.

What You Do for the League Aside from Skating: I’m spokesy for the Merchandise committee since 2013. If you ever need a t shirt, a badge or a mug SEE ME! If we don’t sell something and you want it, SEE ME!

Any Funny/Embarrassing Derby Stories OR Top Training Tip: Usually found drinking tea at after parties so I would hope my embarrassing stories are few. Sadly a few do come to mind – Amsterdam, Eugene….actually, almost any journey with Puke. Top training tip: go to practice, on a good day or a bad day. go. to. practice.

Derby Hero: All the women (and the men) in ARRG are amazing. Heck, all skaters and non skaters have skills which I admire. How could one alone be a hero? (I would say Gregg as he always gives his honest opinion, critique and advice, but I’m married to him. Does he count?)

What Do You Do Outside of Derby: Sewing. Lots of sewing. I have a small business making nice things and roller derby panties but can more often be found repairing sweaty pads for folk. I can also be found practising my pivot voice on my three kids…sadly they are not as responsive as a pack. Needs work. I enjoy lifting heavy things, namely weights. But sometimes I need help to bring the shopping in from the car….

Fun Fact About You: I have a collection of about 25 wooden nutcrackers. And my kids don’t like roller derby.

*note – this photo was from one of the most amazing moments in ARRG home team history – home team final, 2014.  Skatefast Club v Leithal Weapons. Kiki was the jammer for Skatefast, and the Leithals were 24 points ahead going into the final jam. Then Skatefast got a powerjam. Kiki scored a 25 point jam to win the season by ONE POINT.